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Topic: Bronson? |
Michael Douchette
From:
Gallatin, TN (deceased)
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Doug Beaumier
From:
Northampton, MA
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Posted 6 May 2007 9:20 pm |
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Michael,
George Bronson was a lap steel teacher in Detriot from the 1930s until the 50s. He had a line of steels and amps branded in his name, and he sold them in his store and in his mail order catalog. He also wrote and sold teaching material and accessories.
Most Bronson guitars and amps were built by Rickenbacker, Dickerson, and Valco. I have seen three variations, but there might be more:
* Pearloid (mother-of-toilet-seat) covered lap steels with string-over pickup. These ones look a lot like Oahus, Supros, and Valcos.
* Older wood body lap steel, kind of Gibson looking, but made by Valco I believe.
* Brown Bakelike body, horsehoe pickup, very ornate, almost an exact clone of a post-war Rickenbacker Model B, except it's brown in color. 5 gold cavity covers on top, made by Rickenbacker. This model is called Bronson Melody King Model 52, and it was the top of the line.
Matching amps were available with many Bronsons. Every once in a while a matching MOTS set (steel & amp) will show up on eBay. Bronsons usually sell for about the same (or less) as Oahus, Supros, Nationals, Valcos. They are fine lap steels made by great companies, but the name recognition isn't there. A Melody King in excellent condition will sell for nearly as much as a Rickenbacker Model B because it's basically the same guitar with a different name on it.
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Last edited by Doug Beaumier on 6 May 2007 9:49 pm; edited 4 times in total |
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Michael Douchette
From:
Gallatin, TN (deceased)
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Richard Shatz
From:
St. Louis
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Posted 7 May 2007 7:00 am
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Doug,
The photo you posted is the Melody King set I used to own.
The pickup was extremely bright sounding and not nearly as well balanced as my BD6 Rick from the same era.
Even so, I'm sorry I sold it.
I payed $450 for the set back in "95 or "96.
I sold it to a guy whose last name was Bronson (no relation to the store owner) for $900 about 2 years later.
Since then I have only seen two or three of them for sale. The steels alone sold for about as much as I sold the set.
I've only seen one other Melody King amp. |
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Doug Beaumier
From:
Northampton, MA
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John Dahms
From:
Perkasie, Pennsylvania, USA
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Posted 7 May 2007 1:24 pm
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| The difference is probably guitar to guitar. My Bronson is every bit as Ric as my Rics. |
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Gerald Ross
From:
Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA
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John Dahms
From:
Perkasie, Pennsylvania, USA
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Posted 7 May 2007 4:18 pm
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Michael,
I wanted to provide pics of the 3 types of Bronsons that Doug was talking about in his first post. One retagged from Dickerson, one from Valco and the Rickenbacher too. I have amp pics too but I would have to dig for them.
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Bill Creller
From:
Saginaw, Michigan, USA (deceased)
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Posted 7 May 2007 6:48 pm
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I think bakelite, is bakelite, regardless of color. Many bakelites, and frypans too, don't sound great. Likely due to core shift on the frypan castings.
Hard to figure on bakelites, but some aren't all that good, and others are just beautiful sounding. The string-thru design isn't all it's made out to be either. Some post war instruments sound as good as pre-war examples, even with the narrow magnets. |
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Doug Beaumier
From:
Northampton, MA
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Mike Fried
From:
Nashville, TN, USA
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Posted 8 May 2007 10:34 am
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Richard's bakelite Bronson 52 likely had a pickup with open windings. My Melody King is exactly the same as a BD6. To bakelite Rick collectors I believe they're getting to be worth as much or more than a comparable postwar Rick due to their relative rarity.
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Visit my music page at http://facebook.com/drfried |
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