retropicker - Posted - 11/19/2009:  19:01:05

I took posession of the 63 Dobro the other day (my avitar). It's in showroom condition. The strings were crusty so new strings. While the strings are off might as well take off, clean and lube the tuners, Well might as well clean out the tone balls in the chamber. You know the drill. I do it with my banjos too.

I'm also green with the Dobro and starting new.

After reading up on the maple and mahogony bridges and current technology, I was real surprised what I found inside. I'm sure old hat to you vets.

One piece milled steel bridge and a cone that looked like it was hammered from a Jiffy Pop pan. It was torqued down pretty good to. Sounded good though.

So the question. Put it all back together for originality sake or replace the cone and bridge and store the originals? The spider is well made, true and pings. Probably to narrow to handle a new wood bridge.

There's some writing inside as well. I love that but have no idea what it means

Also, a bone nut or keep the steel? There is a groove for a standard. nut. Maybe this is the custom setup? See the letter below.

More pics in my profile. I didn't want to post too many.

Thanks.

Info on her.


Front
Smells like an old mohogony cigar box.


Writing inside


Mounted metal nut w/ sharp groves


Bridge


Back of cone, typical


Back of cone detail


Nut

Edited by - retropicker on 11/19/2009 19:01:46

TronconesAmigo - Posted - 11/20/2009:  06:56:33

From the looks of your Photo's You have a real non typical hardware pkg. The cone and spider are 1930s Lug and shortspider. This is what Oswald had in His Famous Model 27. ( collector items) the bridge insert looks like someones home remidy and can be changed , unless it has been welded in. The nut extension should be changed to a Bone nut , although , Oswald used a nut extendor on His 27.
I believe the right setup would give You a decent sounding Guitar and I am sure You would get a few offers if You decided to sell the Cone & Spider

meldooby - Posted - 11/20/2009:  07:12:41

Notice it wasn't old enough to be antique in 1976. It was 1967 when the Dopyeras bought the Dobro name back. If this dobro was built in 1963 it would have been labeled Hound Dog

TronconesAmigo - Posted - 11/20/2009:  07:18:28

After looking at your Photo Album , I noticed the Soundwell is not a typical Dobro soundwell and either the Guitar had been opened up before or the cone was a damaged or reject from the 30s .

Slideman1939 - Posted - 11/20/2009:  08:32:15

Slideman says: the rule is that there was no rule.Just when you study a particular time period of Dobro or National, there are always instruments "by exception" like yours.It is plausible that Ed or Rudy may have done the body in 1963 in El Monte. since they were just re-entering the business in a post war period with a small shop and low (sales) demand it is not likely they had the dies to stamp out a "lugged cone with short legged spider". It is far more likely that you have (left over) hardware from pre-war installed in a post war body. If I was in your shoes I would go with a bone nut and discard that metal bridge insert and get new bridges. This could involve finding a replacement short legged spider in the vintage aftermarket OR have very tall bridges in your original short legged spider.That metal insert is a crude solution to making the wood bridges sit higher. In fact, (pre-war) the whole purpose of inventing/enduring with the short legged spider was an attempt to solve a clearence probel with the underside of the coverplate hand strap. Some of the Dobro licensees ( authorized Dobro wood body suppliers, using Dobro licensed hardware, and the Dobro decal/ logo with permission) had minor dimension differences on the cone seating area. So the original spider didn't work and the bridges hit the underside of the coverplate. So the short legged spider was invented as a temporary solution.The spider sat lower and the wood bridges cleared the cover plate. The surprise (on your instrument) is that they didn't use a standard cone and long legged spider---even if it was pre-war leftover hardware. UNLESS they had to use this BECAUSE your coverplate might be also pre-war--the early style with the low hand cover strap and the clearence problem. Even though it looks "beat" I would consider keeping the old lugged/ stamped cone. They had a certain desirable sound. One sometimes sees them on E Bay for $85-$90 asking price and people pay for that vintage sound.The photos were great--you have a "rare bird". Perhaps you will just put it back together for originality sake and vintage value.

retropicker - Posted - 11/20/2009:  08:50:02

Thanks, gang.

kimmattis123 - Posted - 11/20/2009:  09:06:53

My dobro is a D-63 and 8 string guitar.. is yours an 8- i cant tell from the pix. mine is a 1990s model from OMI-

meldooby - Posted - 11/20/2009:  09:57:02

The bridge is six string.

El Dobro - Posted - 11/20/2009:  18:24:02

One thing that's interesting about this guitar is that it has a 12 fret neck. Many of the early 60's guitars I've seen had 14 fret necks.
What does the label on the peghead say?
The Hound Dog decal came out in the late 60's and was used until around 1970 or so when OMI could use the Dobro name again. I used to own Hound Dog #174, that was built in 1968.

otdobro - Posted - 11/21/2009:  06:19:07

This is interesting for the fact that Dave Nicholson was a good friend of mine. He passed
away in 2003. I never had the chance to see this particular guitar, as I didn't meet him until
1980. This guitar is kind of a strange bird. It has some of the Mosrite style hardware, (nut
and coverplate), Pre-war cone,but 12 frets clear of the body.
The following is a paragraph from "Dobro, a company history from 1945-2000" by my
friend and collector Randy Getz.

1962-1964...Emil, (Ed) produced a number of resonator guitars for the Standel Co.
There are two Standel Brochures from this period. One shows a 12 fret instrument
with the DB logo along with Standel on the peghead. This brochure is dated 1964.
The other brochure shows the 14 fret instruments with the Dobro logo. A Standel
history states that they handled the Dobro for a few years starting in 1962.
A question... Why does the 1964 brochure show a 12 fret instrument with a DB
logo...When the Dobro name was returned to them in 1959...and...they were making
the 14 fret instruments from 1962 on...Obviously, we simply CAN'T find ALL the
answers".

Maybe they just used an older brochure (pictures) and updated the discription in print ? Who knows.....

retropicker - Posted - 11/21/2009:  08:00:40

Here's a few more pics you might find interesting. DB it is.
A question. My Mrs. is a talented jeweler & metal smith. She can VERY gently smooth out the cone in the worst areas. Recommendations to leave it or not?

Also. How does one tell a PW cover?

Thanks again.

Frank

Edited by - retropicker on 11/21/2009 08:10:00

otdobro - Posted - 11/21/2009:  09:40:47

The pre-war coverplates were stamped either with "pat. pending" near the edge on the early ones,
or, with the pat. number usually 1896484 near the handrest by the saddle. Your coverplate has the
extra row of fan holes which was used on the pre-war METAL Dobros, as that was the only die
that was in existance for making them when yours was manufactured. The originals dies for the
row of three holes were either lost or destroyed. Maybe they got melted down during the war and
ended up in anaircraft carrier........

otdobro - Posted - 11/21/2009:  09:46:19

Oh, and to answer your question about the cone, I would leave it as is. I have a 1935
Model 27 Dobro, and my cone looks just like that, but it has a great old time sound.
If you're not happy with the sound, you can install some modern parts in your guitar
but hang on to the old ones, they are hard to find.

retropicker - Posted - 11/21/2009:  10:47:35

Thanks, otdobro