Questions about a Dobro M-32

[alexandre]

Here it is...
I've got this guitar for a few weeks now, but as it is my first pre-war Dobro, I've got some questions about it...

I don't have the use to open a coverplate if the guitar sounds good, but in this case, I did it just because there was a fair amount of dust on the cone... I let you check :



I don't regret to have opened it because I've also retired a fair amount of rust on the lip that support the cone... It was surely not good to help a normal vibration of the cone, I assume...

By the way, it was the first time I was dealing with a stamped cone, and I have to say that it's in good shape and it's sounding pretty well too, after a whole soft-cleaning action...

Concerning my main question, I let you check this picture first:


Could we have here a "double" soundwell, I mean able to fit a 10.5 spider cone as a 9.5 biscuit cone ??

The first reserve I have is that two screws are located right in the middle of the inferior lip, so that it could damage the lip of a biscuit cone, but I assume that if we screw them a little bit more they will be at the same level of the lip...

I didn't got any measure because I was too hurried to play this guitar, but if anyone of you could give any element about my question, I'll be glad !!

[Michael Messer]

Hi Alexandre,

Yes, the soundwell was designed to take either a Dobro spider cone or a National 9.5inch cone. Over all the years and have seen many of these guitars, I have never seen one with a 9.5 inch cone. I must try it one day in mine. I think the original Dobro idea was for these guitars to be able to take two types of resonator, but in practice it never actually happened.

The lug cones have been seen in some of these guitars, but what I have never quite worked out is that Dobro made different spiders for these guitars with an offset bridge saddle, yet with the lug cones they use the regular spider with the bridge in the centre.

Without hearing your guitar I cannot be sure, but in most cases these guitar sound better with a regular Dobro cone and an offset bridge saddle.

I love these guitars. They have a special sound that is not in any other resonator guitar.

Shine On
Michael.

[alexandre]

OK Michael, thanks for the highly appreciated details !
As I've got to plan a meeting with Mike Lewis to fix another cone on another guitar, I'll try to test a regular spider cone & maybe a biscuit cone too if we can have enough time !!

Concerning the sound of that guitar, this is the way it was sounding just after the cleaning action (but the strings were almost as old as the guitar, seriously !). The web-cam sound is poor & I was too hurried to play well, but it should give you an idea...

[slidenpickit]

Sounds great. Do you know what gauge strings are fitted to it?

[Michael Messer]

Hi Alexandre,

It sounds lovely.

If you are going to see Mike Lewis, THE master, he will look after you and give you good advice. Let me know how you get on.

Shine On
Michael.

[alexandre]

Mar 3, 2011 15:52:51 GMT @slidenpickit said:

Sounds great. Do you know what gauge strings are fitted to it?

On the video, I would tell that the old strings were something like .013/.056... (I was telling "old" strings, but definitely not from the 30's).
I've put some .012/.054 phosphore-bronze to play it in standard tuning, and it's just great for me like that...

Michael, concerning Mister Lewis, he already did a real fine job on a 1930 Walnut Triolian (neck reset, and a little more) that I play, but I wasn't able to join him to get the guitar (so we shipped it). As we had several great discussions by phone, my only wish is to meet him in his workshop the next time...
Anyway, if I can test any other cone on this one, I'll surely share the result here...

Just two other pictures to show you this exemplar: