Dobro Question!!!

[BluesyTrain]

Hello people,

I really enjoy slide blues playing and i'm

onterested in buying a guitar which I'll have only for this reason. I'm interested un bying this model :

 

http://www.musik-produktiv.de/shop2/shop04.asp/artnr/100011089/sid/!06082002/quelle/listen

 

I like playing lap style, especially because

i control my vibrato better this way. But I want a guitar than can br played both lap and straight!!!!!

 

I really like the sounding of dobros in blues.

 

Suggestions anyone? Is the specific model

desent for it's money?

 

p.s.I'm newbie to dobros and need your adviise.

[Freeman Keller]

Bluesy

 

I own two Drobos and play mainly Delta and peidmont style blues. As you know Dobro is a trademarked name and it is technically incorrect to refer to the Dean as a "Dobro" - more accurately it is a resonator. I believe that this model is has a biscuit bridge and a pickup.

 

Since you say you prefer playing lap style you probably know that the action is normally set up very high with an extention nut and the guitar is played with a "steel" or "bar" (Shubb or other). The most common resonators for this style are the true square necked Dobro with spider bridges and this is the "Dobro" of bluegrass music. You can, of course play round neck guitars in this style by adding an extension nut but once you have done that it will be almost impossible to fret normally. Players like Kelly Joe Phelps and John Fahey do play lap style on non-resonators but with the high nut.

 

I find my guitars very difficult to play lap style with normal action - one of them has a radiused fretboard (I think it's 10 inch radius) and you simply fret out too much with the steel. However I play both with a bottleneck slide and can mix fretted and slide on the same guitar. Both guitars have medium action and I like heavier strings (and an unwound third), and I play in a variety of tunings including standard, open G and open D. I play with both flesh and nails and finger picks depending on what sound I want.

 

Frankly I have no need for a pickup (or the cutaway) of the Dean (most resos are pretty loud and you seldom play above the 12th). It looks like it is 14 fret clear so it might have a curved fingerboard. My guess is that this guitar is intended for the plugged in player that wants to add an resonator and may play bottleneck or fretted. Deans have a reputation as a starter resonator or one for someone on a budget and many folks feel that they are improved by a different cone (Quarterman or National). I would definitely play it before buying.

 

Only you can decide if that is the guitar for you but based on what you have said I think you would be happier with a spider bridge Dobro or wood bodied National - high action, square neck if you are only going to play lap style, round if you think you will play spanish. If you want to sound like the old Bluesmen remember that most of them played metal bodied single or tricones, usually Nationals, and usually held them spanish style. Be advised that different models of resonators have very different sounds - wood bodied or metal, single cone or tri, spider or biscuiit bridge. National has a good cd of all their current models (available with a catalog from their website) and you can really hear the differences.

 

Freeman

 

your comment about controlling the vibrato is interesting - in my experience I can control a heavy wine bottle slide on my pinky much better than holding a steel between my fingers. You can do all the slants and other lap style tricks better with the steel but for blues I like a bottleneck

 

Also, there have been many threads both on HC, as well as the AGF and UMGF about resonators - might be worth while to do some searching and lurking.

[BluesyTrain]

Dear friend yor advice is very helpful for my searching.

I really like lap playing, ut in my band I must have a rack that fullfills a variety of needs, such as different styles of soloing and rythm guitar. So I need an instrument

which I can use in many ways.

I don;t believe I can play funky rythm stuff on a resonator, but I believe I'll be able to play sme blues rythm with dignity

on it.

A national maybe a better solution, but I'm having difficulties on finding one. I live

in Greece and I'll have to order something from a european website in most cases.

So I'm trying to study what I'll buy as much as possible.

I'm not a delta blues style guitarist, but i really enjoy playing blues on an accoustic and I really enjoy playing slide.

 

p.s. Don;t they say slide players make good lovers?

lol

p.s.2 Your advice is Much help for me thanks!!

p.s.3 The resonator will be my second guitar and it will be tuned in open E or D. I want my sounding to be a combination of my strat and reso.I really like having a blues feel in my playing even if I play flamenco(lool).

 

:)

[Freeman Keller]

Since it sounds like you will be playing plugged in maybe the Dean would be a good choice - I'm just not convinced that it is the best for lap style. I did hit the Dean website and it says the neck is 1-11/16 (the same as most acoustics) so it will probably be curved instead of flat - easier to play fretted, harder to play slide without doing some setup work. However if you want to play Elmore James or Roy Rogers slide blues it could be perfect. Note that most Nationals and Dobros are 1-3/4 or even 1-7/8 necks with a very flat fingerboard.

 

If you do get a resonator be very careful about tuning it up to open E - a friend borrowed one of mine, tuned it to A (open G up two steps) and crushed the cone. Most resos are played with pretty heavy strings and should be tuned down to D or G or even lower (I tune down two half steps when playing Blind Boy Fuller stuff in standard tuning).

 

Whatever you get you'll enjoy having a completely different sound of a resonator. Slide on in...

[335clone]

Originally posted by BluesyTrain I don;t believe I can play funky rythm stuff on a resonator,

 

You most certainly can, though it may or may not suit your desired style.

 

 

QUOTE]Originally posted by BluesyTrain

A national maybe a better solution, but I'm having difficulties on finding one. I live in Greece and I'll have to order something from a european website in most cases.

 

If you are serious about getting a National,($$$$$) there may be a solution for you.....

 

Bob Brozman is not only a master on a National,(if you are not familiar with Bob, he'll blow your mind) he is also a dealer. He is touring Greece from 11/1/05 through 11/10/05. He has stated in the past that he is willing to bring a customers guitar on tour with him for hand delivery, bypassing some of the hassles you might otherwise experience. You might want to contact him through his website and see if you can come to an agreement.

 

www.bobbrozman.com

[335clone]

Originally posted by Freeman Keller If you do get a resonator be very careful about tuning it up to open E - a friend borrowed one of mine, tuned it to A (open G up two steps) and crushed the cone. Most resos are played with pretty heavy strings and should be tuned down to D or G or even lower (I tune down two half steps when playing Blind Boy Fuller stuff in standard tuning).

 

Which is exactly why 14 fret neck joints are so cool. They allow you to tune to G or D, then capo at 2 for A and E without losing the ability to slide up to the octave. Brilliant:D

[54merk]

Bluesy Train,

The London Resonator Centre has the largest selection of resos in the EU. I realize it's not close to Greece but they do ship.

 

From reading your posts however I really wonder if a reso is necessary at all for what you're describing.

 

Perhaps I misunderstood what you wrote but it sounds like your intended use is to play electric slide, not acoustic Delta Blues, so why not just setup a solid body electric for slide? I use my first electric guitar, an early 60's Epiphone with with badly worn frets. The guitar has no collectable value so it is not worth the cost of a refret, however I raised the action, put on medium gauge strings, and tune it in open D or open G. It really has a great slide tone. You could pretty much use any inexpensive solid body electric for slide. The neck could be warped and it would not make any difference since you won't be using the frets, except as markers!

 

The great David Lindley plays slide with a solid body electric guitar across his lap, so what I am proposing is really not unusual at all. Jackson Browne's great recordings from the 70's and 80's feature David's work very prominently so if you are familiar with this music, you will instantly remember his soaring single string leads. Many of the classic Chicacgo blues recordings also feature electric slide played on solid body guitars, so you can get a gritty, funky sound, if that's your intention.

 

 

 

[BluesyTrain]

friend 54merk:

I play slide on my strat , I have just set imy srings higher nad I use medium stringx(11) because I need to bend them without harming my fingers(I'm not Stevie

Ray ). I fell in love the sounding of resos just like i fell in love the sounding of slide..

LOndon resonator centre is great idea and I didin't have in maind.I'll certasinly check up on it.

 

friend 335clone

bob brozman is god in many ways(loool).

I 'll check up on it, if he doesn't bring me a guitar I'm gonna watch him on stage that's for sure!!!

 

friend Freeman

your advice is great, and I'm surely going to enjoy my new guitar.

 

Guys you're great thank you all for your help and support , )))))

[Terry Allan Hall]

I own one of these Dean resos and am continually amazed at how good it sounds, both acoustically and "plugged-in"...quite a bit better than I'd expected for the price. The reso-ness really comes through w/ the lipstick P/U.

 

For lap-style, I'd think you'd be better off w/ a square-neck, but to each their own!

[BluesyTrain]

I needed an opinion on the quality of this model thanks!!!

[Terry Allan Hall]

Originally posted by BluesyTrain I needed an opinion on the quality of this model thanks!!!

 

Just above your last post.

[Mr Handman]

 

Originally posted by BluesyTrain Hello people, I really enjoy slide blues playing and i'm onterested in buying a guitar which I'll have only for this reason. I'm interested un bying this model : http://www.musik-produktiv.de/shop2/shop04.asp/artnr/100011089/sid/ !06082002/quelle/listen I like playing lap style, especially because i control my vibrato better this way. But I want a guitar than can br played both lap and straight!!!!! I really like the sounding of dobros in blues. Suggestions anyone? Is the specific model desent for it's money? p.s.I'm newbie to dobros and need your adviise.

 

 

 

 

On E-bay or at their web site

[BluesyTrain]

I'll check on it thanks!!!

[BluesyTrain]

I checked on certain ebay's sites, I found many interesting guitars but almost everything can;t be shiped in greece or the cost is really hiagh.

 

I'm waiting for an e-mail reply from Liberty

[54merk]

 

Originally posted by BluesyTrain I checked on certain ebay's sites, I found many interesting guitars but almost everything can;t be shiped in greece or the cost is really hiagh.   I'm waiting for an e-mail reply from Liberty

[BluesyTrain]

that's the way I believe!!!!!!