NRD

[richardp69]

Richard, now you must get at least one resonator ukulele:

You can find Asian National copies easily, though I believe only Mike Lewis of Fine Resophonic in France had been making some Dobro spider ukes. They don't seem to be listed on his website currently. The metal biscuit ones are very loud, but the spider bridge ukes have a much sweeter tone,
A '31 Model 30 Dobro uke (sold for $30--if only Guild had based their model numbers on selling price--we'd all be happy with the Oxnard model renaming). The National is a 1928 Style One--German Silver with the earlier screen coverplate. The National is the large body version which they stopped making I believe in '31, the Dobro is a tenor size body. I even has a miniature sound well. There was a Model 40 which was identical but with
full binding.

Man, I had zero idea something like this even existed.

 

[richardp69]

No lie....I honestly was on guitar center's website looking at resonators about a month ago....and was honed in on exactly this "30's Minnie humbucker" model. I went through all the colors, the various pictures, and then the 2 min video clip. Sounded great clean. Then the guy puts on some drive and plays a Nirvana tune. Took me 3 sec to hit the back button and look elsewhere. Lol. Not that that's a deterrent for this purchase Richard....that's just me. The guitar itself sounded fine. Let us know how it is once you give it ...and the bucker..a full run through. I might still get one myself. (The dark burst one. )

No worries. I thought the video clip on the listing/store where I bought the instrument sounded pretty good. If I can get to 50% of that I'll be happy I guess. (and yes, I do not have high expectations for myself)

 

[fronobulax]

No worries. I thought the video clip on the listing/store where I bought the instrument sounded pretty good. If I can get to 50% of that I'll be happy I guess. (and yes, I do not have high expectations for myself)

Ignore your expectations. Sometimes just showing up is 90% of the job.

I'm pretty excited about your project both because of what the group hopes to do and because of the fact that you are willing to do something out of your comfort zone/expertise because that is what seems to be best for the group.

 

[spoox]

Man, I had zero idea something like this even existed.

This is my first ukulele that David Flood, John Dopyera's apprentice made for me in '72. John had an early National neck and coverplate, Dobro cone, spider bridge and sound holes in his parts bin.. The body is made of the Tamo plywood that the Fiddle Fret Shop was paneled in. It cost me $90.
Before the new National Resophonic came into being, Beltona started making early National style ukes. You may have heard of this guy who played them:

Tiny Tim’s Ukuele Part 2

Tiny Tim’s Ukulele Part 2 Back to the uke order: A few telephone calls and month or two later the uke was ready and sent to him in the US. He was pictured in magazine articles holding his Beltona Ukulele. It was very good for our business profile. This is what we came up with…

www.beltona.net

 

[Midnight Toker]

I'm coming to join you Richard!!

I scored this Johnson Reso last night on an online auction (while watching a 60' ES 335 go for 19K and 69 Tele for 5.5K!

It's nothing fancy, low level reso if anything, but at less than 1/2 the price of what this model gets on eBay, I couldn't pass on it.

Here was last night's fun. I was fully expecting the 335 to go for at least 8K, and the Tele (which was really worn...just look at the neck...that's a maple neck!! Lol ) for at least 3.5K, but not this!! Crazy!!

The auction has a "soft close", meaning any bids in the last 2 min adds another 2 min (no snipeing!) and it continued for several minutes after this pic was taken. I had fun just watching. A few of the bidders were of course vintage guitar shops!!

 

[richardp69]

Congrats!!!! Looks sweet!!!

 

[Midnight Toker]

So Richard....how you like your new Reso so far? I'm digging mine. ^ I really should have taken pictures when I had it apart for a good inspection and cleaning. I just wanted to get fresh strings on it and give it a good workout that I didn't even think about it. As it turns out, the input jack and vol pot weren't stock, which I assumed from the beginning. After pulling the resonator plate, I was surprised to find a 1"x 1/2" piece of hardwood bracing mounted to the inside of the body, and what looks like an old light green round headed 1950's large diaphragm microphone mounted to it pointing upward just an inch or two below the Reso plate. It doesn't have a mic grill cover on it, just a amp grill cloth type cover. It definitely has a decent old time sound plugged in. You can't crank it facing the amp, that's for sure, but I might just have to find a better way to remount it. It's currently on the bass string side of center and the two high strings are too quiet in comparison to the low strings. Maybe a simple flip will cure it. Either way, it's a great player. Great low action for finger playing, while still amazingly clean for slide. I was worried it'd be too low for slide but I guess the heavier string guage makes up for it. Lot's of fun digging into open G tuning. Something I've oddly never really dug into in all my years of playing. Definitely an instrument that will be leaning against my couch and picked up constantly for quite a while.

 

[Guildedagain]

I got this mean machine, 1972 Dobro, nickel is so aged you can barely make out the palm trees in the nickeled brass body.

 

[richardp69]

I got this mean machine, 1972 Dobro, nickel is so aged you can barely make out the palm trees in the nickeled brass body.

I hate you

 

[Guildedagain]

It sounds like a guitar somebody put a banjo in ;]

There's videos of John Dopyera spinning aluminum cones by hand out there, or used to be. All made by hand, then Gibson got involved somehow. The Dobro story is very interesting, fascinating actually, as is the story of all resonators and the mystique of the instruments.

I was lucky enough to hang out - many times - with this old man from Missouri Red B. who had a vintage guitar store in North ID, I'd plan day trips there, always good trades.

His whole back wall next to the counter was National Duolians and Tricones - floor to ceiling - from heir heyday in the 1930's, resonator ukes, you name it, it was up there on that wall. And you could play anything in the store, and there never anyone else, if someone finally came in I was ready to leave with my booty anyway.