Soon I will have a CRAZY NEW DOBRO!!

[rockandroller]

Well, relatively soon - it got underway a couple of days ago, and probably will take 3-6 months to complete. I'm pretty pumped, because its my very own design :-)

Here is a bad mockup of it (real guitar will have smoother more symetrical curves!):

http://www.guitar.com/Discuss/img/200/4597611/m4597611-8196.jpg

It wont be for slide, just strumming and fingerpicking. I need something louder than my little old (1960) LG-0...

[hank]

This is a fabulous drawing and design! Please keep us informed. This is the one instrument I've yet to try. Great stuff!

[rockandroller]

here is an update - a new headstock shape (i have to submit this quick before he starts cutting the neck lams...)

http://www.guitar.com/Discuss/img/200/4597611/m4602695-7043.jpg

[Lily]

I like the new and improved headstock shape. Subtle, but very nice - and now more closely repeats the shape of the tailpiece. :)

Are you going to have some inlay put on it?

[rockandroller]

I havent decided on an inlay... i guess that will depend on 'budget considerations' as this guitar progresses ( I actually dont know the final price yet, since the builder has never done a dobro before, they couldnt really estimate it exactly...)

The only thing i have in mind is maybe ROCKANDROLLER spelled out in big pearl letters across the fretboard.

Incidentally, there has been a little progress this week - here is the big slab of bubinga roughed out for the top:
http://www.guitar.com/Discuss/img/200/4597611/m4627705-2538.jpg

and this is the 1950's-vintage flame maple archtop back (rescued from an old German luthier shop) that inspired this whole project in the first place...

http://www.guitar.com/Discuss/img/200/4597611/m4627708-5759.jpg

[Lily]

Wow! Nice wood! The bubinga is going to look really exotic.

Keep us posted on your progress. :dude

[rockandroller]

Well, here is a little progress!

I finalized the exact plan for the neck lams today, its going to be 7-piece: "Flame maple-Maccassar ebony-Flame maple-Maccassar ebony-Flame maple-Maccassar ebony-Flame maple"

Here's a close look at the "roughed out" flame maple:
http://www.guitar.com/Discuss/img/200/4597611/m4654601-6488.jpg

another look, you can see a bit of the Maccassar towards the back (the same Maccassar will be used for the fretboard wood, too!

http://www.guitar.com/Discuss/img/200/4597611/m4654603-526.jpg
This maple is very old wood from Quebec... i've had it laying around here for a couple years now, and yesterday it turned out that it JUST happened to be EXACTLY the right size to be sliced up to make these neck lams :-)

[rockandroller]

the WAITING... it just goes on and on and on and on and on and on...

neck lams will be glued up "soon"... they just have to be tapered a little more:

http://www.guitar.com/Discuss/img/200/4597611/m4667077-4381.jpg

(a closer look):
http://www.guitar.com/Discuss/img/200/4597611/m4667082-137.jpg

[rockandroller]

I love it when piles of wood begin to magically transform into something 'guitar-like':

http://www.guitar.com/Discuss/img/200/4597611/m4676435-5812.jpg
...neck lams have been tapered, and JOINED :-)

http://www.guitar.com/Discuss/img/200/4597611/m4676438-6177.jpg
(a closer look)

[rockandroller]

here are the rest of the pics from last week:

http://www.guitar.com/Discuss/img/200/4597611/m4681494-1236.jpg
maccasar fretboard roughed out

http://www.guitar.com/Discuss/img/200/4597611/m4681501-1709.jpg
a bit later - bubinga headstock laminate (from same board as the top)

[rockandroller]

to keep the 'vintage/modern' thing going, the guitar will have grained "ivoroid" trim throughout... here is a closer look:

http://www.guitar.com/Discuss/img/200/4597611/m4681507-3980.jpg

When pressed for an inlay design, i ended up choosing simple pearl dots as the fretboard inlays... (i had no idea the fretboard would be ready this soon, and I hadnt got around to making the 'letters' drawing!)

here the dots are being roughed out:

http://www.guitar.com/Discuss/img/200/4597611/m4681511-5273.jpg

[rockandroller]

the 'canoepaddle' moves inexorably forward...

http://www.guitar.com/Discuss/img/200/4597611/m4688285-3136.jpg
not a bookmatch! just a serendipitous pattern in the bubinga
http://www.guitar.com/Discuss/img/200/4597611/m4688288-531.jpg

[rockandroller]

http://www.guitar.com/Discuss/img/200/4597611/m4688282-2352.jpg
fretboard isnt joined yet, just for show!

http://www.guitar.com/Discuss/img/200/4597611/m4688292-5294.jpg
here is the back side...

[Lily]

Wow!!! Keep 'em coming. :dude

[rockandroller]

OK! here is how it looked a couple of days ago...

http://www.guitar.com/Discuss/img/200/4597611/m4696581-7797.jpg
(neck carve in progress)

http://www.guitar.com/Discuss/img/200/4597611/m4696582-5830.jpg
(inside look at the neck tenon)

[rockandroller]

http://www.guitar.com/Discuss/img/200/4597611/m4696584-8254.jpg
(neck profile near the headstock... final size will be a touch smaller than this, but not much - i like a 1957 "fat&round"! feel)

http://www.guitar.com/Discuss/img/200/4597611/m4696585-1604.jpg
(the inlays are in now, and FRETS too!)

[rockandroller]

here is the top, roughed out a little more ( its still about a quarter of an inch over-size) ... like the headstock facing, its a SINGLE slab of Bubinga!

http://www.guitar.com/Discuss/img/200/4597611/m4696586-7381.jpg

[rockandroller]

some progress...

http://www.guitar.com/Discuss/img/200/4597611/m4702477-6457.jpg
body outline is still rough, but some work has been done...


http://www.guitar.com/Discuss/img/200/4597611/m4702482-6833.jpg
all the parts so far, posing together: neck, back (hidden under top), top, cover plate ( spider and cone hidden underneath...)

But where are the SIDES!!??!

Side wood gets chosen on Friday, i think!

[rockandroller]

it just keeps on growing.. like a TREE!

neck block and heel block:
http://www.guitar.com/Discuss/img/200/4597611/m4711044-9413.jpg

better look at the glueing contraption...

http://www.guitar.com/Discuss/img/200/4597611/m4711053-8815.jpg

[rockandroller]

i was originally planning on flame maple sides, but the other day i found this lightly flamed ZEBRAWOOD in my stockpile of old wood....

http://www.guitar.com/Discuss/img/200/4597611/m4711062-1266.jpg

a closer look...

http://www.guitar.com/Discuss/img/200/4597611/m4711068-5512.jpg

What CrazyAcousticElectricDobro would be complete without Zebrawood sides?

[rockandroller]

the sweet smell of HIDE GLUE :-)

http://www.guitar.com/Discuss/img/200/4597611/m4720834-6796.jpg

http://www.guitar.com/Discuss/img/200/4597611/m4720836-2713.jpg
(closer look)

[rockandroller]

top and back edges are still rough - but here you can see my ergonomic "wedge" body design being realized :-)

http://www.guitar.com/Discuss/img/200/4597611/m4724332-5577.jpg

[Lily]

Wow! The zebra wood is going to look sweet! :wow

[rockandroller]

I hope so! :-) The hard decision is whether we should leave the sides 'au naturel' with clear lacquer - or tint them orange, like the back...


http://www.guitar.com/Discuss/img/200/4597611/m4752257-3360.jpg
Top is joined now, and here you can see the kerfing around the edge (where the back will be joined)


http://www.guitar.com/Discuss/img/200/4597611/m4752263-1048.jpg
a look at the arched back, just prior to glueing...

[rockandroller]

here is something ya don't see every day!

http://www.guitar.com/Discuss/img/200/4597611/m4752266-5544.jpg

(Glueing on the arched back...)

[rockandroller]

WOW... today i held the body in my hands for the first time: this thing is MAGICAL :-))

http://www.guitar.com/discuss/img/200/4597611/m4754439-6880.jpg
(view of top)


the next step will be BINDING (grained ivoroid around the top and the back edges)

http://www.guitar.com/discuss/img/200/4597611/m4754440-3153.jpg
(arched back, now in place!)

[rockandroller]

here is a look at the back, near where the neck will join

http://www.guitar.com/discuss/img/200/4597611/m4754441-1510.jpg
(upper bouts...)


and a look at the bottom bouts:

http://www.guitar.com/discuss/img/200/4597611/m4754443-1242.jpg
(a nice grained ivoroid trim strip will cover that seam...)

[ToXiK]

WHOA!!! SWEEEET!

[rockandroller]

Hey... MERRY CHRISTMAS, EH? :-)

today's pics: neck is joined! won't long now...

http://www.guitar.com/Discuss/img/200/4597611/m4758605-764.jpg

http://www.guitar.com/Discuss/img/200/4597611/m4758606-1681.jpg
(thats an ivoroid heel-cap, to match all the other ivoroid trim...)

[rockandroller]

http://www.guitar.com/Discuss/img/200/4597611/m4758607-6612.jpg
[insert blood-curdling scream here...]

http://www.guitar.com/Discuss/img/200/4597611/m4758608-2623.jpg
I have to come up with a headstock logo pretty quick! Im thinking about something spelled out in the "Sun Records" style...

[rockandroller]

im still working on the headstock logo ( must... finish... today....)

in the mean time, a couple more pics:

http://www.guitar.com/Discuss/img/200/4597611/m4802023-927.jpg
"ivoroid" heel cap applied at jaunty angle...

http://www.guitar.com/Discuss/img/200/4597611/m4802024-896.jpg
soon the orange-burst finish will be applied to the back and neck :-)

[rockandroller]

playing around with some of the loose bits...

http://www.guitar.com/Discuss/img/200/4597611/m4802025-1848.jpg


http://www.guitar.com/Discuss/img/200/4597611/m4802027-8755.jpg

the top and sides will look a bit darker after they are lacquered...

[rockandroller]

well, it took the better part of the evening, but i made a "Faux-45" headstock logo design in Corel Draw (no crazy Dobro should be without a crazy logo...) :

http://www.guitar.com/Discuss/img/200/4597611/m4803899-9835.jpg

The only question is, do i have them drill a big spindle hole through the headstock? or just leave the wood peeking through...

[rockandroller]

(loosely based on this... I will have the artist paint it in sepia-brown on yellow - I was trying but i couldnt get that effect on the puter!)

http://www.guitar.com/Discuss/img/200/4597611/m4802727-7362.jpg

[rockandroller]

(the saga continues)

So, i changed my mind... I couldnt bear to cover up that nice natural "design" on the bubinga headstock facing.

So I nixed the headstock logo altogether (the maker put their logo on the back of the headstock)

Anyway, as of today, looks like the final layer of lacquer is on (as yet unpolished, but still it looks astonishingly beautiful)

http://www.guitar.com/Discuss/img/200/4597611/m5094624-1083.jpg

and the bubinga top is VERY lusterous under lacquer... even though the lacquer isnt polished yet, it looks just like the gemstone 'tiger-eye"

http://www.guitar.com/Discuss/img/200/4597611/m5094628-3040.jpg
(this pic doesnt do it justice!)

[rockandroller]

the arched flame maple back doesnt look too shoddy, either:

http://www.guitar.com/Discuss/img/200/4597611/m5094630-4441.jpg

and here is a look at the Zebrawood:

http://www.guitar.com/Discuss/img/200/4597611/m5094633-4029.jpg

[rockandroller]

and here's a couple more pics...

http://www.guitar.com/Discuss/img/200/4597611/m5094635-1307.jpg


and

http://www.guitar.com/Discuss/img/200/4597611/m5094636-8793.jpg

I hope by the middle of June, it will have hardware and STRINGS on it!

[Richard Hayes]

You made the right choice not covering the headstock. Beautiful instrument. I hope it gives you many years of musical enjoyment. :dude:dude

[Budman2k]

That is just gorgeous!! :bug
If it sounds half as good a it looks it will be awesome!

Budman

[sinner]

Wow, what a thread--just awesome pics! I can't wait to see more...

[andreja marovic]

Wow, what a thread--just awesome pics! I can't wait to see more...

wHAT A NICE piece of work.
Great dobro, whish I can play it.

CONGRATS keep us informed.
Andreja

[sinner]

I guess it's been about 6 months since he (rockandroller) checked back in here with an update regarding his new reso. I imagine it's done and sounds and plays so fantastic that there's no time to chat about it!

Those pic sure are great!!!

[rockandroller]

Actually... it took FORVER to get it completed, and the sad truth is that after i finally did take it home, i never really got the time to play and enjoy it. And now, dire financial circumstances are conspiring to force me to sell it. Just as well I suppose, since its been languishing in its case under my bed for a couple months now...

Just no time to play music these days! :-(

The guitar DOES sound magnificent though, as you would expect!

I do have some finished pics, and even a few sound clips from the one little 'acoustic set' i did - the same evening that I finally picked up the finished guitar from the shop!! Will post a link a bit later...

[sinner]

I can't wait for that! Finished pics and a clip, what a treat, thanks!

What a glorious project, well documented too. BTW, the body does have a thin bass side and fat treble, or did I see things? And a pickup? Well, you can see I have so many questions, I just wait for the pics!

[rockandroller]

no - you were NOT seeing things, it does have a 2 inch deep bass side, and a 4 and three quarter inch deep treble side :-)

Its a very ergonomic arrangement...

[rockandroller]

Here's muh baby! :)

http://rockandroller.net/images/DB/CS-0069-400.JPG

You can CLICK HERE (http://rockandroller.net/images/DB/index.htm) for a Thumbnail page of all of the hi-res 'completed' photos.
(click on each of the thumbnails to see the big picture)

or you can CLICK HERE (http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=7394239803#clips) to download some sound clips...

[sinner]

Beautiful and more! Wonderful little touches really add to the whole as well--the cool truss rod cover, the flames, that neck--wow! Have you decided on the "logo" for the headstock? What kind of pickup is that, a single coil, hot like a P-90 or what? And finally, are you really in Russia?

[rockandroller]

No logo, after all... i couldnt bear to cover up that headstock wood ( its not a bookmatch on the headstock - its one big piece, and the woodgrain just fell into place like that)

Yes, I am really in Russia, - Moscow, to be precise (a town of about 14 million people)...

I have been living here for the past five years (before that, I was in my 'adopted hometown' of NYC for a couple years, and originally i hail from Vancouver, on the Wet Coast of Canada) ;)

The pickup is a Lace sensor... sort of a noiseless single-coil ( see http://agi-lace.com for info! )