Dobro Model M14 c 1940 | $1975 | (v2333) In the late 1920s the five Dopyera brothers began to build and market National guitars in their California workshop. But within a few years, two of the brothers formed the Dobro company in competition with National. In 1934, Dobro began to make metal bodied guitars employing a metal crimping technique to join the edges, which brother John felt was a superior method over the soldering technique used on Nationals. Through the 1930s the Dobro and National guitar companies had a convoluted history of splitting and merging. By 1937, the company contracted all its Dobro assembly to Regal in Chicago. Like most guitar companies during the depression, sales collapsed and by the early 1940, with WWII comsuming valuable metals, the company was sold. This particular instrument, lacking any serial numbers and fitted with wartime tuners, was most likely made by Regal in Chicago about 1940.
The body is plated brass featuring the Dobro 'fiddle edge'. The neck joins the body at fret 14, is likely made from poplar or basswood, and carved in a flat 'V'-shape. The fingerboard appears to be rosewood, bound in white celluloid. The headstock features the Dobro decal. The tuners are the original wartime Klusons featuring plated dust covers. The cone is a vintage National cone from the 1930s, and is a replacement/conversion of the original Dobro style 'inverted' cone/spider configuration. There were no alterations to the guitar to achieve this; it's just a 'drop-in' mod. This alters the sound to that of a National Style O, which is not a bad thing! The guitar could be easily converted back to its cone/spider setup.
The guitar was played through its history but, besides the cone conversion, is pretty original. It appears to have had a neck adjustment in the past. We recently leveled and dressed the frets and cleaned and lubed the tuners. The brass body shows some wear to the plating, and a couple of dents.
With action set at 8/64", the guitar plays well in both Spanish tuning and open tunings with a slide. The sound is not the typical Dobro 'high and lonesome', but tends toward the sound of a Style O National but with a little more oomph in the bass, good sustain and a pleasing brass 'ring'.
Comes with a hard case.
Check out the sound clip!
The body is plated brass featuring the Dobro 'fiddle edge'. The neck joins the body at fret 14, is likely made from poplar or basswood, and carved in a flat 'V'-shape. The fingerboard appears to be rosewood, bound in white celluloid. The headstock features the Dobro decal. The tuners are the original wartime Klusons featuring plated dust covers. The cone is a vintage National cone from the 1930s, and is a replacement/conversion of the original Dobro style 'inverted' cone/spider configuration. There were no alterations to the guitar to achieve this; it's just a 'drop-in' mod. This alters the sound to that of a National Style O, which is not a bad thing! The guitar could be easily converted back to its cone/spider setup.
The guitar was played through its history but, besides the cone conversion, is pretty original. It appears to have had a neck adjustment in the past. We recently leveled and dressed the frets and cleaned and lubed the tuners. The brass body shows some wear to the plating, and a couple of dents.
With action set at 8/64", the guitar plays well in both Spanish tuning and open tunings with a slide. The sound is not the typical Dobro 'high and lonesome', but tends toward the sound of a Style O National but with a little more oomph in the bass, good sustain and a pleasing brass 'ring'.
Comes with a hard case.
Check out the sound clip!