Post by Mark Makin on Dec 13, 2016 10:50:17 GMT
I received an email this morning from Susan Dopyera in Hempstead (North West Houston) in Texas and it is with great sadness that I have to report the death of Emil Dopyera Junior at his home on November 26 last.
Emil is really the last link with the factories of National Dobro and OMI.
Emil was the son of Emil (Ed) Dopyera and his wife Harriet and was born in 1932. As a baby he moved to Chicago with the National Factory when it relocated there in 1935. By his early 20s, he was working with his father on various guitar related projects. They devised what would become the "Zorko" bass, later to be taken over and marketed by Ampeg. It was a fibreglass, stand up, electric bass. Never too successful, it suffered from problems in the curing of the fibreglass which created unpleasant fumes.
In the late 1950s, he was responsible for the development of the much -loved solid bodied "Student Resophonic" guitars. These are the small, Les Paul shaped acoustic resonator instruments, much like a "travel" resonator guitar. They appeared in pearl covered finishes as well as red black and white. They are still much sought after.
In the late 1950s, Emil Snr, and Rudy were again beginning to market Dobros from their small shop in El Monte, California. Emil Junior at this time, went off to work for the Carnation Company, then Lockheed Missiles and Space Division and then on to Avco in Tulsa Oklahoma.
Emil Junior was not yet finished with the music business however. It was he that secured the financial backing to start the Gardena plant for Dobro which would eventually become the Original Musical Instrument Company (OMI). When the facility was opened, Emil Junior, Emil Senior, Rudy and Clyde Wynant became the four Directors. They produced 25 Dobros a day with a staff of 25.
Emil Junior later said that problems in finishing these early guitars got so bad that it resulted in selling the company to Mosrite. Emil Junior took on the responsibility of transferring the production from Dobro to Mosrite.
By the early 1970s, he became a manager working for CBS Fender Instruments. Later he and his wife Susan moved to Houston, where until now they enjoyed a happy retirement, travelling the world and sailing boats.
I would like to send my heartfelt condolences to Susan and the rest of the family.
Emil is really the last link with the factories of National Dobro and OMI.
Emil was the son of Emil (Ed) Dopyera and his wife Harriet and was born in 1932. As a baby he moved to Chicago with the National Factory when it relocated there in 1935. By his early 20s, he was working with his father on various guitar related projects. They devised what would become the "Zorko" bass, later to be taken over and marketed by Ampeg. It was a fibreglass, stand up, electric bass. Never too successful, it suffered from problems in the curing of the fibreglass which created unpleasant fumes.
In the late 1950s, he was responsible for the development of the much -loved solid bodied "Student Resophonic" guitars. These are the small, Les Paul shaped acoustic resonator instruments, much like a "travel" resonator guitar. They appeared in pearl covered finishes as well as red black and white. They are still much sought after.
In the late 1950s, Emil Snr, and Rudy were again beginning to market Dobros from their small shop in El Monte, California. Emil Junior at this time, went off to work for the Carnation Company, then Lockheed Missiles and Space Division and then on to Avco in Tulsa Oklahoma.
Emil Junior was not yet finished with the music business however. It was he that secured the financial backing to start the Gardena plant for Dobro which would eventually become the Original Musical Instrument Company (OMI). When the facility was opened, Emil Junior, Emil Senior, Rudy and Clyde Wynant became the four Directors. They produced 25 Dobros a day with a staff of 25.
Emil Junior later said that problems in finishing these early guitars got so bad that it resulted in selling the company to Mosrite. Emil Junior took on the responsibility of transferring the production from Dobro to Mosrite.
By the early 1970s, he became a manager working for CBS Fender Instruments. Later he and his wife Susan moved to Houston, where until now they enjoyed a happy retirement, travelling the world and sailing boats.
I would like to send my heartfelt condolences to Susan and the rest of the family.
