OT: my winter project

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Zachary Hoyt

Well-known Member

• Feb 9, 2014

• #1

In late December and early January I finally built a dobro, which I have been wanting to do for years. It is all cherry wood from our sawmill except the binding which is maple. I am about to start on another one now after having a couple of fiddles and a banjo to build in between. I much prefer doing this kind of work in the indoor wood shop this time of year to being out in the cold trying to do something.
Zach

 

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Anonymous-0

Well-known Member

• Feb 9, 2014

• #1

The wide range of talent of the people on this site is truly amazing, that is beautiful thanks for showing us. I keep telling my wife there is more to these people than ranting about the prices of things and who drives the wrong color tractor.

 

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Prawn Farmer

Member

• Feb 9, 2014

• #1

That is absolutely awesome - with a square neck, too!

 

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fixerupper

Well-known Member

• Feb 9, 2014

• #1

Truely awesome. You definitely pay attention to and have the patience and talent for fine detail. Jim

 

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ohiojim

Well-known Member

• Feb 9, 2014

• #1

nice work...

 

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steel

Member

• Feb 9, 2014

• #1

That is sweet. I hope people out there realize the precision work involved in making your dobro.

 

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Anonymous-0

Well-known Member

• Feb 9, 2014

• #1

That is suburb craftsmanship.
The Dobro is one of my favorite instruments.
I like most all kinds of music, but can't hardley play the radio.
I don't mean to take away from your excellent talent, but the dobro is a registered trade mark of the Gibson Co.
You have built vhat is called a resonator guitar, but not all resonator guitars are a dobro.
I hope yo don't take offense to vhat I said, but yo probably know that the vord dobro is generic.

 

MarkB_MI

Well-known Member

Location

Motown USA

• Feb 9, 2014

• #1

Beautiful! I'm very impressed.

 

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PJH

Well-known Member

• Feb 9, 2014

• #1

Nice Job Zach! Have you mastered playing it yet? You've got a head start with the right hand banjo rolls.

 

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rrlund

Well-known Member

• Feb 9, 2014

• #1

Sharp! I love the sound of those things.

 

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Mike (WA)

Well-known Member

• Feb 9, 2014

• #1

That's gorgeous! How's the sound?

 

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Zachary Hoyt

Well-known Member

• Feb 9, 2014

• #1

I have been playing for two years this March, so I have a lot more learning to do. This link is to the page on the reso-hangout forum that has an mp3 I recorded of this instrument, just click on the mp3 icon and it will play.
Zach

http://www.resohangout.com/topic/36369

 

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Dalex

Well-known Member

• Feb 9, 2014

• #1

That's beautiful ! I love the sound of any instrument with a resonater ....

 

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Zachary Hoyt

Well-known Member

• Feb 9, 2014

• #1

Thanks for taking the time to explain that. I know that squareneck resonator guitar is the approved generic term but I thought that dobro might be a more familiar term for some folks. As I understand it Dobro originally was the brand name of the company founded by the Dopyera Brothers in the 20s after one of them left National where he had helped develop the tricone and biscuit bridge type resonator guitars. They were the first company to develop the spider-bridge system, but all of the original trademarks (National, Regal, Dobro) were owned by companies that eventually went out of business and the trademarks were bought by other companies. It is a confusing history and I am not at all sure that I got it all right, but I think that is the outline.
Zach

 

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jCarroll

Well-known Member

Location

mid-Ohio

• Feb 9, 2014

• #1

Seeing work that elegant diminishes my opinion of my skills.

Don't know the instrument, but the craftsmanship speaks volumns.

 

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retired farmer

Well-known Member

• Feb 9, 2014

• #1

Pretty impressive.

 

omahagreg

Well-known Member

• Feb 9, 2014

• #1

What ever its called, that one is beautiful! Nice work!

 

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Anonymous-0

Well-known Member

• Feb 9, 2014

• #1

Mr. Zachery,
Thanks fur not taking offense about my reply,maybe someone didn't know the history of said topic.
There is a young dobro player with the band called Ronda Vincent and the rage, if I hadn't seen him play I vould think it vas Bashful Brother Oswald from the Roy Acuff show. To me he vas the greatest especially vhen he played the dobro chimes, he could make a lonesome sound come oat of it.
Vhen I vas in the army and stationed at Ft. Campbell,Ky. aboot 50 years ago I visited Shot Jackson at his home, at the time he had his shop in his backyard garage.
Keep bending those strings, my friend"

 

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55 50 Ron

Well-known Member

• Feb 9, 2014

• #1

Zach,

Wonderful craftsmanship AND PLAYING. I got my acoustic guitar out and chorded along. Too bad we are so far apart geographically or we could play together!

Not sure if I ever said, but I own a pedal steel guitar and play some on it. So I've learned the Steel Guitar Rag on that guitar.

 

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Donald Lehman

Well-known Member

• Feb 9, 2014

• #1

Sounds as good as it looks, too. I love the sound of those things! Nice job.

 

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55 50 Ron

Well-known Member

• Feb 9, 2014

• #1

Zach,

I'm curious if you have a market to sell these instruments?? I think you remember that a friend and I have built several violins. We haven't tried very hard to sell any, but I wonder if there really is a market. The violins that I've repaired for folks are not the well built kind and I get the impression that hobby players won't pay more than a few hundred dollars for any well built unit, but we don't feel like selling well built new ones for less than at least a $1000.

 

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Zachary Hoyt

Well-known Member

• Feb 9, 2014

• #1

I have sold some instruments over the past few years. Last year I sold 4 violins at $400 a piece and as of January 1 I raised my price to $450. Open back banjos I sold 5 last year for $600-650, and I sold a mandolin last year for $450. I have not offered a resonator for sale yet but I think it will likely be in the $600-700 range when I do. I didn't want to sell the first one till I build the second one since I want to have one to play. I sold the old Regal import that I had bought to learn on once I built mine. Maybe you can get $1000 for your violins, I would think your violins might have a better chance than mine at that price since mine don't have purfling and such. Even at my prices people are not knocking down the door, but I can't store too many instruments and if I sell them then I have money to buy materials to build more and a bit of income.
Zach

 

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Anonymous-0

Well-known Member

• Feb 9, 2014

• #1

Thar is a lot of people that have talent, I don't have any.
At the Rolag, Minnesoda tractor show several years ago there vas a man and his vife that played music on the grounds. He made an organ for his vife to play oat of a vacume cleaner. The resonator guitar he made is from a Pontiac car hubcap. It sounded as good or better than factory built insturments.

 

Vito

Well-known Member

• Feb 9, 2014

• #1

Nice craftsmanship !

Vito

 

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in-too-deep

Well-known Member

• Feb 10, 2014

• #1

Wow, Zach. That's incredible. Really makes me feel bad thinking about my Regal square neck that's been in it's case sitting in the corner for years. Beautiful work!