musichead - Posted - 06/05/2009:  20:32:07

Hey all,

I just purchased a Conrad Dobro, probably from the early 70s, for $200. Needs a bit of cleaning up.

This is my first step into dobro-world and I am not versed on all things dobro yet. The sound is a bit flat, the strings are dead and the cone seems to be quite dirty. Is there anyway to clean the cone or should I just replace it? Is replacing a cone a hassle? Because the Conrad brand is not known, will there be too many mods to make a standard cone fit? Anyone know of the Conrad dobros?

I was holding out for a Republic Steel reso but this one came available and there were sentimental reasons for picking it up (not to mention saving the additional $500 that I didn't have anyway)

thoughts??

Square Neck - Posted - 06/05/2009:  22:29:06

Musichead,

Welcome!!!!!!

I saw that one CL in the A2. I was thinking about that one myself. It looks to be a "Del Vecheo" sp? style of resonator or a biscuit....

What type of music are you into?

Dean Upson - Posted - 06/06/2009:  04:27:37

Paul Beard has an excellent DVD "Dobro Set Up & Maintenance" that is easy to understand and covers what most of us would attempt to do. beardguitars.com/Merchant2/mer...y_Code=A1. There is also info on the Stu-Mac site. The DVD would be for a cone type resonator not the biscuit type.

Dean

Dean

otdobro - Posted - 06/06/2009:  05:20:47

My first Reso was one of these. I paid $185 new in 1974. It has a biscuit bridge like a National. I guess you might be able to convert it to a spider setup. How hard it would be would depend on the construction once you have it apart. never disassembled mine as I traded it for a new '75 OMI which I still have.
I have fond memories of it still, as I learned to first play my first song on that instrument.

musichead - Posted - 06/06/2009:  06:59:04

quote:

---

Originally posted by Square Neck

Musichead,

Welcome!!!!!!

I saw that one CL in the A2. I was thinking about that one myself. It looks to be a "Del Vecheo" sp? style of resonator or a biscuit....

What type of music are you into?

---

musichead - Posted - 06/06/2009:  07:01:28

quote:

---

Originally posted by otdobro

My first Reso was one of these. I paid $185 new in 1974. It has a biscuit bridge like a National. I guess you might be able to convert it to a spider setup. How hard it would be would depend on the construction once you have it apart. never disassembled mine as I traded it for a new '75 OMI which I still have.
I have fond memories of it still, as I learned to first play my first song on that instrument.

---

Square Neck - Posted - 06/06/2009:  07:58:20

quote:

---

What is the Del Vecheo style?

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musichead - Posted - 06/06/2009:  15:06:27

so i yanked the old crappy strings off, took some steel wool to the frets, lemon oil to the neck, opened it up and cleaned to cone and the cover and WOW.

what a difference.

i am so sure that if the guy i bought this from saw it and heard it today, he would be trying to buy it back.

its not the pure sound i have been looking for, but compare the sound it gave me yesterday to the sound i am getting today ... this will keep me busy for a while!

Slideman1939 - Posted - 06/06/2009:  22:11:23

There are websites on used Devcchio.It is a Dobro/ National knockoff from Pre-war days. Dobro sold big in the depression. They had a patent.The knock off south americans had good woods--and an incentive to produce a knock off. Most vintage resophonic folks dismiss it as a poor quality knock off. the wood work is non=-standorized, the cone and reso amplo is awkward in design and tuning. At the time, Chet Atkins was VP RCA records, and the King of nashville and whatever "cult" instrument he blessed was in.. HE made the popularity of the instrument in a very narrow 2 year time period.The South Americans ( non patented non Dobro hardware) hoped to imitate the dobro sucess with a knock off resopnonic, failed in spite of Chet's TV push. Good woods, QUESTIOABLE hardware reso system.An absolute piece of reso crap, with limited collector value, no resale value, no history renovation, no tone worth emulating, no reason for being, EXCEPT a certain South American music DISTRIBUTOR, said to a South American MANUFACTURER-- "Let's imitate a Dobro/National--but different enough that we won't get sued on original 1928 reso PATENT". Obvious failure.Piece of crap. Sell as soon as possible. Dodo bird. Delvecchio = shXX Please re- emerge with a REAL reso. DelVecchio BAD BAD BAD--look at E Bay--listed few offers fewer sales

Brad Bechtel - Posted - 06/08/2009:  08:03:05

I'm glad you're enjoying your Conrad resonator guitar. These were made in the 1960s and 1970s in Japan. I owned the same model for a while, but sold it to buy a better guitar. Catalogs are available on the VintAxe web site, but you have to pay to view them.
vintaxe.com/catalogs_japanese_conrad.htm

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