gregschnurr - Posted - 02/02/2018:  06:17:40

Hi all - I am interested in purchasing this Dobro from a local private individual. He is claiming it is from the 1930s, but I have no way of authenticating it and can't seem to find out much about this (model, etc). Any help would be appreciated! Does anyone know what this would be worth? Apparently there is a serial number on the top edge of the headstock that reads 61111.

1930s? Dobro

rcc56 - Posted - 02/02/2018:  06:58:49

Nothing about that instrument looks to me like a pre-war Dobro product.

The body has characteristics that resemble Gruhn's Guide description of some Mosrite made Dobros from the mid 1960's.

Edited by - rcc56 on 02/02/2018 07:05:34

gregschnurr - Posted - 02/02/2018:  07:04:31

Bob - I thought the body shape was very odd as well. Here is a picture of the serial number that was sent to me.

 

rcc56 - Posted - 02/02/2018:  07:09:01

See my corrected post . . . not many of these instruments were made, and they are considered to be oddballs. I have not personally seen one.

If you have a copy of Gruhn's Guide, check out the Mosrite/Dobro section.  I won't be able to research further until later . . .

Anyway, it is not prewar, not made by the Dopyera family, but it is technically a product made legally under the Dobro name.

Edited by - rcc56 on 02/02/2018 07:11:03

docslyd - Posted - 02/02/2018:  07:51:13

Mosrite. If you want to "semi-serious" play an instrument....pass. Just my opinion that these are not good sounding guitars.

rcc56 - Posted - 02/02/2018:  07:55:35

OK, this is the best that I can do-- most likely a model C-3 or Monterey, made from 1965 to 1969. 

Possibly made in Gardena CA by Emil Dopyera, but more likely made by Mosrite in Bakersfield. Some early Mosrite/Dobros were made from parts purchased from Dopyera's Gardena factory operation, later ones were made in Bakersfield.

The history of the Dobro company during the 60's and 70's is somewhat gnarled, and not well documented.

rcc56 - Posted - 02/02/2018:  09:08:13

Generally speaking, Dobro branded instruments were well made in the pre-war period and in the mature OMI period.

Instruments made in the 60's through sometime in the 70's were not so good.

The '80's OMI instruments I have seen were good, certainly better than the modern imports I have played.  You'll have to ask someone else about OMI instruments made in the 70's-- I have not played any of them.

Gibson slowly let quality slide after they bought Dobro in 1993.

MarkinSonoma - Posted - 02/02/2018:  09:08:26

Mosrite Dobro catalog circa 1966 in the link below. Scroll down to page 4 and it's on the lower right. It is indeed a Model C-3 - The Monterey. Looks like  the one Greg is considering is in good condition.

Don't know how much it's worth, but I can tell you that the roundnecks from the Mosrite era command higher prices than the lap style squarenecks. You'll probably never see a pro lap style dobro player with a Mosrite, because as Eric wrote above they don't sound very good, but you may come across a pro player with a roundneck.

Case in point, and I posted here about him awhile back, Northern Calif. blues master Roy Rogers is well known for his 12 string roundneck acoustic/electric Mosrite Dobro. Those command a pretty hefty price on the used market - maybe it's because Roy plays one? It could be like the Italian made Wandre electric guitars that Buddy Miller plays. I think when he first bought his many years ago they were pretty cheap. But since Buddy has been playing these guitars they have achieved somewhat of a "cult" status and command serious money on the used market.

resoguit.com/graphics/mosrite.pdf

rcc56 - Posted - 02/02/2018:  09:16:26

Market price is not always consistent with instrument quality. Artist identification with a particular brand or type of instrument often colors the issue, and fads come and go for other reasons. Bottom line, use your ears and hands to evaluate an instrument, especially if you are buying it for yourself, a family member, or a student.

MarkinSonoma - Posted - 02/02/2018:  10:28:15

quote:

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Originally posted by rcc56

 Bottom line, use your ears and hands to evaluate an instrument, especially if you are buying it for yourself, a family member, or a student.

---

I'm going to give Greg the benefit of the doubt that he is aware of this and he didn't fall off the turnip truck just yesterday. 

Fortunately in this scenario it would be a local transaction. 

Anything having to do with the Mosrite Dobro era, were it a  case of having to keep your fingers crossed and take a leap of faith in a distant transaction involving shipping - I'd steer clear.

Now if it were a 12 string roundneck like Roy Rogers' guitar, and I could get it for a really good price - then I might buy it "long distance" and see if I could flip it for a decent profit!

In the Mosrite thread where we discussed the Roy Rogers guitar I related the story of Tim Scheerhorn's setup class I attended at the 2010 ResoSummit in Nashville. The gist of this session as he does most years is take a guitar that needs help and give it a fresh setup. The subject that year was a Mosrite squareneck Dobro that one of the attendees found on the cheap on eBay. It was pretty much a beater guitar. 

Tim gave it his best shot with one of his cones and other new components, and definitely improved it by quite a bit, but even with his magic fingers he could only do so much. IMO he brought it up to respectable status for campfire jams or to leave at the vacation cabin if one is fortunate enough to own such a thing. 

Not even Tim Scheerhorn can make a silk purse out of a sow's ear.