Diesel Therapy » Dobro

Am I Too Old To Play The Dobro®?

Diesel Therapy — Sat, 27 Nov 2010 06:28:47 +0000

The answer to that question is a definite no! If you can get it out of the case then you can make a noise on it. I’m not saying you will be making a Dobro instrumental cd in three weeks or joining an acoustic band.

As I get older, and the occasional twinge in my fingers signal the probable onset of some condition or another, I consider my options if the unthinkable happened. What if I became unable to play the guitar for some reason? Oh my God! I’ve spent my life picking and singing. What now?

One of the options I favour would be to concentrate on Dobro®. It is my second instrument anyway and I can play to a reasonable standard. If you consider that the left hand holds a bar or slide and the right hand uses a thumbpick and two fingerpicks, the lap position is quite a comfortable proposition. Everthing is on view: the fretboard and strings from the bridge to the nut. The bar technique isn’t easy but the basics aren’t rocket science. The Student can be seated with the Dobro® on his or her lap and off they go.

I’ve always hated ageism in any form and have come to believe that in the music business it is rampant! However for the thousands of players who may be members of an acoustic band with all of its attendant pleasures and social possibilities, their is no ageism. Wether you can play Dobro instrumentals or just a lick or two on someone elses song. The rewards are endless.

Many acoustic bands in the USA (Bluegrass, old timey, etc) feature Dobro®. It is becoming more popular all the time. My own band Diesel Therapy features Dobro instrumental tunes such as “Hummingbird Sunday” from “The Turf House” cd. Admittedly it has yet to appear on anything by Take That, but some of Ronans earlier covers had Dobro;reg; on the Originals.

So whatever your taste in music or social standing, age is no barrier to playing a Dobro®.

“There is many a sweet tune played by an older musician”

‘Web of White Stones’ Video Added

Diesel Therapy — Mon, 21 Jun 2010 04:36:20 +0000

A new video of Jim and Danny playing a demo version of ‘Web of White Stones’ has been added to our Video Page.

Dobro Playing Positions

Diesel Therapy — Sat, 06 Feb 2010 15:31:52 +0000

There are two positions mainly used for playing the Dobro. Sitting and standing … easy!

For either position I would recommend the use of a strap. This will stop the instrument sliding off your lap when sitting and give you total freedom when standing.

Dobro straps are hard to come by in the UK but you can buy them mail order from the US. I use a Levys Dobro strap that I bought in a store in North Carolina while on a short tour with Martin Stephenson (Martin Stephenson and The Daintees).

Make sure that the strap is firmly attached at both ends. I screw the endpin button through the strap and tie the other end to the head of the guitar in between the machine heads. Use nylon ties to do this. Now the Dobro is protected from gravity and mishaps.

How long you wear the strap will depend on your stature and arm length. It may take some time experimenting but will be worth the effort, as a comfortable stance will help you through the hours of practise ahead.

Finally on the sit or stand debate … I do both! I tend to sit when recording and stand on gigs. When practising I can do either.

Dobro® Tuning

Diesel Therapy — Sat, 06 Feb 2010 15:27:32 +0000

The standard ‘Nashville’ or ‘Bluegrass’ tuning is G-B-D-G-B-D (low to high). Some players recommend tuning the B strings slightly flat to improve the intonation when playing chords up the neck. I find this tuning suits me and have used it on many recordings.

Dobro® String Guages

Diesel Therapy — Sat, 06 Feb 2010 15:25:06 +0000

I use D’Addario or John Pearse strings guages .016, .019, .028, .036, .044, .056 (high to low). These heavy strings exert a huge pressure on the neck. The 6th string alone is 38.6 lbs per square inch, so you can see where the square neck comes in. I would not fit these guages to a roundneck.

On the topic of strings, I get mine from Paul Templeman at the Really Useful Music Company. They stock unusual items, such as Dobro bars and strings. Their website is worth a visit and Paul is a fountain of knowledge when it comes to stringed instruments.

Dobro® Necks

Diesel Therapy — Sat, 06 Feb 2010 15:21:17 +0000

My first Dobro® was a metal bodied, round neck model. I bought it thinking that it would make the sound I had heard on Bluegrass records. Of course I was wrong!

If you want the sound as made popular by Buck Graves, Mike Auldridge and Jerry Douglas, then you must get a square-neck, wood bodied model. I acquired my first squareneck Dobro® from guitar maker Kevin Parsons. It is from the 1970s (we think) and has a purple sunburst finish. As soon as I played the first notes I knew that this was the sound I had been looking for.

The guitar was strung too lightly and really benefitted from having a heavier guage set of strings fitted.

It is possible to make a sort of Dobro using and old Spanish guitar. It won’t make the same sound but it will get you started with the
playing techniquies. Simply take all the strings off and replace the nut with a higher one (about 1/2 inch). You will need to cut new grooves
for the strings. An inexpensive set of minifiles will help here.

The less adventurous may be able to locate an adaptor made for this purpose. They used to come with a set of unusable fingerpicks and were called a ‘Hawaiian Guitar Conversion Kit’. I would not advise using a heavy string set on such a light instrument.

History of the Dobro®

Diesel Therapy — Sat, 06 Feb 2010 15:15:37 +0000

So what is a Dobro®?

Well, Dobro® is a trade name from the DOpyera BROthers who are credited with inventing this particular form of the Resophonic Guitar. The Dobro® trademark is now owned by Gibson and they have a number of models in their catalogue.

The word Dobro® has come to mean any instrument with a resonator. In fact there are many other makes, National, Regal, Beard for example. A visit to Planet Dobro will keep you informed as to what models are available and prices.