For playing in Hawaiian "lap" style (but not necessarily Hawaiian).
Weissenborn started manufacture in 1913, and Kona in 1916.
The quest was for louder instruments as interest in the sound grew.
Martin followed with the early Ditson "Dreadnoughts" provided with a nut riser option - much louder but not very commercially successful.
The National Tricone came out in C.1927 and Dobros (wooden body, single cone) a year later.
Martin brought out their own Dreadnought in 1931 , again with a nut riser included, and sold about half a dozen!
In 1934 Gibson brought out their first Jumbo and the Roy Smeck -a deep bodied jumbo with a square neck, and Martin dropped the Hawaiian thing and brought out the Dreadnought as a rhythm guitar.
Then steel guitars came out and no-one wanted acoustic Hawaiian guitars, but dobros were later to be recruited into bluegrass and country and Nationals became associated with bottleneck blues.
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Silly Moustache,
Just an old Limey acoustic guitarist, Dobrolist, mandolier and singer.
I'm here to try to help and advise and I offer one to one lessons/meetings/mentoring via Zoom!
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