Talk:Dobro

Untitled

Regarding the trivia, it's my understanding that there is no such thing as a "major fourth" or a "minor fourth", only "perfect fourth", "diminished fourth", or "augmented fourth". The author probably meant "perfect fourth" and "major third", though in context it could be a "diminished fourth" instead of "major third". I don't know. (--pfunk42)

Resonator Guitar

I would like to ask, since I don't know that much about Wikipedia policies regarding trade names, if it might be better to rename this article "Resonator Guitar" and have "Dobro" redirect to it. -- WCFrancis 17:43, 19 Jun 2005 (UTC)

I don't know what the policy might be, but it strikes me that it might be better practice to rename as suggested. Cmadler 17:10, 12 July 2005 (UTC)

However, for the sake of the prevailing name (Dobro), would it not be best to forego the political correctness and reverse his suggestion? Have "Resonator Guitar" redirected to "Dobro"? Unregistered user, 20:53 5 Oct 2005 (UTC)

convention among my friends is to say "Dobro" when referring to the brand and "dobro" when referring to resophonics in general, especially squarenecks. I think squareneck quitars/lapstyle playing deserves its own page.

IMO both Dobro and resonator guitar deserve separate pages, and that's what I'm working on. Some of the material from this article would be better at resonator guitar, certainly. Andrewa 17:31, 19 April 2006 (UTC)

Not all Dobros are resonators

See Talk:Lap slide guitar. Andrewa 17:33, 19 April 2006 (UTC)

Rem text

The instrument is also sometimes referred to as a "Hawaiian guitar".

This is probably true, but it's rather misleading. A more common meaning of Hawaiian guitar is electric steel guitar, and even this usage is ill-advised as in Hawaiian music the term means something quite different again, see steel guitar. Andrewa 16:14, 27 April 2006 (UTC)

More on the generic use of "Dobro"

See Phil Leadbetter's A Brief History of the Resonator Guitar for some fascinating stuff... caution, some of the details contradict most other sources, but hey he's a guitarist not an historian. But what is really interesting IMO is his take on the Gibson attitude to the name:

Up until the time that Dobro® was purchased by Gibson, the word "Dobro" was used to describe all guitars that used a resonator. The word "Dobro" just became the slang name for this instrument pretty much like the word "Kleenex" did for tissue, or "Xerox" did for copy machines. Gibson decided that since they had purchased this name, and it was a trademark, they ordered all the builders who had been using this name to describe their instruments to cease using it. It was then that names such as "resonator guitar" and "resophonic guitar" became the politically correct name to identify these instruments. Some people have even called them a TIFKAD guitar, an anagram which stands for "The Instrument Formerly Known as Dobro"- Just a bunch of folks being creative I guess.

Food for thought. Andrewa 18:12, 27 April 2006 (UTC)

Of course the flaw in that comparison is that Kleenex and Xerox were originally and still are brand names and contrary to popular myth, have never been used by other brands in reference to themselves. --JamesTheNumberless 16:12, 30 May 2006 (UTC)

Partial refactor

Some stuff that should probably go somewhere:

The "Dobro Amplifier" installed in a ukulele.

As can be seen from the ukulele advert to the right, the model name was the price. So some instruments, while remaining unchanged physically, were sold over several years and therefore actually have catalogue model numbers that get progressively larger as time went by and their prices went up! This makes it nearly impossible to identify most instruments, although the higher the model number (price) the more ornate the instrument would have been as a rule of thumb.

special pickups are made for both single cone and tricone instruments. A pickup will amplify the sound signal and allow you to use an amplifier. Fishman makes a well-reviewed resonator pickup, as does Schatten.

But, I don't think it belongs in the Dobro article. The uke seems to be a National style resonator, and was made and sold by Regal. The pickup note applies to any resonator instrument. Andrewa 07:15, 2 May 2006 (UTC)

Removed self-promotion

I removed the following line:

"Modern day usage of the Dobro can be seen in bands like Rocco Deluca and the Burden."

because it seemed to be blatant self-promotion by a band whose own wiki article looks like nothing but a bloated press kit.

The Dobro is not all that rare or unusual an instrument. Surely there are examples of artists who use the Dobro which are more well-known and less self-serving.

For example, Elvis Costello's new band (the Sugarcanes) includes a Dobro. Johnskrb2 (talk) 21:17, 28 August 2009 (UTC)

Photos

I notice that none of the photos currently in the article are actually of dobros! Dobro is both a brand and a particular design, which contrasts with the National tricone and biscuit designs. Both the National and the Ellis instruments shown are tricones. The LoBro is described here as a one-of-a-kind bass instrument modeled on the dobro, and appears to be a dobro-style resonator at least!

I suspect that the photos that used to be here have all been deleted as replaceable fair use. A pity IMO, but there seems to be a direction to tighten up on this. But the photos that have replaced them are inaccurate, misleading and arguably POV... the TIFKAD movement have never forgiven Gibson for claiming the Dobro name, and no doubt they love Wikipedia's support of their POV in this way. But Gibson have claimed the name, successfully it seems to me, despite the efforts of these few enthusiasts. If there's doubt as to this, we should discuss renaming the articles (again). But we shouldn't have photos illustrating the article which our own article (accurately IMO) says are not dobros at all, or at the very least should point out what they are.

Not quite sure what to do about this... the best thing would be to have a GFDLd image of a typical, genuine dobro, branded and with a single inverted resonator (and preferably pre-Gibson to remove all arguments!), but I don't have one to photograph. Any offers? Andrewa 01:57, 7 September 2007 (UTC)

I think we should immediately remove pictures of instruments that are obviously not dobros at all, such as the one of the National Tricone at the top of the page. I wish I had a pre-Gibson Dobro to photograph! JSC ltd (talk) 22:45, 7 February 2008 (UTC)

Me too... we'll get one eventually I'm sure. But Wikipedia Commans has a picture of what is at least single resonator instrument with a spider not a biscuit, I'll put that up instead. Andrewa (talk) 06:37, 17 April 2008 (UTC)

Hmmm... and at http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Image:Dobro.jpg there's an even better image, perhaps even a real, branded Dobro. But unfortunately the permissions are unclear... that is, the permission statement is there but the source is unspecified, so it's a little bit dodgy. Andrewa (talk) 06:45, 17 April 2008 (UTC)

I've also done a minor refactor of the lead, hopefully others who want to put in their favourite photo will actually read and understand (;-> the text first! But it is a bit involved, owing to the competing single resonator biscuit having been designed and patented before the dobro design, but entering production last of the three main designs, and both the other two being commonly called National patterns. Still not completely happy with the intro phrasing. Andrewa (talk) 23:04, 17 April 2008 (UTC)

Ellis guitars

The Ellis guitars mentioned and illustrated in the article would be better described instead in the resonator guitar article IMO... one is a tricone, the other is a single resonator design, but whether National or Dobro pattern I don't know. Andrewa (talk) 23:24, 17 April 2008 (UTC)

Grammar

Article currently reads When Gibson acquired the name in 1994, the company announced that it would defend its right to the Dobro's exclusive use.

This just doesn't say what the article used to say, and what it now says is not even sensible... what Gibson own is the Dobro name. Andrewa (talk) 11:52, 16 March 2010 (UTC)

steel guitar

the guitar template is ummmm, ....narrow. Lap steel is mentioned only in ref to a specific instrument. The article is about a musical instrument, but is focused in law. The sound and the technology ... The history of bluegrass, etc, slide guitar, lap and pedal steel are more important. This design influenced a lot of instruments. to b sharp or b flat. the transposed question Romanfall (talk) 06:41, 17 June 2010 (UTC)

Removed Link

I took out this link to a history of the resonator by Leadbetter:

• A Brief History of the Resonator Guitar by Phil Leadbetter.

It's definitely dead and I spent time searching that website and many others to find if it - or similar - still existed, but no luck. Maybe someone else will find something to replace it? --gobears87 (talk) 08:23, 17 May 2011 (UTC)

and a word meaning "goodness" in their native Slovak, and also in Slovenian, Bulgarian, Czech, Serbian, Croatian, Russian and Polish.

Also in Ukrainian, if it has a matter for this article. — Preceding unsigned comment added by 95.132.22.52 (talk) 16:36, 30 December 2011 (UTC)

DOBRO RESONATOR (About 1936) How do I find the Value of the guitar & case (orginal)?

My mother played this guitar on the radio with my grandfather & uncles. Later while my dad was serving in the Pacific she played with a group at the USO. This was in the 40's in Washington state. I got it when she passed. I do not play it unfortunatly. I remember her playing at home for myself and family members, a song that Pat Boone had made popular I believe. Love letters in the Sand. She was also able to make it talk, like (Alveno Ray) we were always in wonderment of the beautiful sound the guitar made when Mom played it. It should be played by someone who knows how. Electric guitars are more popular now days, I know. But someone, somewhere may want to own it. So I need to find out a monetary value on it. If you can help please contact me via e-mail: <redacted> — Preceding unsigned comment added by 66.74.58.75 (talk) 15:10, 8 August 2012 (UTC)

Hi there. I've redacted your email, since this is a publicly viewable page that spammers can access and harvest your info from. Danger! ^{High voltage!} 20:39, 8 August 2012 (UTC)

This is a page for discussing improvements for the Wikipedia article "Dobro". If you'd like to find out what your guitar is worth, I suggest taking it to an antiques appraiser. Danger! ^{High voltage!} 20:41, 8 August 2012 (UTC)

Name dobro.

Dobro it is a message. — Preceding unsigned comment added by Adambavlna (talk • contribs) 16:25, 1 August 2013 (UTC)

Are Dobros used today as originally intended?

I'm just a listener, but I've noticed that Dobro-style guitars are invariably played held horizontally, with a slider on the finger, and used to slide from note to note, and not as a traditional guitar would be used (face vertical, usually plucking individual notes, and so on).

Was this the original plan for this instrument, or did it just happen that most Dobro players play it in this style and not in a traditional guitar style?

Inquiring minds want to know! Something about this would be helpful in the main article. Bill Jefferys (talk) 04:32, 26 November 2016 (UTC)

Sorry this has taken so long... there are two sorts of resonator guitars. Those with rounded guitar-like necks are intended for playing (spanish) guitar style, and normally are. Those with squared necks are intended to be played lap steel guitar fashion, and it would be very difficult to play one guitar style. Andrewa (talk) 04:08, 6 November 2024 (UTC)

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proper noun

Is the guitar (not the company) a proper noun? The article uses the term Dobro referring to the guitar as if it is. This is an issue at Full Moon Fever as well as others (I imagine). Chris Troutman (talk) 15:29, 6 November 2017 (UTC)

Interesting question. Related, we probably need a redirect here from TIFKAD, see https://www.definition-of.com/TIFKAD Andrewa (talk) 04:11, 20 October 2021 (UTC)