drummer6pc - Posted - 11/21/2009:  16:28:08

I am in the process of refinishing my 79 Dobro and i have some questions about it. The condition i obtained this instrument in is kind of a mess, the previous owner spray painted it with rust-oleum oil based paint. It buzzed like crazy so i took it apart to investigate and found that the whole inside of it was painted as well (that would explain all of the noise and sub-par sound). I stripped most of the paint off, and was wondering if somebody might be able to tell me what kind of wood they used in the construction of this thing and, any tips on where to go from here. Using zip-strip (carefully of course) would still not remove not all of the red color of the paint, and I would hate like hell to sand through a veneer if it has one, and ruin it. Any advice would be much appreciated at this stage of the game.

thanks

billy bob - Posted - 11/22/2009:  04:15:04

i'm pretty sure it's maple and the neck might be mohogeny.good luck.As far as the rest of it get a bone nut for it and save the #14 spider .Get a beard cone and ebony caped maple inserts and the dobro will come to life.I would keep sanding till you see blonde color wood on the body like i said the neck might be mohogeny so the color well be darker brown .You should be ok take your time it's worth it.

Edited by - billy bob on 11/22/2009 04:25:27

meldooby - Posted - 11/22/2009:  06:49:59

Looks like you're well on the way. The secret is patience.

drummer6pc - Posted - 11/22/2009:  08:13:37

Thanks a bunch! I do plan on taking my time with this, and I appreciate any insight you guys may have. I am new at all this, but I have learned a lot here just reading posts. Anybody have an idea where I can purchase 10-1/2" beard cone, saddles, and nut on one website rather than going to multiple sites? Thanks again and i will post pics of my progress.

thanks,
Rob

crh1 - Posted - 11/22/2009:  13:45:37

beardguitars.com/resophonic-cover.html

Try this

Slideman1939 - Posted - 11/23/2009:  09:51:56

Slideman suggests- ALL ply veneer has a VERY thin top layer of the "good wood". Most often the places a person by mistake sands thru this layer is on the body (top) edges, near the binding. A sand thru--if caught early--is not a big deal IF you are re-staining in black or dark brown. No one would see a sand thru unless your new shade is blonde or light caramel.Pad sander or palm sander starts the job but a hand sanding block finishes the job with minimal chance of sand thru because you can see it/feel it coming before it becomes a big sand thru. Typically a sand thru takes the stain dark--i.e. the 2nd layer you dodn't want exposed is a softer wood and absorbs the stain and appears darker compared to the same stain on the top of hardwood. "good" layer.

drummer6pc - Posted - 11/23/2009:  17:21:48

Thanks for the info guys it will help out a lot since this is my first restoration. I have most of the stuff ordered now, I'm waiting to hear about a cone, and this project should be done in a couple of weeks! You guys have been a great help to me, thank you so much!

prewar37 - Posted - 11/23/2009:  20:55:38

My '77 model I believe is a birch plywood. I dropped a Quarterman cone in mine.
Restoration is a patient mans game. Good Luck with your project.
keep on pickin', prewar37

rexhunt - Posted - 12/09/2009:  11:20:01

Unless it was a premium model, it's birch ply like prewar37 says. I had an early 70's and it had a horrible red sunburst as it's original color. Sold that one to help pay for my first pre-war. Good luck with yours. A newer cone could make a real difference too.

Rex