Square Neck Resophonic Guitar (Dobro style)

I built a square neck resophonic guitar for my own use. There is the possibility of such variety in tone, volume and timbre and other characteristics, that I am building many more.

I wanted to build a loud, but rich sounding guitar to play on stage with the “Black Mountain String Band” and “Kristabelle and The Southern Jubilee Singers”. On stage, and also in jams, volume is important, but it shouldn’t over-ride tone.

Making the structure of the guitar rigid, so there was no movement in the joints, reverse kerf linings and sound posts (so no tone well), made a spectacularly loud, modern sounding instrument. The back and sides are made from Australian Blackwood Acacia melanoxylon the top is wide grained Sitka Spruce Picea sitchensis and the neck is made from plantation Mahogany and the fingerboard is Beefwood. I initially inlaid some very decorative strips of timber as the fret markers but as I couldn’t see them on stage because of the reflection of the lights, making playing difficult. I replaced them later with fret wire.

The Sound posts increase the rigidity of the top by tying them to the back, but reduce the contribution of the back to the tone. I am now experimenting with a tuned back, which will necessitate a different type of sound post, or indeed none. The cone is a Beard Legend.