Louis Dopyera had obtained away all his or her brothers and, apart from a good number of peculiar percentage, am single proprietor associated with corporation. All five brothers continued to build up royalties to be used for the Dobro brand name.
The introduction of an economical, reliable product equipment in ’36 permitted strong headstocks on lower-priced guitars. Regal started using strong headstocks on all types of Dobros in another serial number sequence beginning evidently at one and continued into four numbers. Mike Auldridge played a Model 37 out of this line using Seldom field into the ’70s and ’80s, and saved another just a few serial figures various as a backup.
When Regal got total Dobro production, they stopped numbering any axes excepting an unexpected enigmatic spots like “J” or “HH25.
National-Dobro, but went on the Dobro numbers series, which in fact had gotten to the 9000s, frequently with an “L” prefix, on National guitars. Regal never ever numbered resonator guitars hauling its very own marker, except accidentally.
Regal combined and matched up electronics freely on all the Dobro axes, obviously using whatever tailpieces or coverplates had been useful during the time.
After ’37 Regal made use of the f-hole and crossed-window dies on metallic instruments and supplied using or without pickguards. Suppliers, studios, and mail-order homes sold Regal-built resonator tools under brandnames that consisted of Alhambra, Broman, Bruno, Gretsch, Magno-tone, More Harmony, NIOMA, Norwood Chimes, early Kraftsman, and Orpheum.
In ’37 the Dobro type 75, with a walnut looks and imprinted coverplate, created a brief beauty in Regal’s directory. That year Regal changed the budget type 19 by using the product 25, which in fact had finest and down binding and sharp f-holes, and released the design 6, a little, two-tone drums with f-holes and a mandolin-size resonator not defined as legitimate Dobro, although many ones comprise. The unit 6 have a moon-and-stars or 12-diamond coverplate.
In 1937 Regal introduced the Dobro Hawaiian Electric Guitar, with a compelling, square-ended wood human body. The Dobro Spanish Electric Guitar received an archtop system with a two-blade collection secured in a square steel property.
In 1939 Regal modified its pricing and switched the Dobro range again. The blond version 5, with escort sites Las Cruces a mandolin resonator, signed up with the design 6 into the bargain basement. The former version 25 received a $2 boost to become the brand new unit 27, and also the former unit 27 went up $5 become the Model 32. The steel-bodied past version 32 had become the version 35. The mahogany style 37 vanished from your series. The aluminum type 47 decreased $1 to become the Model 46, and so the plated-brass type 62 pink $3 getting the design 65. A measure regarding the wonderful melancholy would be your most high-priced wood-body Dobro of ’39, the spruce-top style 45, met with the the exact same price and model amount since the most affordable scholar Dobro of ’29.
Regal created some Dobro axes that no design amounts may be known. Some spruce-tops received f-holes in the place of screenholes. In ’38 Regal had mega Auditorium measurements Dobros using archtop body ordered from consistency or Kay. These required 13-fret necks to obtain the scale best. In ’41 Regal made an f-hole resonator drum with maple main, straight back, and edges in an all natural finish.
The U.S.’ entryway into WWII got a death-blow to resonator axes. Leader Roosevelt supplied a limitation order limiting use of vital stuff. Louis Dopyera watched the handwriting regarding the wall surface. Within weeks for the bombing of Pearl seaport, they supplied most of the possessions of National-Dobro to himself together with their previous people Vic Mccartney and Al ice began the Valco partnership to go into fight services. According to Grey, Valco sold the Dobro devices it had close by to Gibson.
Gibson attempted a couple of resonator keyboards prototypes inside 1940s, but never add any into creation. After the fighting Valco gone back to the instrument companies, design power guitars. Regal struggled along and declared personal bankruptcy in 1954.
Not up until the folk-music rebirth of ’60s would somebody prepare another Dobro.
A Regal-made Product 19, with poinsettia coverplate and a Gumby-shaped headstock with drum cover and stenciled “Gretsch”. Picture courtesy of Tom Gray.
This article in the beginning appeared in VG ‘s June ’99 concern. All copyrights are by writer and 60’s keyboards publication. Unauthorized replication or usage is purely prohibited.
