| Author |
Topic: Melobar Resonator Guitar |
Roger Shackelton
From:
MINNESOTA (deceased)
|
Posted 17 Aug 2007 2:06 am |
|
Do any Forumites own a Melobar Resonator Guitar?
How do they rate?
Roger |
|
|
 |
Roger Shackelton
From:
MINNESOTA (deceased)
|
Posted 17 Aug 2007 8:32 am Re: Melobar Resonator Guitar
|
|
| Roger Shackelton wrote: |
Do any Forumites own a Melobar Resonator Guitar?
How do they rate?
I know Melobar has been out of business for quite sometime.
Roger |
|
|
|
|
Brad Bechtel
From:
San Francisco, CA
|
Posted 17 Aug 2007 10:15 am
|
|
I haven't seen these guitars mentioned at all recently in any of the places I normally frequent. I don't think many were made.
_________________
Brad’s Page of Steel
A web site devoted to acoustic & electric lap steel guitars |
|
|
|
Roger Shackelton
From:
MINNESOTA (deceased)
|
Posted 17 Aug 2007 2:05 pm
|
|
Hi Brad,
The Melobar resonator guitars were unique in that the bodies were made of fiberglass. I heard a demo of someone playing one, and I feel they had a very good tone. IMHO
Roger |
|
|
|
Alan Brookes
From:
Brummy living in Southern California
|
Posted 17 Aug 2007 2:34 pm
|
|
I didn't know they made resonator guitars. Did they have a neck like the electric ones and a pickup ? When I first read the title I thought you had put a resonator on a Melobar Skreemr, which sounds like an interesting idea...
Hmmm ! Now where's that Skreemr that I never get round to playing ? Let's pull a resonator out of my stockpile and see if there could be a fit.... |
|
|
|
Alan Brookes
From:
Brummy living in Southern California
|
Posted 17 Aug 2007 2:38 pm
|
|
I did some research. Evidently it's called a Melobro...
http://www.melobar.com/melobro.htm
As forward-thinking as Walt Smith was, I'm surprised he only put 6 strings on it. I would have expected at least 8 and maybe 10... |
|
|
|
Roger Shackelton
From:
MINNESOTA (deceased)
|
Posted 17 Aug 2007 3:13 pm
|
|
Thanks for the pic Alan. The Melobro guitars were made in 6,7 & 8 string models.
Ted Smith, Walt's son was the owner of the Melobar Guitar Co. before the company was sold. |
|
|
|
Alan Brookes
From:
Brummy living in Southern California
|
Posted 17 Aug 2007 3:46 pm
|
|
Then I guess this was probably designed by Ted, and not Walt.
It reminds me of an Ovation. If Ovation ever made a resonator guitar I imagine this is what it would look like.
It's curious that you would need a cutaway on a resonator guitar. I guess some people must play them without a bar 
Heaven forbid !  
Last edited by Alan Brookes on 17 Aug 2007 3:47 pm; edited 1 time in total |
|
|
|
Mark Eaton
From:
Sonoma County in The Great State Of Northern California
|
Posted 17 Aug 2007 3:47 pm
|
|
| Alan F. Brookes wrote: |
As forward-thinking as Walt Smith was, I'm surprised he only put 6 strings on it. I would have expected at least 8 and maybe 10... |
I'm not sure if I'm real clear on your point Alan, I'm wondering if you are coming more from the angle of being a Steel Guitar Forumite that appreciates the somewhat more esoteric instruments in the steel guitar family.
As pointed out in the next post, Walt did produce some models with a higher string count, but I'm pretty confident that the ratio of folks whom play six-string square neck resonator guitars vs. all of the higher string count versions is probably overwhelming.
_________________
Mark |
|
|
|
HowardR
From:
N.Y.C.-Fire Island-Asheville
|
Posted 17 Aug 2007 4:09 pm
|
|
The Melobros, IMO, were best bang for the buck.....before the Beard/Goldtone.....
I have a few of them....two 6 strings and an 8 string.......they have great volume and big tone....
I originally bought one to leave out at the beach.....where wood and most metals deteriorate.....
These guitars are impervious to these conditions and are like tanks......I'm convinced that with a little flotation,....they would have Coast Guard approval.....
All three are different in their soundholes and other physical characterisitics.......many of Melobar's "same Models" are different from each other.....that how Ted built them.....always changing and improving..... |
|
|
|
Alan Brookes
From:
Brummy living in Southern California
|
Posted 17 Aug 2007 4:15 pm
|
|
| HowardR wrote: |
| These guitars are impervious to these conditions and are like tanks......I'm convinced that with a little flotation,....they would have Coast Guard approval..... |
Woody Guthrie would have been glad of that. While he was serving in the Merchant Navy during the war he was on three ships sunk by torpedoes, and he reckoned he carried a guitar, banjo and mandolin with him all the way. I imagine the banjo skin probably came off worst.
I never thought of advertising a guitar that can also be used as a flotation device... what an advertising coup !  |
|
|
|
HowardR
From:
N.Y.C.-Fire Island-Asheville
|
Posted 17 Aug 2007 4:20 pm
|
|
| I'm sure that if you do a search in "No Peddlers"......you'd find some photos of them...... |
|
|
|
Alan Brookes
From:
Brummy living in Southern California
|
Posted 17 Aug 2007 4:22 pm
|
|
| Mark Eaton wrote: |
... I'm wondering if you are coming more from the angle of being a Steel Guitar Forumite that appreciates the somewhat more esoteric instruments in the steel guitar family...
...the ratio of folks whom play six-string square neck resonator guitars vs. all of the higher string count versions is probably overwhelming. |
You're probably right, Mark. Although I've always played a lot of blues I've never played much bottleneck-style. I've always preferred to play with a bar. Forty years ago, when I played everything in open E or open A tuning I would have thought 6 strings plenty. Now I play a lot of C6 and I need at least 8 strings.
I've always thought that the number of players who raise the nut on a regular solid electric to play steel far outweighs the number of people playing lap steel.
That having been said, most of the time I play the blues nowadays I use the E9 neck on a Sho-Bud Crossover. |
|
|
|
Bruce Meyer
From:
Thompson's Station, TN
|
Posted 17 Aug 2007 8:11 pm
|
|
I think this is one of the last ones that Ted was involved with. It's an 8 string I bought a few years back.
 |
|
|
|
Alan Brookes
From:
Brummy living in Southern California
|
Posted 17 Aug 2007 8:16 pm
|
|
| That's a nice looking guitar. How does it sound ? |
|
|
|
Roger Shackelton
From:
MINNESOTA (deceased)
|
Posted 17 Aug 2007 8:37 pm
|
|
| The same Black fiberglass guitar was available with Gold hardware. It's very attractive and rich looking. |
|
|
|
Bruce Meyer
From:
Thompson's Station, TN
|
Posted 17 Aug 2007 8:59 pm
|
|
Well, I think it sounds great, but, I've never gotten around to learning how to play it! Yesterday, I ordered Mike Auldridge's new 8 string dobro DVD to help get me started. It is a great looking guitar though. I've decided to finally learn how to play, that's why I'm handing around in the "Steel without Pedals" section for a change.
I had a 6 string model that Ted made around 2000. It was much heavier and the fiberglass back wasn't smooth and as well done as this one. I traded the 6 back to Ted for the 8, of course with a little cash too. The tag on this actually says "NS Design". It was right at the tail end of when Ted was shutting down the business, I believe. Soon as I learn how to play it, I'm going to research and buy a pickup. |
|
|
|
HowardR
From:
N.Y.C.-Fire Island-Asheville
|
Posted 18 Aug 2007 5:26 am
|
|
Here's a photo of my 8 string......it has the wood baffles......it has the tone & volume very close to a six string.....
 |
|
|
|
Roger Shackelton
From:
MINNESOTA (deceased)
|
Posted 18 Aug 2007 9:21 am
|
|
Hello Howard, Can you please post a tune on your Melobro 8 stringer? 
Roger |
|
|
|
