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Old 04-25-2007, 10:53 AM
sublro sublro is offline
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Default regular guitar for dobro-style slide? Experiences? Advice?

Hi -

I'm starting to get interested in dobro, and with two Blueridge's and no $$, I'm interested in people's thoughts about using a regular guitar to play dobro-style slide (as in hold it like a dobro).

Experiences? Thoughts?

Specifically, feasability overall, ways to enhance volume and sustain, what tunings, string choices, etc.

Any comments or experience welcome.
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Old 04-25-2007, 11:40 AM
Freeman Freeman is offline
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Lots of folks have played lap style on standard acoustics - John Fahey, Kelly Joe Phelps, many others - just add a nut extender. However these guys are mostly playing in open G or D (KJP capo's up a lot) - if you are thinking about playing in "dobro G" (GBDGBD) using a normal "dobro gauge" string set you are putting significantly higher tension on the top (the spider bridge is designed for having the bottom two strings tuned up). You might want to run through a good string tension calculator to make sure.

On my slide only gits (which I tune down and play spanish style) I like mediums and I often use an unwound third. However I'm mostly playing blues and American Primative music, not bluegrass. But other than the tension and setup (and the fact that your acoustic will sound different from a reso) there isn't any reason not to give it a go.

from the UMGF forum http://p082.ezboard.com/ftheunoffici...icID=245.topic

Last edited by Freeman; 04-25-2007 at 12:27 PM.
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Old 04-25-2007, 12:04 PM
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Bob Womack Bob Womack is offline
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The best non-reso I've heard was a Tacoma Chief with cedar top and teardrop, offset soundhole. It wailed!

Bob
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Old 04-25-2007, 12:10 PM
Jeff M Jeff M is offline
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My "other" instrument is "Dobro" (now known as "Reso" since Gibson bought out the Dobro company and put a copyright on the name )

Just as with non-reso guitars, GAS is a hazzard.

One of the best known Reso guitar makers, Paul Beard, has a namesake reso he imports from China through Goldtone instruments. These are excellent "beginner" Resos. Heck, they're excellent resos all around!
Paul specced them out, has them fit with a quality cone (Quarterman).
Some of these actually go through Pauls shop before hitting the stores to be set up...such as the ones he sells through Elderly.
http://elderly.com/new_instruments/items/BGT1R.htm
He offers both square neck and round neck.

These sell for around the same price as mid-level BLueridge.

Resos come in two basic styles....square neck and round.
Square neck resos are played lap style.....ie, on you lap, (or flat, relative to the floor with a strap if you are standing) with a weighty metal slide held in the palm of your hand. Think Jerry Douglas of Union Station, Mike Auldridge, Josh Graves, Jimmy Heffernon.
Round necks are played like a guitar, with a slide that (generally) is much lighter (often a glass bottle neck) and fits over your finger (generally your little finger or 3rd.)

The square necks are set up with the strings WAY off the fretboard. They aren't meant to be fretted.
Round necks, the strings are set up more like a standard guitar.

There is (of course) a great forum site devoted to Reso players, "Reso Nation";
http://www.reso-nation.org/

You can play "slide" guitar on any guitar. Just get a bottle neck and slip it over your finger. There are sites in the internet that show you how to make your own...or you can buy one for cheap at your local guitar store, pre-made. Technically speaking, that's not "Dobro"...as that refers to a guitar designed with a resonator inside....like a Dobro or National guitar (or a Beard, or one of the many "new" builders out today.)
Same method of playing, just a different tone.

Lots of good learning material out there.
Bob Brozman, Jimmy Heffernon, Rob Ickes, Oroville Johnson, Mike Auldridge...
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Last edited by Jeff M; 04-25-2007 at 12:24 PM.
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Old 04-25-2007, 02:31 PM
sublro sublro is offline
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Yes, I've seen the Gold Tones and that's definitely eventually where I'm headed, once I figure out the roundneck vs. squareneck thing. I think i'll probably wind up on the latter...

I picked one up recently for the first time and my god, what a beautiful sound. It was all I could do to put it down.

thanks for the tip on the reso-nation forum.
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Old 05-03-2007, 10:45 PM
Rusty Fender Rusty Fender is offline
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Hi Sublero and everyone,
1st post. I was nosing around to see what I could learn re reso guitars.
Thanks Jeff M for the info. I owned a Regal nickel plated round neck, and although I enjoyed the learning slide, it was so loud it got traded. So now I'm considering a 1991 Dobro round neck. This thing has a definate blues sound. Not a country Dobro sound. Low strings could be fretted. I was wondering how much if any the sound would change if I incorporated a nut extender and played with a bar.
An observation: Compared with - well, almost anything, those Dobro's look cheap don't they?
Thanks
R
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Old 05-04-2007, 07:58 AM
AndrewG AndrewG is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Rusty Fender View Post
Hi Sublero and everyone,
1st post. I was nosing around to see what I could learn re reso guitars.
Thanks Jeff M for the info. I owned a Regal nickel plated round neck, and although I enjoyed the learning slide, it was so loud it got traded. So now I'm considering a 1991 Dobro round neck. This thing has a definate blues sound. Not a country Dobro sound. Low strings could be fretted. I was wondering how much if any the sound would change if I incorporated a nut extender and played with a bar.
An observation: Compared with - well, almost anything, those Dobro's look cheap don't they?
Thanks
R
I used a nut extender(the metal angled type that slips over the nut)on a Regal RD45 Dobro-type. Using a heavy Stevens bar enabled me to dig in as hard as I wanted without the bar rattling on the frets. I got great tone and definitely more volume. I also used strings specifically made for Dobro-the top E was a 15!
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