Dragonslayer - Posted - 12/06/2019:  03:52:41

Being new to this instrument, I've got some fairly basic questions.
What's the different body sizes of dobro? And shapes? Can someone add pictures of each with what it's called?
Thanks. I'm trying to learn enough to be a nerd about it like I am with the other instruments :)

chrisakeley - Posted - 12/06/2019:  09:01:04

Hey, Gunnar. This isn't 100% standardized by any means, but there a basically two body sizes: L and R. R is the older, smaller style. (R stands for Regal, who made lots of dobros under contract to the dobro company as well as under their own brand.) L bodies are the more modern iteration. L is for Large. And they are. Beard guitars makes instruments in both sizes. Check out the specs for individual instruments here:

beardguitars.com/resophonic-squarenecks

Dragonslayer - Posted - 12/06/2019:  09:38:53

Ok thanks. So basically R is about like a 000 size acoustic guitar and L is dreadnought? Are there specific tonal characteristics of each?

2BUCKS - Posted - 12/06/2019:  16:50:22

Hey Gunnar, The 000 acoustic guitar is a bit larger than an R-body Reso. The lower bout on a 000 = 15.25". On a R-Reso it's 14". The upper bouts vary in a similar way. Similar comparisons happen with the L-body Reso and Dreadnaught. The lower bout on an L-body Reso I have is 14.25" where Martin Dreadnaught's are typically 16" wide. Similar shapes on both, just shrunk down a bit.

allthumbs49 - Posted - 12/06/2019:  18:54:20

Gunner, it can be all over the map depending on builder,etc. a lot of times the L bodies aren’t so much bigger in bout width but deeper in depth. Also, most L bodies tend to be open construction with no soundwells but not all of them. I have a large body with a sound well that Tom Warner built for me that I love the sound of.

Many R bodies, particularly older ones have soundwells but again, not all. Welcome to our confusing world!

Dragonslayer - Posted - 12/07/2019:  03:00:21

Ok cool. So, is it possible to get a fairly basic explanation of interior design? Soundwell, baffle, open, and post are all things I've heard mentioned but haven't a clue what it means

allthumbs49 - Posted - 12/07/2019:  04:42:26

You should get a few responses on this one but I’ll take my shot at it. The first Dobros made back in the late 1920s into the early 1940s pretty much had a large circular wood ring or baffle underneath/surrounding the cone. This is usually called a soundwell. Made of formed plywood it had holes around it’s permeter. This soundwell also gave the body extra stiffness and strength to keep the top from crushing under string tension. There was another circular piece of wood at the top of the sounwell that the cone actually sat on that is often referred to as the cone shelf. Lots of guitars are still made to this configuration and these usually have a traditional, old-time sound.

In the 1980-1990 era builders moved to what is called an open or post design to give the guitar a deeper fuller sound including a lot more dynamic range and volume. They did away with the traditional soundwell (keeping the cone shelf) but usually added plastic baffles of their own unique design to move the air around including trying to get more sound coming out of the upper bout. To keep the guitar from crushing under tension they also added posts between the top/cone shelf and the back. These are usually wood dowels located around the periphery of the cone.

You kind find a lot of pictures of internal construction on this site as well as on YouTube, etc. you may have figured this out but a resonator makes its sound completely different than an acoustic guitar. The top of a resonator doesn’t vibrate much. The cone does most of the vibrating while on an acoustic guitar the top produces most of the sound, acting like the sound board in a piano.

Dragonslayer - Posted - 12/07/2019:  10:05:16

Ok thanks for that. I kinda figured that tone production was entirely different since maple is used for tops, and the top is much less surface area. So, soundwell is more old style, and open post is more modern? Cool. I'm gonna start another thread on preferred tone too