Does anyone have info on this vintage Dobro?

[gaucho]

I found it locally and am going to look at it. I don't have access to my copy of Mark's book, but I'm thinking it's some sort of late 30's variation of a Model 19. The F holes look like Kay or Regal maybe? The owner (who may jut be a dealer) knows very little about it but says the only #'s he can find on it are the patent #'s on the coverplate. It has an old nut riser on it and the last couple of frets are missing, which leads me to believe that the neck may me warped (maybe the frets were removed to try to make it playable without the riser, so the strings didn't buzz on the frets when fretted around the 10-12 frets?). The inlay fret markers extending past the 12th fret leads me to believe this has a neck stick or partial neck stick. I know that it's not usual for this forum to put values on guitars, but I'm wondering what to offer if I like it. Maybe up to $750 US dollars? Here a pic or 2:

[gaucho]

It also supposedly belonged to Leon Mitchell and The Kentucky Valley Boys. That's what the 45 rpm record is, His name is on the case and the leather strap. I don't know who that is but will google it....

[gaucho]

Anyone? I looked thru Mark's book and couldn't figure it out. I'm going to look at it tomorrow and was hoping to go armed with some details....

[Deleted]

I am not much help with the details, but my first resonator guitar in the late 70s was like this one!

It was on consignment at a music shop, but they didn't know much about it.

I traded it not long after I bought it really - towards the cost of metal Dobro I still own but had to have NOWs ort of thing. A fairly famous local musician was supposed to have bought it with plans of renovating it, so I guess it need fixing! I knew nothing about getting a guitar set up or repaired in those days or I would still have it. I know a bit more from reading the forums, but not much.

It was perhaps made by Regal in perhaps the late 20s or early 30s, I was told. It was perhaps a basswood neck, I was told.

It didn't matter at the time because I WANTED IT - I had seen a photo of Mississippi John Hurt with one that looked the same and if it was good enough for hime, well.........

I remember it being very light and having the most wonderful old woody smell after I had been playing it for 15 minutes or so and warmed it up a bit, and a beautiful little wood body Dobro sound! The neck had a bow it in like you wouldn't believe and it really was unplayable except for slide, which I was a beginner at then, and really the reason I moved it along for the metal Dobro which played like an electric guitar!

I told you I wouldn't be much help, but there are a couple of reminiscences.....


BluesKing777.

[gaucho]

From what I've seen on the web, perhaps its a '37ish model 25. I've seen similar ones but usually they have a slotted headstock, or poinsettia coverplate or a trapeze tailpiece. in a variety of combinations. I know it's been said many times that they tended to use part from whatever was around the factory at times. The main thing to me is how it pays and sounds, we'll see...

[Michael Messer]

Hi Gaucho,

Model names and numbers of Dobros can be very difficult to identify. It is certainly late thirties, 37-ish, and if you can get it for a good price....go for it.

I am sure Mark will know what this.

Shine On
Michael

[wolvoboy]

Hi Tone just put my 31 Duolian on the scales 6.05 my MM Blues 8.05 so you seem to be right the duolian does seem light never weighed one before so i dont know what the average weight is for one.
perhaps Michael will know
wolvoboy

[gaucho]

I'm wondering if the fret markers past the 12th fret are indicative of some sort of next stick?

[rbe]

Gaucho,
I think Michael is right, it's from the later part of the 30s. I would speculate that it doesn't have a neckstick. The dot markers past the 12th fret are not the typical five dot configuration that is pretty standard on Dobros with a neck stick. They don't seem original either, they look small. The missing frets are an indication that something isn't right, too.
There is a good possibility that this guitar suffers from the following problems:
Warped neck (unreinforced basswood), top collapsing (these guitars don't have full soundwells or posts and pads, they are basically unsupported inside), the openning for the cone is probably compressing (the cone may not be fully seating). The frets on vintage Nationals and Dobros are very different in profile from modern frets, so a partial fret job will not match the rest of the frets.
These guitars were built to be low priced. The ones that you find around today usually need a fair amount of work done. I found a very clean one from the same era and it needed all of the things I addressed above, plus the neck was loose and had to be reset. It's just the result of a cheap build, the stress of the string tension and time.
If the neck is tight, the angle is good and it isn't warped, the price is about right. Otherwise, plan on spending some money to get the geometry right.
Rik

[Mark Makin]

Hello Gaucho
I think Rik and Michael are certainly right here. It looks like a Regal made after 1937 (solid headstock not earlier than late 1937). I agree with Rik about the short or half stick.

[gaucho]

Just got in from checking it out. Sounded great but it had lotsa problems. Those dots beyond the 12th fret were painted on. I has lived for many years in open e so the neck was lifted and warped. The tuners were different on the left than those on the right. Very cool little guitar that sounded great played lap style. Needed at least $500 in repairs to make it play well as a true round neck tho. I had to give it a pass. He had a really interesting '29 National hollowneck tricone that he was thinking about sell too....