BANJO JIM - Posted - 08/18/2022:  22:03:40

Hi All, I currently am a member of two bands playing mostly oldies pop and country. Depending on the song I'm either playing bass guitar, banjo or mandolin. I'm going to buy a square neck reso. in the $1,000 range. What would be my best buy. Thanks for your help. Cheers, Jim

Iceman6937 - Posted - 08/19/2022:  05:15:23

I would consider a Gold Tone PBS. Great components and good sound/playability. New with a hard case should be well within your budget.

MarkinSonoma - Posted - 08/19/2022:  10:56:32

Jim, to back up for a minute, you mentioned that you sometimes play bass guitar in your band which includes oldies pop and country. Are there also instruments like electric guitar and drums? 

If that's the case, and the band plays at high volume, it might be necessary to have a pickup system for the dobro which of course will be an additional financial outlay. 

In loud acoustic/electric mixed bands for a variety of reasons, playing a dobro into a microphone is often a losing battle. 

BANJO JIM - Posted - 08/19/2022:  14:16:15

Hey Mark, I agree that I will have at install a pickup at some point in the future, but for now, just learning the instrument will keep me plenty occupied. BTW dobros are not that common in my neck of the woods, so I may have to resort to an online lesson program. Do you have any opinion re: the best online lessons. Once again, I'll be a raw beginner. Thanks, Jim

MarkinSonoma - Posted - 08/19/2022:  15:26:40

I live in the greater Bay Area 60 miles north of San Francisco and dobros aren't that common here either. Shoot - they're not even all that common in Nashville. 

The are a number of  very good teachers nowadays and no disrespect to the others, but I will start with one since this isn't a finding teachers thread: Mike Witcher here in Northern California. One of the best players in the business and a gifted teacher who has been at it for a long time. And he's a really good guy on top of everything else. 

mikewitcher.com/

tomkatb - Posted - 08/19/2022:  18:03:56

The guitar question is real tough.

American made guitars are preferred. However , prices are likely more than you want to pay.

The Recording King Phil Ledbetter is pretty nice.

Finding much is stock to try is unlikely.

I purchased two inexpensive guitars before finding what I wanted. Resale is not that bad.

MarkinSonoma - Posted - 08/20/2022:  15:57:12

Jim, as you might imagine in  the 14 years of this forum the subject of which guitar to buy in a variety of price ranges has come up a bazillion times.

If you haven't figured it out already, there is a Search function on this site. The way I get there is in looking at the categories on the left of my screen there is a rectangular box with a magnifying glass icon. You can type in various questions and spend an entire weekend in the archives. 

There is a bargain Appalachian for sale in Canada, and another new member here looked into it but  I guess is having  a difficult time getting a hold of the guy. 

I wish someone would buy this guitar because it's taking everything in my power not to buy it for myself. 

"Do your own research" Man, I have come to despise that expression in this era of  ridiculous over the top  conspiracy theories - but I will utilize it one time here -  in the archives there is a lot of info on the late Tom Warner, who sadly passed away from Covid, and his Appalachian guitars. 

Here is the link to the guitar: 

reverb.com/item/57909169-appal...011-maple

Edited by - MarkinSonoma on 08/20/2022 15:58:44

rcc56 - Posted - 08/20/2022:  22:00:19

This one needs a home.  US made, set up and ready to go, and good enough to gig with.

resohangout.com/classified/10150

Edited by - rcc56 on 08/20/2022 22:08:20

wlgiii - Posted - 08/22/2022:  07:51:42

A former bandmate played one of those. Definitely gig worthy, and you'd even get the cool poinsetta cover-plate. Go for it, and then Mark can get the Appalachian.

FrederickPatterson - Posted - 08/24/2022:  05:30:29

That's a nice one. I prefer tuners down on slotted head resos also.

quote:

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Originally posted by rcc56

This one needs a home.  US made, set up and ready to go, and good enough to gig with.

resohangout.com/classified/10150

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Edited by - FrederickPatterson on 08/24/2022 05:31:01

rcc56 - Posted - 08/24/2022:  08:00:46

Yes, having them facing up always worried me. If a string breaks when you're tuning and your face is too close, bad things can happen. It only took a few minutes to change them around.

MarkinSonoma - Posted - 08/24/2022:  10:17:17

quote:

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Originally posted by rcc56

Yes, having them facing up always worried me. If a string breaks when you're tuning and your face is too close, bad things can happen. It only took a few minutes to change them around.

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I'm confused - trying to figure out why the orientation of the tuner buttons would have anything to do with a potential hazard if a string breaks. The string itself is still in the same position as when the tuners were facing up. 

gadobro - Posted - 08/24/2022:  10:46:00

quote:

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Originally posted by MarkinSonoma

quote:

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Originally posted by rcc56

Yes, having them facing up always worried me. If a string breaks when you're tuning and your face is too close, bad things can happen. It only took a few minutes to change them around.

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I'm confused - trying to figure out why the orientation of the tuner buttons would have anything to do with a potential hazard if a string breaks. The string itself is still in the same position as when the tuners were facing up. 

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I think with buttons down you can tune it like a Spanish guitar, with the strings facing outward. Harder to do with tuners up I would think.

rcc56 - Posted - 08/24/2022:  11:02:28

Yes. When the buttons point up, your face is pointed towards the strings. With buttons down, your face is not so near the strings.



And yes, it does happen. I know of at least one fellow who lost the use of an eye when a string broke and the end caught his eye.

Edited by - rcc56 on 08/24/2022 11:03:20

MarkinSonoma - Posted - 08/24/2022:  12:37:02

The only reason I can think of having the tuning machines facing up is for a squareneck dobro, some people find it more convenient for tuning on slotted headstock guitars. The Dopyeras always shipped the guitars in the prewar era with the tuners facing down be it a squareneck or roundneck. On my early 1930s Model 37 I've always had them facing down, and I've owned that guitar since 1976. I never had any real interest in changing them to face upward. 

On a roundneck -  yeah - you'd always want them pointing down, because who would want to tune a roundneck guitar with tuners facing up and away from you?

So I'm relating to squareneck lap style only, and with the guitar lying across your lap, I still can't see why it would  make any difference which way the tuner faces if a string were to break. 

Not to mention that reasons for string breakage  can often occur with issues at the bridge or the nut, it's not necessarily at the tuning peg. 

wlgiii - Posted - 08/24/2022:  13:46:31

The first dobro I ever saw had a slotted headstock with the tuners points up, and it looked so cool and different from the other instruments. Slotted headstocks are harder for tuning & swing changing, but not enough to pass on the instrument if you like the rest of it. As for up or down, it's like lemon or lime wedge in a gin & tonic: personal preference. (If you're polling, I'm "up" and "either, whatever's already sliced")

MarkinSonoma - Posted - 08/24/2022:  14:19:30

The Beard Tut Taylor tribute  Model 27 would ship with the tuners facing up because Tut had his original Model 27 set up that way. I have played only one of this model and I really liked it, but what would keep me from buying it is the slotted headstock. I have a few instruments with slotted headstocks but they don't get their strings changed much because I've never developed repeatable good technique with slotted tuners, and I'm generally lazy when it comes to this sort of thing. 

badger - Posted - 08/24/2022:  16:34:22

We do recognize that, while the "buttons up/down" controversy is fascinating and takes up valuable time that would otherwise be wasted practicing, the tuners can be easily switched around to the player's preference. Obviously they need to be swapped left-for-right. My very first Dobro was a slotted headstock, tuner buttons facing down. Major PITA, so I reworked them at the first string change.

I'm thinking safety glasses. Maybe a thick set of work gloves too.

Oboe Cadobro - Posted - 08/24/2022:  16:45:12

quote:

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Originally posted by FrederickPatterson

I prefer tuners down on slotted head resos also.

quote:

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Why is that? I've never owned a reso with tuners up or down, but I played a "tuners up" Dobro and it seemed to be much easier to get my fingers on the tuners than the two I own with tuners to the side on a solid headstock.

EDIT - just read the other comments, and I understand the preference now.

Edited by - Oboe Cadobro on 08/24/2022 16:47:12

FrederickPatterson - Posted - 08/24/2022:  17:51:50

My reason is that with the tuners down the tuner buttons aren't in the way of the strap while playing.

DIDN'T MEAN TO GET THIS THREAD OFF TRACK. BUY IT!!!

quote:

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Originally posted by Oboe Cadobro

quote:

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Originally posted by FrederickPatterson

I prefer tuners down on slotted head resos also.

quote:

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Why is that? I've never owned a reso with tuners up or down, but I played a "tuners up" Dobro and it seemed to be much easier to get my fingers on the tuners than the two I own with tuners to the side on a solid headstock.

EDIT - just read the other comments, and I understand the preference now.

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Edited by - FrederickPatterson on 08/24/2022 17:55:07

wlgiii - Posted - 08/25/2022:  15:42:13

I'm liking the off track tuner chat, but will redirect to what to buy:

If you come across an old Radiation with Schireson cone consider it; they're way cool.......except the slots in the headstock weren't cut all the way through and it's a serious headache to change strings.

MarkinSonoma - Posted - 08/25/2022:  15:53:01

Wayne  means Radio Tone, as in Hawaiian Radio Tone but he was apparently nailed by Auto Correct. 

You probably won't come across one, and though Wayne likes his and posts about it every so often, I don't think it's a great choice for one's first dobro, particularly  if what you hear in your head is the sound of modern guitars from the big dog pro players. 

Edited by - MarkinSonoma on 08/25/2022 15:55:21

AradoReso - Posted - 08/28/2022:  09:00:10

Hello,

When I replaced my broken tuners, I kept the upward look. I found the bigger buttons were more problematic for my use. So, the next iteration of transformation, I went to downward look. Most guitar cases are for guitars with tuners underneath. So underneath was what I used.

wlgiii - Posted - 08/29/2022:  07:56:56

quote:

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Originally posted by MarkinSonoma

Wayne  means Radio Tone, as in Hawaiian Radio Tone but he was apparently nailed by Auto Correct. 

You probably won't come across one, and though Wayne likes his and posts about it every so often, I don't think it's a great choice for one's first dobro, particularly  if what you hear in your head is the sound of modern guitars from the big dog pro players. 

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*&%$## autocorrect indeed!  And no, not the best first dobro. It's a good one to pull out for that one song at a gig that wants a different sound or tuning, or for the comedy relief tune.

rcc56 - Posted - 09/02/2022:  15:55:17

I have reduced my OMI Dobro model 27 to $1000.  She's all set up and ready to go.

resohangout.com/classified/10150

If someone prefers, I'll be happy to change the tuners back to their original "pointing up" position.

Edited by - rcc56 on 09/02/2022 15:59:18

FrederickPatterson - Posted - 09/02/2022:  17:33:56

If I didn’t have two resos already……..

MarkinSonoma - Posted - 09/02/2022:  19:15:01

Only two? You're just getting started! 

FrederickPatterson - Posted - 09/05/2022:  12:43:30

Expensive hobby, not like buying beater acoustics!

FrederickPatterson - Posted - 09/05/2022:  12:43:56

musicgoround.com/product/rosev...Resonator

Here’s a Radio Tone!

MarkinSonoma - Posted - 09/05/2022:  14:15:38

quote:

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Originally posted by FrederickPatterson

musicgoround.com/product/rosev...Resonator



Here’s a Radio Tone!

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Yeah, but does it have the  Schireson  cone like Wayne's guitar? That's the rare part. And Wayne could fill us in - I remember something about a lawsuit by Dobro against Schireson regarding the cone. 

The Radio Tone guitars aren't all that rare, I think they were cranking them out at a pretty good clip for department store catalog sales. And if I remember correctly Fred Travers of The Seldom Scene has one.