Fun fact—the history of the resonator guitar

[Emma]

In the early 1920s, before the electric guitar amplifier had been developed, the standard acoustic guitar was often overwhelmed by the volume of horns, percussion instruments and pianos. The resonator guitar was developed to deal with this.

While all early resonator guitars were built along the lines of a standard acoustic guitar’s shape, manufacturers took two different approaches to create a guitar loud enough to be heard in the context of the dance bands of the day.

The earliest model developed by John Dopyera had an all-metal body and three 6” aluminum cone-shaped resonators mounted on a T-shaped aluminum bar supported a bridge. This design has come to be known as the tricone. Though they’re prized for their more complex and smoother sound, tricone models were expensive and difficult to produce.

Dopyera, collaborating with guitarist George Beauchamp, continued to tweak the design experimenting with various metals to increase projection and produce a brighter tone. The pair also sought less costly approaches to design and manufacturing.

Dopyera and Beauchamp founded the National String Instrument Corporation in 1927 and began producing several different models under the trade name Triolian that featured a single cone and biscuit resonator. Various models were distinguished by engraving on the body or lack thereof.

A year later, Dopyera parted with National to form a new company with four of his brothers. Using a contraction of Dopyera Brothers they named their new enterprise Dobro Manufacturing Company—the word “dobro” also meaning “goodness” in the brothers’ native Slovak language. Dobro began producing a single-resonator model with a larger, single concave bowl-type 9” cone with wooden disc in the center holding the bridge. The new design produced more projection than the National tricones and was less expensive to produce.

Meanwhile, National continued selling tricone models while also producing a single-cone model based on Dopyera’s work prior to his departure from National. Some steel guitarists preferred the tone generated by National’s tricone while others, seeking a louder instrument, favored the Dobro models.

After a series of legal wrangles, the Dopyera brothers obtained control over both companies in 1932 and combined them into a single entity—the National Dobro Corporation. The new company continued to manufacture steel guitars until 1941 when production ceased.

A resurgence of interest in Dobros coupled with a shortage of original instruments on the used market led to the sale of the Dobro name and designs. Rights to the name and designs changed hands several times in the 1950s through the 1990s. Other companies entered the steel guitar arena trading on both the National and Dobro names, which become somewhat generic for steel guitars.

After Gibson Guitar Corporation acquired rights to the Dobro name in 1993, the company announced that it would take action against any company using the name. Gibson has since produced a range of resonator-style instruments using the Dobro name as well as their own Hound Dog series. Less expensive models have been produced by Gibson subsidiary Epiphone.

[Emma]

Today, numerous companies produce resonator guitars with both wood or metal bodies and various neck designs adapted to different playing styles.