BACK, FIGURED MAPLE 

CHARLES BURGER, MAKING A G RUN!
click on the photo to enlarge

FREDDY MILER, ON THE HOUND DOG, DOBRO, AND MIKE LATTIMORE, PLAYING THE CAROLINA FIVE STRING, JAM AT SIMPKINS CHAPEL, UMC.ASHLAND CITY,TN. click on photo... This is just before Freddy Falls backwards, out of the shelter,,,I did not Miss a note!

C. ALEXANDER BURGER, AND HIS MARTIN.  

CHARLES ALEXANDER BURGER, MASTER GUITAR PLAYER, PICKING A VINTAGE D-28 MARTIN GUITAR,OTHER FOLKS IN THE PHOTO ARE , FRED MILER, DOBRO, MICKEY FARMER, SETTING
click to enlarge

Selecting of Wood

SELECTION OF WOOD IS THE FIRST STEP.
MAPLE IS STABLE, SOUNDS GOOD, LOOKS GOOD. IT IS BEGINNING TO COST A LOT TO FIND THE SPECIAL FIGURED TYPES NEEDED..FIGURE HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH THE SOUND THOUGH .

THE NECK BOLTS ON AT THE BLOCK

ANOTHER LOOK AT THAT CURLY MAPEL  

GLUING KERFING ON 

curle maple sides, old johns dobro, JOHN SILLS IS SO FAST THEY CALL HIM "GREASE" ! 

old garth is framed, john sills dobro 

john sills dobro 

RESONATOR GUITAR MAKING

A LITTLE HISTORY ON THE NAME BRAND DOBRO GUITAR..

THE DOBRO, AS IT IS CALLED, IS A RESONATOR GUITAR, MADE OF WOOD OR METAL...THE DOPERA BRO'S RUDY , LEO, AND JOHN WERE PIONEERS IN THIS FIELD, THERE WERE METAL DOBRO'S MADE AND WOODEN BODY DOBRO'S . THEY STARTED MAKING DOBRO'S OF METAL BEFORE WWII AND THE OUTBREAKE OF THE WAR THE NEED FOR METALS WAS GREAT , THEY STARTED TO BUILD, SOME OF WOOD BECAUSE OF THE SHORT SUPPLY....WHAT SEPERATES THE RESONATOR GUITAR FROM OTHER GUITARS. ARE THIS...A THIN SHAPE METAL CONE IS INSTALLED EITHER IN A ROUND SOUND WELL, OR SETS IN A LIP IN THE TOP OF A GUITAR, AND IS SUPPORTED WITH SOUND POST.......THE CONE VIBRATES, GERERATING A SOUND. KIND OF WORKS LIKE A RADIO SPEAKER.....


.THE SLECTION OF WOOD IS IMPORTANT IN VOICING THE INSTRUMERT..
MAPLE ----BRIGHT MELLOW SOUND.
ROSEWOOD , SIDES AND BACK, WITH A SPRUCE TOP...DEEP RINGING BELL SOUND.
CHERRY WOOD, THE MIDDLE TO MELLOW SOUND.
WALNUT AND MOST NUT TREES GREAT MID AND LOW RANGE SOUND.


ACOUSTICS ARE A LITTLE VARABLE WITH A RESONATOR GUITAR, SINCE IT HAS A METAL CONE THAT VIBRATES, WOOD DOES MAKE A DIFFERENCE, I USE THE SOUND POST SYSTEM AND BACK BAFFLE, TO ADD PUNCH OR BODY TO THE SOUND. SO I CAN TAKE THE USE OF SOME VIBRATION IN THE WOOD. EVERY BRACE IS CARVED BY HAND TOOLS , AND JUST A FEW POWER TOOLS ARE USED SUCH AS.. SANDER, JOINTER, BANDSAW. VERY BASIC STUFF.




FLM