Dobro: Difference between revisions

Browse history interactively

← Previous edit Next edit →

Content deleted Content added

VisualWikitext

Inline

Revision as of 20:44, 3 June 2007

Dobro is a trade name now owned by Gibson Guitar Corporation and used for a particular design of resonator guitar.

File:Gibson Dobro.gif

A modern Wooden Gibson Dobro, Squareneck

The name has a long and involved history, interwoven with that of the resonator guitar. Originally coined by the Dopyera brothers when they formed the Dobro Manufacturing Company, for a time it came in common language to mean any resonator guitar, or specifically one with a particular design of resonator. The Dobro brand also appeared, quite legitimately, on other instruments, notably electric lap steel guitars and solid body electric guitars and on other resonator instruments such as Safari mandolins.

When Gibson acquired the name in 1993, they announced that they would defend their right to its exclusive use.

History

The name originated in 1928 when the Dopyera brothers formed the Dobro Manufacturing Company. They later sold it to Mr Alexander Allen, a wealthy banker, to manufacture a new resonator guitar design they called the Dobro. "Dobro" is both a contraction of "Dopyera brothers" and a word meaning "good" in their native Slovak language. An early company motto was "Dobro means good in any language".

The Dobro was the third resonator guitar design by John Dopyera, the inventor of the resonator guitar, but the second to enter production. Unlike his earlier tricone design, the Dobro had a single resonator cone and it was inverted, with its concave surface facing up. The Dobro company described this as a bowl shaped resonator.

The Dobro was louder than the tricone, and cheaper to produce. Cost of manufacture had, in Dopyera's opinion, priced the resonator guitar beyond the reach of many players, and his failure to convince his fellow directors at the National String Instrument Corporation to produce a single cone version was part of his motivation for leaving.

Since National had applied for a patent on the single cone (US patent #1,896,484), Dopyera had to develop an alternative design, which he did by inverting the cone so that rather than having the strings rest on the apex of the cone as per the National method, they rested on a cast aluminum "spider" which had 8 legs sitting on the perimeter of the upside down cone (US patent #1,808,756).

In the following years both Dobro and National built a wide variety of metal- and wood-bodied single-cone guitars, while National also continued with the tricone for a time. Both companies sourced many components from National director Adolph Rickenbacher and John Dopyera continued to be a major shareholder in National. By 1934 the Dopyera brothers had gained control of both National and Dobro and they merged the companies to form the National Dobro Corporation.

From the outset, wooden bodies had been sourced from existing guitar manufacturers, particularly the plywood student guitar bodies made by the Regal Musical Instrument Company. Dobro had granted Regal a licence to manufacture resonator instruments and by 1937 they were the only manufacturer and the licence was officially made exclusive. Regal-manufactured resonator instruments continued to be sold under many names, including Regal, Dobro, Old Kraftsman and Ward. However all production of resonator guitars ceased following the US entry into the Second World War in 1941.

Emile Dopyera (also known as Ed Dopera) manufactured Dobros from 1959, before selling the company and name to Semie Moseley, who merged it with his Mosrite guitar company and manufactured Dobros for a time. Meantime, in 1967, Rudy and Emile Dopyera formed the Original Musical Instrument Company (OMI) to manufacture resonator guitars, which were at first branded "Hound Dog". However in 1970 they again acquired the Dobro name, Mosrite having gone into temporary liquidation.

OMI together with the Dobro name was acquired by the Gibson Guitar Corporation in 1993. They renamed the company Original Acoustic Instruments and moved production to Nashville. Gibson now uses the name "Dobro" only for models with the inverted-cone design used originally by the Dobro Manufacturing Company. Gibson also manufactures "biscuit" style single resonator guitars, but sells them under names such as "Hound Dog" and Epiphone.

Modern day usage of the Dobro can be seen in bands like Rocco Deluca and the Burden.

It is also used in a clichéd manner in movies or television shows to indicate that the scene has shifted to a Southern American locale or landscape, whether wilderness or a run-down town (usually in the summer). When this happens, it's playing a note that lazily slides upward a perfect fourth, generally followed by a few plucked chords descending to the original note.

Wider usage of the name

The name dobro is generically associated with the single-inverted-cone resonator design, as opposed to the tricone and biscuit designs which are both similarly associated with the National brand.

Gibson now restricts the use of the name "Dobro to their own product range, but care should be taken in interpreting documents written before 1993, or sourced from outside the USA. The terms "dobro" and "dobroist" may not necessarily refer to a Dobro as currently available. For example, "The Ballad Of Curtis Loew" by Lynyrd Skynyrd on the Second Helping album and "When Papa Played the Dobro" by Johnny Cash on the Ride This Train album are uses in the generic sense mentioned above and probably don't refer specifically to a Gibson Dobro.

When Gibson informed other makers of their intention to reserve exclusive rights to the Dobro name, some players began to refer to their instruments as TIFKAD guitars, meaning The Instrument Formerly Known As Dobro.

Modern instruments

As of 2006, many different makers including Gibson were manufacturing resonator guitars to the original inverted-cone design. Gibson also manufactures biscuit-style resonator guitars, but reserve the "Dobro" name for their inverted-cone models.

External links

A Brief History of the Resonator Guitar by Phil Leadbetter.
Dobro page at the Gibson website.
Fender resonator guitar homepage parallel to the Gibson homepage

above.

@@ Line 1: / Line 1: @@
+{{unreferenced|article}}
 '''Dobro''' is a [[trade name]] now owned by [[Gibson Guitar  Corporation]] and used for a particular design of [[resonator guitar]].
 [[Image:Gibson Dobro.gif|thumb|right|A modern Wooden Gibson Dobro, Squareneck]] [[Image:Resorocket guitar.jpg|right|thumb|Tricone metal guitar from National Resophonic, Roundneck]]
-The name has a long and involved history, intimately interwoven with that of the resonator guitar. Originally coined by the [[Dopyera]] brothers when they formed the '''Dobro Manufacturing Company''', for a time it came in common language to mean any resonator guitar, or specifically one with a particular design of resonator. The ''Dobro'' [[brand]] also appeared, quite legitimately, on other instruments, notably electric [[lap steel guitar]]s and [[solid body]] [[electric guitar]]s and on other resonator instruments such as ''Safari'' [[mandolin]]s.
+The name has a long and involved history, interwoven with that of the resonator guitar. Originally coined by the [[Dopyera]] brothers when they formed the '''Dobro Manufacturing Company''', for a time it came in common language to mean any resonator guitar, or specifically one with a particular design of resonator. The Dobro [[brand]] also appeared, quite legitimately, on other instruments, notably electric [[lap steel guitar]]s and [[solid body]] [[electric guitar]]s and on other resonator instruments such as Safari [[mandolin]]s.
 When Gibson acquired the name in 1993, they announced that they would defend their right to its exclusive use.
 ==History==
-The name originated in 1928 when the [[Dopyera]] brothers formed the '''''Dobro Manufacturing Company'''''. They later sold it to Mr Alexander Allen, a wealthy banker, to manufacture a new resonator guitar design they called the ''Dobro''. ''Dobro'' is both a contraction of ''Dopyera brothers'' and a word meaning ''good'' in their native [[Slovak language]]. An early company motto was ''Dobro means good in any language''.
+The name originated in 1928 when the [[Dopyera]] brothers formed the '''Dobro Manufacturing Company'''. They later sold it to Mr Alexander Allen, a wealthy banker, to manufacture a new resonator guitar design they called the ''Dobro''. "Dobro" is both a contraction of "Dopyera brothers" and a word meaning "good" in their native [[Slovak language]]. An early company motto was "Dobro means good in any language".
-The ''Dobro'' was the third resonator guitar design by [[John Dopyera]], the inventor of the resonator guitar, but the second to enter production. Unlike his earlier [[tricone]] design, the Dobro had a single resonator cone and it was inverted, with its concave surface facing up. The Dobro company described this as a ''bowl'' shaped resonator.
+The Dobro was the third resonator guitar design by [[John Dopyera]], the inventor of the resonator guitar, but the second to enter production. Unlike his earlier [[tricone]] design, the Dobro had a single resonator cone and it was inverted, with its concave surface facing up. The Dobro company described this as a bowl shaped resonator.
-The Dobro was louder than Dopyera's original design, the [[tricone]] and cheaper to produce. Cost of manufacture had in Dopyera's opinion priced the resonator guitar beyond the reach of many players and his failure to convince his fellow directors at the [[National String Instrument Corporation]] to produce a single cone version was part of his motivation for leaving.
+The Dobro was louder than the tricone, and cheaper to produce. Cost of manufacture had, in Dopyera's opinion, priced the resonator guitar beyond the reach of many players, and his failure to convince his fellow directors at the [[National String Instrument Corporation]] to produce a single cone version was part of his motivation for leaving.
 Since National had applied for a patent on the single cone (US patent #1,896,484), Dopyera had to develop an alternative design, which he did by inverting the cone so that rather than having the strings rest on the apex of the cone as per the National method, they rested on a cast [[aluminum]] "spider" which had 8 legs sitting on the perimeter of the upside down cone (US patent #1,808,756).
-In the following years both Dobro and National built a wide variety of metal- and wood-bodied single-cone guitars, while National also continued with the tricone for a time. Both companies sourced many components from National director [[Adolph Rickenbacher]] and John Dopyera continued to be a major shareholder in National. By 1934 the Dopyera brothers had gained control of both National and Dobro and they merged the companies to form the '''''National Dobro Corporation'''''.
+In the following years both Dobro and National built a wide variety of metal- and wood-bodied single-cone guitars, while National also continued with the tricone for a time. Both companies sourced many components from National director [[Adolph Rickenbacher]] and John Dopyera continued to be a major shareholder in National. By 1934 the Dopyera brothers had gained control of both National and Dobro and they merged the companies to form the '''National Dobro Corporation'''.
-From the outset, wooden bodies had been sourced from existing guitar manufacturers, particularly the [[plywood]] student guitar bodies made by the [[Regal Musical Instrument Company]]. Dobro had granted Regal a licence to manufacture resonator instruments and by 1937 they were the only manufacturer and the licence was officially made exclusive. Regal-manufactured resonator instruments continued to be sold under many names, including ''Regal'', ''Dobro'', ''[[Old Kraftsman]]'' and ''[[Ward (guitar)|Ward]]''. However all production of resonator guitars ceased following the US entry into the [[Second World War]] in 1941.
+From the outset, wooden bodies had been sourced from existing guitar manufacturers, particularly the [[plywood]] student guitar bodies made by the [[Regal Musical Instrument Company]]. Dobro had granted Regal a licence to manufacture resonator instruments and by 1937 they were the only manufacturer and the licence was officially made exclusive. Regal-manufactured resonator instruments continued to be sold under many names, including Regal, Dobro, Old Kraftsman and Ward. However all production of resonator guitars ceased following the US entry into the [[Second World War]] in 1941.
-Emile Dopyera (also known as Ed Dopera) manufactured Dobros from 1959, before selling the company and name to [[Semie Moseley]], who merged it with his [[Mosrite]] guitar company and manufactured Dobros for a time. Meantime, in 1967, Rudy and Emile Dopyera formed the [[Original Musical Instrument Company]] (OMI) to manufacture resonator guitars, which were at first branded ''Hound Dog''. However in 1970 they again acquired the ''Dobro'' name, Mosrite having gone into temporary liquidation.
+Emile Dopyera (also known as Ed Dopera) manufactured Dobros from 1959, before selling the company and name to [[Semie Moseley]], who merged it with his [[Mosrite]] guitar company and manufactured Dobros for a time. Meantime, in 1967, Rudy and Emile Dopyera formed the [[Original Musical Instrument Company]] (OMI) to manufacture resonator guitars, which were at first branded "Hound Dog". However in 1970 they again acquired the Dobro name, Mosrite having gone into temporary liquidation.
-OMI together with the ''Dobro'' name was acquired by the [[Gibson Guitar Corporation]] in 1993. They renamed the company ''Original Acoustic Instruments'' and moved production to [[Nashville]]. Gibson now uses the name ''Dobro'' only for models with the inverted-cone design used originally by the ''Dobro Manufacturing Company''. Gibson also manufactures ''biscuit'' style single resonator guitars, but sells them under names such as ''Hound Dog'' and ''[[Epiphone]].
+OMI together with the Dobro name was acquired by the [[Gibson Guitar Corporation]] in 1993. They renamed the company '''Original Acoustic Instruments''' and moved production to [[Nashville]]. Gibson now uses the name "Dobro" only for models with the inverted-cone design used originally by the Dobro Manufacturing Company. Gibson also manufactures "biscuit" style single resonator guitars, but sells them under names such as "Hound Dog" and [[Epiphone]].
-Modern day usage of the Dobro can be seen in bands like "Rocco Deluca and the Burden".
+Modern day usage of the Dobro can be seen in bands like [[Rocco Deluca and the Burden]].
 It is also used in a clichéd manner in movies or television shows to indicate that the scene has shifted to a Southern American locale or landscape, whether wilderness or a run-down town (usually in the summer). When this happens, it's playing a note that lazily slides upward a perfect fourth, generally followed by a few plucked chords descending to the original note.
 ==Wider usage of the name==
-The name ''dobro'' is generically associated with the single-inverted-cone resonator design, as opposed to the ''tricone'' and ''biscuit'' designs which are both similarly associated with the ''[[National String Instrument Corporation|National]]'' brand.
+The name ''dobro'' is generically associated with the single-inverted-cone resonator design, as opposed to the tricone and biscuit designs which are both similarly associated with the [[National String Instrument Corporation|National]] brand.
-Gibson now restricts the use of the name ''Dobro'' to their own product range, but care should be taken in interpreting documents written before 1993, or sourced from outside the USA. The terms ''dobro'' and ''dobroist'' may not necessarily refer to a ''Dobro'' as currently available. For example, "The Ballad Of Curtis Loew" by [[Lynyrd Skynyrd]] on the ''Second Helping'' album (1974) and "When Papa Played the Dobro" by [[Johnny Cash]] on the ''Ride This Train'' album (1960) are uses in the generic sense mentioned above and probably don't refer specifically to a Gibson Dobro.
+Gibson now restricts the use of the name "Dobro to their own product range, but care should be taken in interpreting documents written before 1993, or sourced from outside the USA. The terms "dobro" and "dobroist" may not necessarily refer to a Dobro as currently available. For example, "The Ballad Of Curtis Loew" by [[Lynyrd Skynyrd]] on the [[Second Helping]] album  and "When Papa Played the Dobro" by [[Johnny Cash]] on the [[Ride This Train]] album are uses in the generic sense mentioned above and probably don't refer specifically to a Gibson Dobro.
 When Gibson informed other makers of their intention to reserve exclusive rights to the Dobro name, some players began to refer to their instruments as TIFKAD guitars, meaning The Instrument Formerly Known As Dobro.
 ==Modern instruments==
-[[As of 2006]], many different makers including Gibson were manufacturing resonator guitars to the inverted-cone design originally produced by the ''Dobro Manufacturing company''. See ''[[resonator guitar]]''. Gibson also manufactures biscuit-style resonator guitars, but reserve the ''Dobro'' name for their inverted-cone models.
+[[As of 2006]], many different makers including Gibson were manufacturing resonator guitars to the original inverted-cone design. Gibson also manufactures biscuit-style resonator guitars, but reserve the "Dobro" name for their inverted-cone models.