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Post by Noah Miller on Jan 22, 2016 12:03:33 GMT
Thanks for the reply, Mark! I ran across another one recently, with the same headstock veneer as mine but a simpler neck construction and "Safari" engraved on the body. The store says it's a '76. Alas, it was already sold, but I saved the photos ( link here).
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Post by Noah Miller on Jan 21, 2016 21:58:17 GMT
As I'm completely enamored with my '75 Dobro Ampliphonic mandolin, I decided to pick up this metal-bodied one as well. I looked through Mark Makin's book, and it looks like the only metal-bodied Dobro mandos were the Safari-branded ones that Rudy Dopyera commissioned in 1975. This one, despite also having a 1975 serial, seems to have a number of differences from the ones described in the book: 3-piece neck, adjustable truss rod, engraving pattern, brand name, headstock veneer, hand rest, cover plate, neck binding, fret markers, scale length (13 5/8")... the list goes on for quite a while. I assume that each of the Safaris were a bit different, kind of like the Dopera banjos in the '60s, and this is just one variation. Or am I wrong, and did OMI make a production model like this?
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Post by Noah Miller on Nov 27, 2014 3:15:22 GMT
Until this morning I had not seen your avatar photo. Is the Dopera Original banjo yours? It's beautiful. Yes indeed! It weighs more than my car, but it sounds great.
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Post by Noah Miller on Nov 25, 2014 22:28:03 GMT
Thanks for the answer! I was kind of hoping that it would be a rare early '30s model that matched my All-Electric guitar, but they make a nifty set even if they're a few years apart.
There's no inherent reason why '30s amps are unsafe to use, though, as long as they've had a grounded cord properly installed (which, admittedly, this Dobro hasn't). You may be thinking of transformerless amp designs of the '50s, which have the potential to run wall voltage through the chassis.
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Post by Noah Miller on Nov 25, 2014 19:57:06 GMT
I have often wondered if amp with a field-coil speaker (pre-war amps often used an electro magnet on the speaker, rather than a ceramic/alnico) could have a master volume by reducing power to the field coil. This would mean you could `drive` the amp hard at low volume. Wouldn't it be easier to put a conventional MV between the preamp and output sections? As I understand it, the field coil wouldn't affect your ability to do so.
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Post by Noah Miller on Nov 25, 2014 19:55:12 GMT
are there any tube markings on the chassis, or tube identification/replacement sheet inside the cab? Those tube IDs are written on the sockets, and the tubes themselves all match the sockets.
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Post by Noah Miller on Nov 25, 2014 19:53:04 GMT
Your Dobro amp looks to me like a 1937 Dobro version of the National Model 'A'. In fact, according to my information, I think they are both 1937 amps. I think you need a copy of Mark Makin's book 'Palm Trees, Senoritas & Rocket Ships' ....The history of all things National, Dobro, Supro....etc. Agreed, it looks a lot like a National A, but there's no Dobro-branded version in the book and no pic of the back panel so I couldn't be sure.
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Post by Noah Miller on Nov 24, 2014 23:28:06 GMT
Just curious if anyone has any info on these two, particularly this first one. The lack of a letter prefix on the serial, plus the Oxford speaker, suggests to me that it's really early (ca. 1935) but I haven't been able to find any identical amps. It uses two 6V6s, two 6N7s and an 83V rectifier, if that helps. The second one appears to be a National Model D, but I haven't seen another D with a coverplate over the speaker. It appears to have a duco finish. Both amps have been serviced and work fine, though the D has a significant cabinet rattle.
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Post by Noah Miller on Aug 20, 2014 11:14:13 GMT
I haven't tried them, but I believe Colin's correct. The tiny increase in tension from ball-end to loop-end strings was necessary to stop any buzzing, so I think nylon strings would just be a nightmare of rattling.
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Post by Noah Miller on Aug 10, 2014 14:33:38 GMT
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Post by Noah Miller on Aug 9, 2014 0:42:47 GMT
Yup, it's mighty loud. At first there was a lot of buzzing, but then I strung it with loop-end strings from the bottom of the tailpiece and the extra tension solved that problem. You may be right about the cover plate, but I have no frame of reference. I'll try and record a clip over the weekend.
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Post by Noah Miller on Aug 8, 2014 21:12:19 GMT
It's here! I was able to sell a few other instruments and pay it off early. Click here for an online album with some new pics.Generally, it's in excellent condition. Everything appears to be original except the tuners. The action is low, the neck is dead straight, the frets and board are almost free of wear and the intonation is pretty good for a resonator. Underneath the tuners I found the imprint of planetary banjo tuners, as my tricone tenor guitar used to have. I have it strung as a 4-string mandolin, and while the sound lacks the chorused effect of a mandolin it has the warmth and sustain I expected of a tricone. Plus, I get two sets of strings for every mando pack I buy . I'd like to clean up the body a bit. I know that National Resophonic recommends a particular polish to add shine, but first I need to remove the green oxidation. I'm thinking of using a weak acid like vinegar; any other suggestions?
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Post by Noah Miller on Jul 26, 2014 18:18:15 GMT
Thanks for the info, everyone! Colin, feel free to use those pics.
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Post by Noah Miller on Jul 25, 2014 22:36:53 GMT
... Here's what I call a great find !!! I guess that you could be the Noah Miller of the Valcopages, then glad to hear from you again... Yup, that's me. Most of that site is now incorporated into part of my Old Frets website , dedicated to my instrument collection.Wow! About the Ukelele ! And wow ! Look how flat that coverplate is ! Huh; I hadn't noticed that. I know that the lip around the coverplate was introduced to accommodate the T-bar (or Y-bar, on these instruments), so I'm guessing that no additional height was necessary. With a domed coverplate, the bridge and tailpiece would probably be raised too high. I forgot to ask - is there a case that fits these well without being hugely oversized? Unfortunately, this one doesn't come with a case.
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Post by Noah Miller on Jul 25, 2014 19:16:42 GMT
I've been lurking around this forum for a while, and I never expected my first post to be about ukes - especially since I don't play them. However, I do play mandolin, and in the last couple of years I've become enamored with resonator mandolins. I have a '75 Dobro reissue and a custom-built Hyde biscuit-bridge mando, and lately I've started dreaming of finding an early tricone mandolin. I know they're scarce and probably more than I could afford, but I just found something almost as great: I didn't know what it was at first, since I didn't know that National ever made tricone ukuleles. After finding them in Mark Makin's book, I realized that this could easily be strung as a 4-string mandolin. Fortunately, the store does layaways so I'll have it paid off in two months (if I'm not able to sell another instrument first to pay for it). While the wait will be agonizing, at least I'll have lots of time to research it. No other tricone ukes I've seen have guitar-style tuners, and these appear to have been trimmed specifically to fit the headstock. They look old enough to be original, though, so I'm wondering if they could be; anyone know? Also, was this one of the 6 known tricone ukes mentioned in Makin's book? It's not often that the original owner's name is recorded after 85 years; anyone have any info on Percy Frazer?
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