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Post by Michael Messer on Jan 26, 2014 21:39:32 GMT
 Hi everyone, I thought I would share this as I know it is of interest to forum members and it should definitely be listed on here. Forum member and author of the wonderful book, 'Palm Trees, Senoritas and Rocket Ships', Mark Makin, occasionally puts stuff up on Facebook to plug the book and tell people about interesting National/Dobro/Dopyera-related stuff. Now it is on Facebook I thought I would share it on the forum too. I have known about this guitar since Mark discovered it just over a year ago in late 2012. It did in fact turn up just before the book was going to print, so it only just made it! Over to Mark.... I thought people might like to see a photo of the FIRST NATIONAL GUITAR made by John Dopyera in 1926. Originally, this was made as a square neck guitar but was soon converted by John to a round neck by simply cutting off the casing. By fitting a standard round neck, it does not really have access much beyond the seventh fret. It is made of german silver but is NOT plated - just polished. It was restored by John Dopyera's apprentice Dave Flood and now resides in the Museum of Making Music in Carlsbad, CA.
It was numbered 101 (although the original neck serial number would have been cut off when it was converted so it is technically the FIRST ROUNDNECK as well!!!
Mark Makin - January 2014  Shine On Michael |
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Post by charliechitlins on Jan 27, 2014 13:19:54 GMT
Amazing!
Thanks.
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Post by Mark Makin on Jan 27, 2014 14:10:18 GMT
As Michael has beaten me to it - I'll fill in a bit more of the story (particularly for those who don't have my book yet!)
As Michael says, I found a reference to this guitar - which is hanging on a wall in the "Museum of Making Music" in Carlsbad, Southern California about the middle of 2012. For many years, there had been stories about the disappearance of this instrument (loss, theft etc) and nobody seemed to really know where this instrument was. I even had a conversation face to face with Ron Lazar in the OMI company building in Huntington Beach back in 1981, where he told me that it had been stolen and everybody knew the perpetrator but a 'stand-off' had occurred because there were threats to destroy it if any action was taken.
After seeing the small, insignificant picture on the internet, I recognised enough to be able to say this was, at least, a very early one that I needed to find out about. I contacted Mike Hendrickson, the artifacts manager of the museum in Carlsbad, and he is responsible for sending me these (among other) photographs and this information:
....."John with brothers Rudolph and Emile hand built the first 100 Hawaiian models that were first marketed before Adolph Rickenbacher became the tooling engineer for the stamped production models. This first guitar (#101) has a unique body shape with fewer cross slats and features the pre-production diamond shaped holes. Soon afterwards, its square neck was cut off and refitted with an African mahogany neck by John for Orpheum vaudeville artist Waltimor Shablowski, thus becoming the first Spanish neck National guitar. Once National tooled up for Spanish models, it was returned for a production model and left in storage. The guitar later moved up to Grant's Pass, down to Long Beach, and eventually to John's Fiddle & Fret shop in Escondido CA. Dopyera's apprentice Dave Flood helped restore the historic instrument under his supervision. The first National guitar was presented with our mentor at the 1980 Los Angeles Vintage Guitar show where it won several top ribbon awards. This very instrument pioneered the popular National and Dobro guitars, along with many memorable Hawaiian, blues and country stylings."
On Loan from the Collection of Dave Flood........
As a result of this letter, I contacted Dave Flood ( a person, I have to admit, I had never heard of!) and he very graciously filled in a lot more of the story.
Dave, a resident of Escondido, lived down the road from John Dopyera's Fiddle Shop and liked to frequent the shop talking with John and Rudy about guitars. Eventually he became effectively John's apprentice through the 1960s and 70s. It seems he lost interest in guitars during the early 90s (he was now more fascinated by restoring old Jaguars!). As he was already losing interest, it did not concern him that he was effectively later written out of history.
Dave added some info to the story:......
The guitar had been made as a conventional square cased neck but within weeks of its completion, Walter Shablowski (who played in a Los Angeles Balalaika Band during the 20s) asked John if he had a 'spanish' version. John's answer was to cut the neck off Number 101! Walter played it for a year or so with the understanding from John that he could return it and swap it when 'official' round necks were available. This he did and the guitar went into storage at National. At some time in the future it seems to have got lost.
This bit starts to get interesting..........
During the early 1970s, it seems to have re-appeared "....on a junk pile in South LA"...... It was found, together with a prototype, early (and slightly different) tenor triplate (again LOST!!!) and also....wait for it.....a Dobro PIANO (don't even ask!!) Also again LOST!
At the time of the discovery, apparently Ed Dopyera at OMI was furious that early parts of the National History had fallen into this type of situation. Number 101, now was entrusted to Rudy Dopyera who was living with John in Escondido and it came back, full circle, to John for restoration.
Dave did the practical work, restoring the instrument (under John's personal supervision. He told me that they used various new and 'contemporary' old parts that were lying around the Fiddle Shop. I didn't go into details with Dave about EXACTLY which parts were original or not but, however you slice it, it is still John Dopyera's personal project - so I guess it's OK!
John's original intention was to restore the guitar and present it to the Smithsonian Museum but, after completion, John Dopyera went round to Dave's house for a dinner party, and announced that, he had changed his mind and presented it to Dave Flood instead. It seems that John feared that it would disappear into storage at the Smithsonian - rather like the end of "Raiders of the Lost Ark" - and never be seen again! Dave, realising its historical value, in turn presented it to the Carlsbad museum on loan.
What I find fascinating, is that no-one "in the know" in California seemed to be aware that for 33 years, this important artifact has been on display...."down the road" so to speak.
There you have it.
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Post by amccj7 on Jan 29, 2014 2:51:24 GMT
Just a Fascinating Story Markin!
Truth is stranger than fiction...
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Post by mikenewport on Feb 1, 2014 10:05:06 GMT
What a beautiful looking guitar. Many thanks for the pictures and the history. Mike
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Post by Colin McCubbin on Feb 2, 2014 0:53:22 GMT
I'm in love!  Since I'm planning to go to LA and rent a car/drive up to see Marc Schoenberger this month (Harry needs his neck straightened) , it looks like a diversion to the south is in order.. I don't know if the museum will let me play or touch it, but even to be in the same room would be good for the soul! Thank Mark and Michael! |
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Post by steverino on Feb 10, 2014 5:31:01 GMT
I was privileged to see this guitar in an exhibit from the Museum of Making Music at the NAMM Show in Anaheim, CA just over a year ago... or was it two? Noted guitar historian Robb Lawrence had told me the story of this guitar and his friend Dave Flood's ownership of it at a steel guitar show a couple of years earlier. I am pleased to be custodian of square neck triplate #069 at present. These artifacts of history are scattered about but still in existence, thank goodness!
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Post by Deleted on Feb 10, 2014 16:49:40 GMT
That is just stunning!
Thanks for sharing!
I can't wait until I get my copy of 'Palm Trees, Senoritas and Rocket Ships'! Maybe some time later this year....
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Post by Mark Makin on Feb 10, 2014 18:53:56 GMT
I'll keep you a copy warm Danny!
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Post by steverino on Feb 14, 2014 6:02:02 GMT
Has anyone here not yet gotten a copy of Mark Makin's incredible book? It advances the late Bob Brozman's documentation of Nationals solidly into the 21st century and expands the knowledge base enormously with current insights. Absolutely indispensable!
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Post by Colin McCubbin on Feb 20, 2014 6:04:49 GMT
Just spent the morning with Mark Schoenberger looking at pics of 102 and 103 which he has worked on. Tonight I`m in Escondito, going to visit the site of JD`s shop on Escondido Bvd in the morning, and, although I have no religion, say thanks to the Dopyeras for the `fun` they brought into my (our?) Lives. Then I` m off to see 101.. flying back to Canada in the evening.
Marc thinks 101 had the cones 1 each end of the bridge, 1 below the neck, as per the ukes and mandolins, and that John may have built it all, while Rudy built 102. Hopefully I can get a better view in the morning..
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Post by Michael Messer on Feb 20, 2014 8:47:18 GMT
Hi Colin,
Take some photos so we can see more details!
Dave Flood is the person to ask about this guitar, as it was Dave, who under the watchful eye of John Dopyera, did the restoration. I think he only lives down the road from the museum.
Shine On
Michael
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Post by amccj7 on Feb 21, 2014 14:47:46 GMT
Great ! looking forward to the new Pics!!
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