2 types of Hound Dog

[lee holliday]

Michael,
with regard to the lizard don,t you mean an Anvil dropped on it Roadrunner style! Beep Beep!!!!!!!!
All this negativity regarding the Dobro hound dogs (with the modern ones why waste ink on the hound!) should not distract from the cheap and very available pre Gibson second hand models, I have had some great custom models pass through my hands over the years which never appear in any catalogues.
I distinctly remember a custom black squareneck which was signed inside by some guy called D Young (what did he know!). Also a certain Marc Schoenberger also worked through OMI so there are periods of real interest but not the latter period unfortunately!
regards Lee

[Michael Messer]

Lee,

All my critisisms are based around the Gibson company, not the OMI company.

OMI did have some notable employees over the years - Don Young, John Quarterman, Marc Schoenberger and one or two Dopyeras and Lazaars.

Shine On
Michael

[martin w]

Hi all,

I've had a go on a couple of Hound Dogs and to be honest, it would have been a more accurate description if the word Hound had been left out. Certainly nothing like an old 30's model.

So who, today, is making the best Dobro sounding resonators? What comes closest to the real sound? Would be interested to hear everyone's opinion.

Thanks,

M

[lee holliday]

The sound you like of the Dobro is subjective, with or without the soundwell can alter the tone and all of us know what we like and it,s rarely the same!
There are the well known US makers and those not so well known who make fantastic instruments, also in Europe (ancestoral home of the Dopreas) there are some equally great makers Holoubeck & Lebeda.
I currently have a little known Donn Gann (USA) solid Walnut squareneck which I bought as an unfinished body neck which I equipped with OMI coverplate, quaterman cone, ebony tipped saddles and internal tone posts with a bolt on neck! Frankenstein Dobro but it works Very very well.
Additionally I have a Dave King Walnut round neck with a soundwell and a beard cone and spider, and harmonically bright as any other resonator I have ever laid my hands on, and thats a few.
Strings, cones, slides, construction, sold/laminates, all variables, there will never be the best Dobro only a fantastic selection of incredible instruments which each cover a different baseline.
Regards Lee.

[Michael Messer]

Hi Martin,

It is a subjective thing. However, if you are asking which ones are like old Dobros, that is less subjective.

The nearest I have heard to 30s Dobros are Fine Resophonic Dobros made by Mike Lewis in Paris. Also in that 'like a real Dobro' area are Lebeda, Beard and National Reso-Phonic. There are some top makers who make amazing Dobro style guitars, but they are not like old Dobros, they are modern guitars that play and project sound in a different way to old ones. These include Scheerhorn, Holoubek and Yanuziello.

I am sure I have missed some out.

Shine On
Michael

[robn]

Hi Martin,

Rob Anderlik's website is a great resource for researching dobro style guitars and deciding which tone you like best. He gives a good comparison on the page I have linked to below between original dobros and modern instruments.

www.robanderlik.com/guitar_comp.htm

Enjoy,

Robin

[martin w]

Hi all,

Very interesting info. And the link with the comparatives is a great idea.

Seems to be a gap in the market for a pre-war sounding Dobro at under £500. Ideal next project for Michael Messer Guitars?

Good weekend all,

M

[davey]

HI Folks

I have a Nashville made Hound Dog which a good guitar, easy to play, nicely made and sounds excellent with a superb pickup built in.

It sounds a little sweeter than my 1930's Guitars but I'm really pleased with it.

I see they're now made in China and sold for around £275 (without pickup). I believe they're worth a look. Dobros are only plywood guitars after all, even the best ones as far as I can see. You can always change the cone if you think there's a better one.