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Topic: Mosrite/ Dobro history experts |
Joe Savage
From:
St. Paul, MN
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Posted 18 Sep 2005 7:41 pm |
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I recently came into possession of what I believe is a Mosrite era dobro. I've read previous posts concerning these and see that they are not highly prized but, at the same time, may be somewhat rare. Yes? No?
I was wondering when and how Mosrite came to be making dobros...and how to check dates of their manufacture.
Thanks,
Joe |
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Brad Bechtel
From:
San Francisco, CA
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Posted 18 Sep 2005 8:39 pm
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Here's a good article about the history of the Dobro®, although it's a bit out of date. Here is a history of Mosrite. Gruhn's Guide to Vintage Guitars says no number scheme is available for Mosrite-made Dobro® guitars. They were only made between 1966 and 1969.
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Brad's Page of Steel
A web site devoted to acoustic & electric lap steel guitars
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Russ Young
From:
Seattle, Washington, USA
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Posted 18 Sep 2005 8:43 pm
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The Dobro name was on hiatus from World War II until 1965, when the Dopyeras began building Dobro-branded guitars again. (in the 1950s and early 60s, Ed and Rudy Dopyera made guitars under the name "DB Original.")
In 1966, they sold the Dobro name to Mosrite. The Mosrite-builit guitars followed the specs of the 1965 Dopyera Dobros, with the most recognizable feature being the seive-style plates in the soundholes. The Mosrite-built guitars have a serial number pressed into the fingerboard near the body; the Dopyeras put the serial number in the end of the peghead.
Mosrite went bankrupt in 1969. The Dopyeras -- doing business as Original Musical Instruments -- reacquired the Dobro name in 1970.
Can you post a picture of your guitar? Using Gruhn's Guide we can probably identify the model. |
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Joe Savage
From:
St. Paul, MN
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Posted 18 Sep 2005 9:28 pm
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It has the 'diamond' screens. And a couple other unusual features. A hinged tailpiece, an adjustable neck !!! (square) and no soundwell. Oh yeah....a cast aluminum nut. I've got the thing apart right now, so I'll try to get some pics when it's back together. It has an odd structure inside to accomodate the adjustable neck, which I think also keeps the body from caving in. Maybe you'd like to see that?
One more thing, the serial# is on the the peghead.
Thanks for the links, Brad. Can either of you instruct me on how to post pictures here? It's a real pretty little thing. No fret wires. Inlaid fret lines. Kinda red mahogany in color. I'm hoping the proper set-up will strenghten it's sound. I just thought of another thing I had'nt seen before. The spider bridge's center spoke where the wooden inserts go is offset. And the name logo is a metal badge, not a decal.
Very interesting.
Thanks guys.
Joe |
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David L. Donald
From:
Koh Samui Island, Thailand
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Posted 18 Sep 2005 11:08 pm
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I have had a Mosrite Dobro since 1970 or so.
Round neck, but adjustable height / angle.
Played this critter for 35 years, and it's still rolling. |
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Russ Young
From:
Seattle, Washington, USA
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Posted 19 Sep 2005 6:28 am
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Joe -- You're describing most of the other features I didn't list earlier. The serial number in the end of the peghead actually makes your guitar a little harder to identify; according to George Gruhn, the first 100-150 Mosrite Dobros were made using parts purchased from the Dopyeras. So yours could be a 1965 Dobro built by the Dopyeras, or one of the early guitars assembled by Mosrite.
If you would like to e-mail me a few photos, I'll post them for you. |
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Joe Savage
From:
St. Paul, MN
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Posted 19 Sep 2005 10:05 am
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Russ-I took it to a local reso builder this morning so he could see the unusual tilting mechanism for the neck adjustment. The top and bottom are plywood, but it appears the sides are solid mahogany. Fretboard is rosewood. I'm reassembling it now and will send a couple shots. The cone is stamped, not spun. I may replace a few things on it to help the sound. Thanks.
Joe |
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Russ Young
From:
Seattle, Washington, USA
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Posted 19 Sep 2005 8:51 pm
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[url=http://photos.msn.com/Viewing/Album.aspx?PST=8nK2AN1B!1JmZao!iR2Cw6C6WkadBp5Cl7*Ci0!GHdHdEDC09q5y*qSOzXTKkJ9xK!iwmT4cryOZmSZU3O7a6g%24%24]Joe's (Mosrite?) Dobro[/url] doesn't precisely match any of the models listed by Gruhn, but it appears to be closest to the D-40S/"The Blue Grass," which was produced from '65 to '67.
The "D" models were spider-bridge guitars with the unique offset spider; "C" model Mosrites had a biscuit bridge with coverplates that left the saddle exposed (i.e., no handrest).[This message was edited by Russ Young on 19 September 2005 at 09:52 PM.] |
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Joe Savage
From:
St. Paul, MN
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Posted 19 Sep 2005 10:49 pm
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Thanks Russ.
The man I got it from said his father bought it new in '66 or '68. Most likely '66.
It came from upstate N.Y. and was given to me as a gift. Very nice gift. It sounds pretty good, too, now that it has new strings and some tweaking here and there.
Joe |
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