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Post by marshcat on Apr 27, 2011 11:39:05 GMT
Here's a weird one: a very early tricone - fitted with a Dobro spider cone. washingtondc.craigslist.org/nva/msg/2348581666.html The ad's now been deleted but scroll down through the thread to see the text! Two possibilities which occur to me, re the date the Dobro cone found its way into this tricone: 1) in 1927, in the factory, when the Dopyeras were developing the Dobro... 2) later in its life, in which case it's a very odd thing to do, to say the least... Marshcat |
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Post by Matt on Apr 27, 2011 12:25:55 GMT
Wasn't the Dobro developed by John Dopyera after he left the National company? Certainly you'd imagine they'd have used a single cone instrument if they were experimenting with new single cones, as converting a tricone would take a fair bit of internal work? Still, pretty cool.
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Post by Michael Messer on Apr 27, 2011 12:45:18 GMT
Before this thread was started Mark & I had a chat about the conversion. There is possibility it was done by the Dopyeras.
Whoever ends up with it should be able to see if it was done by them, or by a lunatic that had no idea about the rarity or future value of this guitar.
Whoever does end up with this guitar should be very careful before they hack it up and turn it into a Tricone.
Shine On
Michael.
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Post by marshcat on Apr 28, 2011 10:20:57 GMT
Matt - I don't think we know how long the Dopyeras were working on the dobro concept before the first patent was filed, in Rudy's name, in June 1929. I've read that the first dobros were made in 1928. If they tried to put a dobro inside a tricone, it wouldn't surprise me too much - after all they were also trying to squeeze a tricone into a wooden body with a ridiculously small cover plate  I think it would be a shame to convert #156 back to a tricone - it would not be anything like original. As it stands, it's a unique instrument, whoever did the surgery.  |
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Post by steverino on May 1, 2011 5:44:57 GMT
Fascinating! Thanks so much for saving the photos, as the Craigslist ad is now gone. As I understand the story, John Dopyera worked on the spider bridge design at home in preparation for leaving National and starting the new Dobro company. It seems entirely plausible to me that he may have at first used a tricone (his pride and joy) as a test bed for new designs. This instrument is one of the earliest hand hammered examples, before the stamping dies were in use. Does that one picture show the spider/cone/cone well assembly sitting outside the guitar? The wood looks old and dark. If so, the spider cone well might have been set in the guitar in lieu of its original wooden well for the three cones.
I sure hope that one of the historian collectors (Colin?) acquired this piece and can tell us more about it at some point.
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Post by marshcat on May 1, 2011 7:33:43 GMT
I know Craigslist ads have a very short half-life (and that sellers hardly ever reply to messages...) so I saved the text, as a jpeg, unfortunately. But the information's here for posterity...  |
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Aël
MM Forum Member
Posts: 8
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Post by Aël on Oct 19, 2011 11:28:44 GMT
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Post by Michael Messer on Oct 19, 2011 17:56:37 GMT
I think this one is going to do the rounds before it finally settles in a private collection. It is still completely unknown whether it was converted into a Dobro by John Dopyera and until it gets into the hands of someone who really knows what they are talking about, we cannot jump to any conclusions.
If it sells for a low price it could well end up in the hands of a dealer, and it is at that point that the 'possibility of the origin of this guitar' will become 'this guitar was used as a test instrument by....etc' and the mythology will push its price up.
Shine On
Michael.
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Aël
MM Forum Member
Posts: 8
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Post by Aël on Oct 20, 2011 11:51:01 GMT
today, the # 156 is not aviable more.
The ebay auction says :"This listing was ended by the seller because the item is no longer available."
I imagine somebody had just contact the seller and offer him a good price for a buy it now (I suppose)
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Aël
MM Forum Member
Posts: 8
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Post by Aël on Oct 21, 2011 21:38:25 GMT
For the archive.... I try to post some picture from Ebay. Attachments:
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Aël
MM Forum Member
Posts: 8
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Post by Aël on Oct 21, 2011 21:39:01 GMT
. Attachments:
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Post by pete1951 on Oct 22, 2011 10:20:48 GMT
It might be posible to age the Dobro well from the screw holes/constution?
PT
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Post by marshcat on Feb 14, 2012 8:09:22 GMT
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I think it would be a shame to convert #156 back to a tricone - it would not be anything like original. As it stands, it's a unique instrument, whoever did the surgery.
