Dobro serial number / age question

Alan Pagliere · From: Ann Arbor, MI, USA

I recently saw, and have the opportunity to buy, a square neck, 8-string, wooden Dobro. It has its nicks and blemishes for sure, but I am confused by what is stamped on the head. I've looked at various web sites which talk about deciphering the numbers and letters there, but I haven't seen on those sites, what I see on the head of the instrument. It is "REP". That is all that is there. There are no digits, no A or D or B or M ....

Does "REP" mean anything to anyone in terms of year, which in turn might say something about which company was making it, and what its value might be?

Thanks
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Alan Pagliere
MSA Millennium S-12 Universal
OnePSG

Mark Eaton · Posted 7 Dec 2012 5:35 pm

First I've heard of it. Another fine example of what has been referred to as "the convoluted history of the Dobro."
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Mark

Gregg McKenna · From: South Windsor, Connecticut, USA

It may have been a special order guitar (instead of a production model).
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Howard Parker · From: Maryland

Pictures may help!

h
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Howard Parker

03\' Carter D-10
70\'s Dekley D-10
52\' Fender Custom
Many guitars by Paul Beard

Jerry Overstreet · From: Louisville Ky

Replacement? Replaced neck?

Alan Pagliere · From: Ann Arbor, MI, USA

Thanks everybody.

Howard, yes, sorry. I do in fact have some shots taken by the owner, though they are not great. I will post them as soon as I can.

Alan Pagliere · From: Ann Arbor, MI, USA

Here are some photos of 8-string, square neck Dobro.

You can see the REP stampled where a serial number might be on the head. You can see some scuffs on the back and oddness where the neck connects to the body.

Any ideas about this thing and thoughts about a reasonable offer price are appreciated.

Thanks.

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Alan Pagliere
MSA Millennium S-12 Universal
OnePSG

John Dahms · From: Perkasie, Pennsylvania, USA

From the pictures it looks like there was a round neck that was REPlaced with a square neck.
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Time flies like an eagle
Fruit flies like a banana.

Jack Stepick · From: New Jersey, USA

Based upon the photos, I don't think this was an original 8-string from the factory. The last photo shows the mark of the original neck, probably a roundneck. Someone wanted an 8-string dobro so they ordered a new neck from OMI, and the "rep" on the headstock could have stood for replacement.
Being that it is not original does diminish the value. A true 8-string OMI Dobro, model 63, still only sells for $800 to maybe $1200. A modified dobro may bring $600 to $800 INHO.

Jack Stepick · From: New Jersey, USA

Another detail that I forgot to mention was the lack of the three small holes at the end of the fretboard. This would make the original dobro a model 27, possibly from the 60's or 70's IMHO

Howard Parker · From: Maryland

That actually looks like a Mosrite era cover plate.

I was at the Beard shop the other day an queried Paul about the "Rep" serial. He said it was conceivable that the guitar was destined to one of their sales reps and not for resale. Hence the "Rep" stamp.

h

Mark Eaton · Posted 15 Dec 2012 6:47 pm

I was thinking that too (having been a sales rep myself for many years), but it looks fairly obvious that the neck was replaced.
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Mark

Howard Parker · From: Maryland

I don't disagree. I wonder if there is evidence of an original six string tail under the trapeze tail piece.
_________________
Howard Parker

03\' Carter D-10
70\'s Dekley D-10
52\' Fender Custom
Many guitars by Paul Beard

L. Bogue Sandberg · From: Chassell, Michigan, USA

This is really interesting. I have a 1975 model 27 6 string without the three holes. Like the guitar in the pictures, mine is bound only at the top. But mine has a poinsettia cover and a 12 fret neck. The mystery guitar has a shorter upper bout and a 14 fret neck. A mid 70's OMI catalog shows an 8 string with the 12 fret neck and standard body shape. I have an '83 or '84 OMI 8 string that looks similar to the one in the catalog.

The 14 fret 8 string neck must have been a custom refit. And the body shape looks like some of the Mosrite guitars. Could this body be from the Mosrite era or from a transition between Mosrite and OMI?

John Dahms · From: Perkasie, Pennsylvania, USA

I remember a conversation with Don Young about 10 years ago at Nat. Resophonics wherein if I am not mistaken he said that at that time he did not want to reuse a guitar's serial number on a relacement neck because he did not want to create the impression that it was original to the guitar.
I believe he was stamping them REP for that reason.
_________________
Time flies like an eagle
Fruit flies like a banana.

Howard Parker · From: Maryland

I've not seen a factory neck like this one. However, wacky things happened during that period.

h

edit: I'm staring at the photos again, wishing for a side profile shot. Wondering if that might be an OMI neck on a Mosrite body.

Tom Keller · From: Greeneville, TN, USA

I don't think that is a Mosrite coverplate. The Mosrites that I have seen utilized 3 rows to the fan shape.

L. Bogue Sandberg · From: Chassell, Michigan, USA

I zoomed in on the last picture Alan posted, of the heel area. It looks like there's the imprint of a six string square neck outline outside the apparent round neck outline. The bottom of the square six string heel looks to have been about where it is on my OMI Model 27. The bottom of the 8 string heel looks to be much further from the bottom of the body. I'm thinking this guitar is on its third neck! What an interesting story it could tell. What really matters is how it sounds and if it's solid structurally.

Alan Pagliere · From: Ann Arbor, MI, USA

The plot thickens!

Gregg McKenna · From: South Windsor, Connecticut, USA

I once saw a youtube video of Josh playing a spruce top 14 fret 6 string guitar that was the same shape as this one (in his early days with Flatt and Scruggs).
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Mike Cass · Posted 20 Dec 2012 1:27 pm

The guitar pictured above is definitely a '36-'37, 6 string, model 27 California made Dobro body with an OMI replacement 8 string neck, and a 70's era trapeze tailpiece and coverplate. I also subscribe to the theory that this dobro is on its 3rd re-neck, owing to the related pic showing the heel area. There was and may still be an original pre-war guitar like it(roundneck though)on eBay the other day, for your referrence.
As for the guitar Greg mentioned seeing Josh play, Josh's guitar is definitely Regal made, thus the body shape is somewhat different from the one above. I have owned both styles and a side by side comparison would reveal the slight differences.

Howard Parker · From: Maryland

In other words, a Dobro "mutt" Surprised

An interesting guitar!

h

Gregg McKenna · From: South Windsor, Connecticut, USA

It would be interesting to know if the guitar had a soundwell. Some of the lower priced guitars that had the open body had no support dowels inside and I've worked on some that had issues with the tops sagging.
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L. Bogue Sandberg · From: Chassell, Michigan, USA

A thread on 'The String Network Forums':

http://www.thestringnetwork.com/viewtopic.php?f=2&t=5241&start=45

seems to back up Mike Cass' comments.

Mutts can be good ol' hound-dogs sometimes, if they're not too sway backed.

Chris Watkins · From: Eastern North Carolina

For what Its worth a couple of weeks ago I bought an 8 string dobro (OMI) off a guy , I had been trying to get for years, a friend of his who bought it new, gave it to him , neither could play but were going to learn, he ended up putting it under his bed, then he decieded to sell it to me, the neck is the exact same as here in the picture, number is 477 I took the cone & spider out & on the Inside was wrote 04/27/77 also the word test was written on the bottom where the cone rest, I had an 83 8 string a few years ago dobro (OMI) black body, however this one is in far better shape , I just had to replace the nut the orginal was a little to low for my playing, Smile

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