I have had this nice little Art & Lutherie Roadhouse parlor guitar. I used to love to play this little guitar in bed before falling asleep. I don't think my dogs liked it much, but it relaxed me. Anyway, one night I rolled over in my sleep and fell out of bed. right onto the face of this guitar. The top is now riddled with cracks, but the rest of the body and neck is fine. That was 5 or 6 years ago, and I've held onto that broken guitar hoping to find a good use for it. Now I think I have. Thank you for this video!
I love the sound of a dobro, which is why I clicked on this. A clear how-to presentation, good editing. Nicely played, at the end. A great dog. Hope you are doing well.
7:25 "It's not pretty, but I don't care; I just want to have something that sounds good and plays well." A-MEN. Absolutely. And like, the home brew character makes it all the more appealing anyway, gives it some soul, even if it does look a little ragged.
Somehow making this out of broken bits of guitars and a door seems much more genuine to the classic blues sound as opposed to say a $4000 Gretsch. This seems like something Robert Johnson would play.
I bought a cheap dobro and it ended up being a scam. The body was made out of disgusting composite wood and the dam thing was so quiet!! My 3/4 Cort 510 is at least twice as loud and it's half the size. I have an old Cort 850 ns and I'm going to do what you've showed in the video and use the resonator parts that came with the nasty composite wood one. Cheers for this, at least this way I'll feel like I got use out of this shitty situation.
Absolutely gorgeous sir, simply inspiring. I just pulled an acoustic learner guitar out of the trash room at my apartment building and your video has me all itching to convert it to a resonator. Thank you so much for this.
Good job! I built a National(biscuit-type) last year, and picked up some parts to make a Dobro(spider-type) in the future. I picked up a couple tips here for the different type. Might help some of your viewers(maybe Tony above) to know that there's a little bit of difference. The biggest one being that the ring(soundwell on the biscuit) will be deeper and won't fit in the hole in the soundboard. I stacked a couple wood rings, and re-assembled them after I put them in the soundbox. Great job.
HiJack (haha get it)Thanks. It is easy for me. Been a contractor for 40 years. This was spur of the moment. Didn't give it much thought and I should have cleaned up the shop. Good luck to ya.
Hi Jeff, Thanks for the video. Even though I'm not going to try it in observable future(cause I'm just a beginner in acoustic guitar), this is really intersting,edifying and somewhat positive video! Matt.
Finished another conversion of a cheap acoustic to resonator and it turned out great. I took the neck off, cut the heel a bit and then shimmed under the fingerboard (about 3/16" at the hole) and the action is perfect. It plays and sounds great, and doesn't look that shabby either.
+Jeff McDermott I sent you an email with a picture to your AOL address. I think it looks nice. Here's a tip I learned. If you drill holes in the wooden bridge inserts to lighten them (like some banjo bridges) it really improves the volume and response. If you drill them under each string so that it forces the vibrations from the string to take an indirect path to the spider it makes the tone richer.
Thanks for the video, i'm redoing an old Yamaha with neck disease. I had a super cheap, thin body electric resonator given to me and it had neck disease also. So, I've taken the guts out of it and putting it in the Yamaha. I've got a nut that raises the strings too high to fret so it can be slide only. I play lap steel so this should be fun; like a square neck. I'm glad I watched this because I hadn't counted on the dowel bracing.
+Larry Gates Hi. It's pretty easy but think things over. Use 3/4 inch plywood instead of the old banjo head I used. Also. Glue in an extra tail block behind the cone ring to the back of the guitar where the tail piece is. My first one buckled a little bit. Parts at stewmac.com., GOod luck!!!
Thanks Tony. It's best if you can remove the neck and sand the bottom of the heel to get the tongue of the finger board to raise about a 1/16th to an eighth of an inch. Bolt on necks are a piece of cake. Also glue in a piece of wood at the underside of the soundboard from the round rim to the piece of wood joining the sides. The string tail piece has moved on me in the past.
Good video! I have a couple of Bill Blue Liberty resonators (a square neck and a round neck) and didn't want to dismantle them to see how they were constructed but was always curious. I'm subscribed now so will be following your adventures. Thanks.
Hey man! This is really great, your video! Your explanations are great. It's super, that you put it in a nutshell, short and easy to follow, enough explanations and instructions! Many thanx, GbY, Greetings from Duisburg in the Ruhrvalley in Germany.
Ha ha; man I'm sitting here laughing and wondering if I just saw what I saw. Great great job...nice sound on that resonator too. You should show us the second story on the house. I just loved this video; incredible job...I'm definitely going to try this one day!!
Hey Robbie. I checked out some of your stuff. Real nice!!! I've been pickin for 50 years and still can't find the rhythm like you have. I just love to waste the evening with a home brew and my tunes, What year is your D35. I have a 1969 in perfect condition. A friend of mine bought it new but didn't like it because it was to big. He hardly ever played it. I just finished building him a custom 00 with 4.75 inch depth. Panama Rosewood with Adirondack top. I adjusted the bracing for extra bass. Got the martin plus 4 grand for the geetar. Probably the best deal I've ever gotten in 30 years of building guitars. Always wanted a Martin but couldn't afford a good one. Finally at 61 I get it!! That toneanator really does work great. It got that old Martin sounding fantastic!! I'd give you one if you were in Santa Cruz. Pick on brother Jeff By the way. I really am going to put on that 2nd story this summer!!!
Thanks William. Great to see younger people taking a good interest in building something like this. I got turned on to building guitars when I was 20. A guy was sanding the top of a guitar he built at a bluegrass festival camp ground. Doing stuff like this is real fun for an old guy!! Good Luck
Jeff McDermott hey Jeff, i'm 20 and have recently got into guitar building, i've made an acoustic guitar already and i have a guitar that's bust and plan to make a resonator out of it. What do you recommend using to make the resonator cone?
This is exactly what I had in mind. You are a true craftsman. Thank you. What I really want to know is do you get any extra resonance from the old top? I have yet to play any reso with any harmonics from fretted notes. I don't play slide but I need a weatherproof strummer for busking in high humidity. I'm used to vintage gitz with boatloads of harmonics.
Nice job... I like the soundboard to back bracing you did, and I have an old Martin with a couple of holes in the soundboard-- I might give this a try! By the way, your flag is backwards-- whether horizontal or vertical, the star field should always be in the upper left.
That's really cool how you did that. Love the new sound also what a great hat you are wearing. Love them giants and love the blues. Thanks for the video.
Hey Jeff Have you ever though of building a pedal dobro, I herd Zane King playing one the other day, best sounding machine I ever herd, If I can find some plans for the thing, I am going to try to build one, with some kind of plans it would make it lots easier, it was 3 pedal and tuned in the open E the song I herd him play was Amazing Grace and you win again, now I have to build one, just got to have it
Hi Randy. I have one of these set up for lap dobro. Added a piece to the bottom of the neck to get it a little higher off my leg. Amazing grace is one of my favorites to play. Along with Pony Boy by Allman bros. Good luck Thanks for watching
Look inside and see if it a bolted on neck. If it is. Just unscrew it. probably a 1/4 inch Allen screw. More expensive geetars have a glued in neck which you have to melt the glue with a rod through the 15th fret. I found a way to get more tension without removing the neck. I'll go to my daughters house and take a picture. Good luck and happy Pickin!!! Thanks for watchin!!
+dennis mccoy Hi DennisYou can use 3/4 inch plywood instead of the banjo pot I used. Works great. Also. Glue in a block behind the cone ring where the tail piece goes. My first one buckled a little but was fine after installing the block. Good luck. It works great. Let me know if you need anything. I did this video in the spur of the moment. Didn't plan it out at all as you can tell by the messy shop!!hahaha
Hi Jeff, Just wondering how big the rings you cut are and also the hole in the top of the guitar? I have a 9 1/2 inch cone and was wondering how i should big i should cut them.
HI Ryne THe diameter of your inner hole should be around 8-3/4. That gives you about a 3/8th inch lip after you router it out for your cone. Make the whole ring about an inch and a half. THat give you plenty of glue area. Cut that inner circle as round as you can. Thanks for your interest. Good luck Jeff
hI Jeff, great and useful video! i have two questions: a) do you really need to remove the neck? b) is it possible to do it with a classical guitar? thank you alberto
Hey Alberto You don't have to take off the neck and you can't take the neck off a classical guitar. Classical or steel works. Just gotta make sure rim for the cone will fit inside the guitar. A lot of the dobros are pretty close to the classical size anyway!!!!. THanks Jeff
![Sean Rii, Karyon, Sharzkii - Taungule [My Love] (Official Music Video)](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/eJoMuypbSzQ/mqdefault.jpg)
I have had this nice little Art & Lutherie Roadhouse parlor guitar. I used to love to play this little guitar in bed before falling asleep. I don't think my dogs liked it much, but it relaxed me. Anyway, one night I rolled over in my sleep and fell out of bed. right onto the face of this guitar. The top is now riddled with cracks, but the rest of the body and neck is fine. That was 5 or 6 years ago, and I've held onto that broken guitar hoping to find a good use for it. Now I think I have. Thank you for this video!
I love the sound of a dobro, which is why I clicked on this. A clear how-to presentation, good editing. Nicely played, at the end. A great dog.
Hope you are doing well.
Thankyou. Have a nice life
7:25 "It's not pretty, but I don't care; I just want to have something that sounds good and plays well." A-MEN. Absolutely. And like, the home brew character makes it all the more appealing anyway, gives it some soul, even if it does look a little ragged.
7:25 "It's not pretty, but I don't care." "Sounds good, and plays well"
Musicians.
I like a pretty guitar but revamping a boneyard ax doesn't deserve a great look!! hahaha
Somehow making this out of broken bits of guitars and a door seems much more genuine to the classic blues sound as opposed to say a $4000 Gretsch. This seems like something Robert Johnson would play.
I like Robert Johnson. Think I met him at the music store the other day!!!!!!!!
I bought a cheap dobro and it ended up being a scam. The body was made out of disgusting composite wood and the dam thing was so quiet!! My 3/4 Cort 510 is at least twice as loud and it's half the size. I have an old Cort 850 ns and I'm going to do what you've showed in the video and use the resonator parts that came with the nasty composite wood one. Cheers for this, at least this way I'll feel like I got use out of this shitty situation.
Just watching you build this Dobro from scratch, and then playing a blues tune was just awesome! I'd sure like to gander at your second story though😅😅
So would my wife!!! hahahahahah.
You make it look purdy easy. And painless. No no cussin’ or cryin’... Very Impressive, -THX
Thanks Peter
you sir are one cool dude!
Absolutely gorgeous sir, simply inspiring. I just pulled an acoustic learner guitar out of the trash room at my apartment building and your video has me all itching to convert it to a resonator. Thank you so much for this.
Hi. Good luck. Look through some of the other posts. There are some good ideas on there.
Thanks
Jeff
How did it go?
The best video about building dobro on RUclips! Thx, I really want one and your tutorial made some sides easy for me. Nice work!
Sweet! loving that sound!
amazing video. Thank you for taking the time to make this for us all.
Good job! I built a National(biscuit-type) last year, and picked up some parts to make a Dobro(spider-type) in the future. I picked up a couple tips here for the different type. Might help some of your viewers(maybe Tony above) to know that there's a little bit of difference. The biggest one being that the ring(soundwell on the biscuit) will be deeper and won't fit in the hole in the soundboard. I stacked a couple wood rings, and re-assembled them after I put them in the soundbox. Great job.
Nice job. You made it seem easy. Love that finger picked Delta blues style tune at the end
HiJack (haha get it)Thanks. It is easy for me. Been a contractor for 40 years. This was spur of the moment. Didn't give it much thought and I should have cleaned up the shop. Good luck to ya.
"It's not pretty, but I don't care. I just want something that sounds good and plays good." I LOVE THIS VIDEO. Great job bro!!!
Thanks Bro.
You are a legend Jeff. You saved my dobro project!!!
HAHA!! Thanks Erin. HaVE FUN
Sounds beautiful!
That is totally bad ass! The pickin sounded great too! Great job!
You, Sir, are Fantastic. Thank you. Excellent, excellent tutorial.
Thanks Kristin. Have a nice day
Nice work - Thanks for sharing that with us!
What a day you're having. I'm jealous! Hope I get to spend my time building and fixing things as you do, someday.
Absolutely brilliant, awesome 😀
That's cool, man. I'm gonna have to try this.
Today though, I get to finish a cigar box guitar I've been putting together. Just got some emg's for it
The dog said I ain't staying for the blues pal, you cry alone.
Shes into bluegrass!!! HAHA
Hi Jeff,
Thanks for the video. Even though I'm not going to try it in observable future(cause I'm just a beginner in acoustic guitar), this is really intersting,edifying and somewhat positive video!
Matt.
Great video. Wish I hadn't found it today as now I need to find a donor guitar.
It's a fun project. Get parts from stewmac.com. Good luck T👍🏻👍🏻
Brilliant tutorial, thanks man
thats great Jeff...thanks so much for sharing
Awesome! Thanks for showing!
You welcome. I made a cigar box geetar with a cone. Thanks
You make it look so easy!
Impressive. Awesome building skills and playing skills, Sir!
Thanks. Been at it for 50 years.
I knew you were OK when I saw a Bosch jigsaw.
Gotta have good tools. No harbor fright stuff here
My jaw was agape! Well done. Inspires creativity. I could do that, now that you’ve shown me how.
Go for it Nemo
Finished another conversion of a cheap acoustic to resonator and it turned out great. I took the neck off, cut the heel a bit and then shimmed under the fingerboard (about 3/16" at the hole) and the action is perfect. It plays and sounds great, and doesn't look that shabby either.
Howdy. I'm really glad to hear that. Enjoy your picking buddy.
+Jeff McDermott I sent you an email with a picture to your AOL address. I think it looks nice.
Here's a tip I learned. If you drill holes in the wooden bridge inserts to lighten them (like some banjo bridges) it really improves the volume and response. If you drill them under each string so that it forces the vibrations from the string to take an indirect path to the spider it makes the tone richer.
Hi. Try sending that again. I didn't get it. I'll try your trick. boxedinn@aol.com
+Jeff McDermott I just sent it again. Look in your Spam folder if you don't see it.
Very nice conversion.
you are gold of this earth.
Now that’s a cool project. Sounds great!
Thanks Brett
Excellent!!!
great video mate, best home made one on youtube! going to try and make on of these, lets hope its half as good as yours!
That's some top bodging right there! 👍
👍👍💪🏼💪🏼
Brilliant....Thanks for sharing....Now I want to make one...
Go for it. Think it out. Thats the fun part. Read some of the other posts.
Thanks for the video, i'm redoing an old Yamaha with neck disease. I had a super cheap, thin body electric resonator given to me and it had neck disease also. So, I've taken the guts out of it and putting it in the Yamaha. I've got a nut that raises the strings too high to fret so it can be slide only. I play lap steel so this should be fun; like a square neck. I'm glad I watched this because I hadn't counted on the dowel bracing.
Hi. Be sure to glue a block between the tail piece and the rim.
Thanks for watching.
Good luck.
Great job, now I wanna build one!
+Larry Gates Hi. It's pretty easy but think things over. Use 3/4 inch plywood instead of the old banjo head I used. Also. Glue in an extra tail block behind the cone ring to the back of the guitar where the tail piece is. My first one buckled a little bit. Parts at stewmac.com., GOod luck!!!
You got it a metallic sound more sensitive than of pure wood.its like a diffuser ,when sound passes,it creates solid vibration and tremolo.
Great video Jeff, thanks!
Thanks Mark. Had major hand surgery so I made one of them into a lap dobro. No pickin for a few months.
Thanks Tony. It's best if you can remove the neck and sand the bottom of the heel to get the tongue of the finger board to raise about a 1/16th to an eighth of an inch. Bolt on necks are a piece of cake. Also glue in a piece of wood at the underside of the soundboard from the round rim to the piece of wood joining the sides. The string tail piece has moved on me in the past.
Good video! I have a couple of Bill Blue Liberty resonators (a square neck and a round neck) and didn't want to dismantle them to see how they were constructed but was always curious. I'm subscribed now so will be following your adventures.
Thanks.
Very nice! Do you, by chance, offer plans for the second story you added?
Wow, that looked pretty hard to make even with your great explanation!
Thanks for the video Jeff! You seem like one cool dude.
Tell that to my Kids!!HAHAHAHa
This is incredible. I want to fly out and learn from you! I'll bring a few guitars, pieces & parts!
If your a 26 year hot bodied gal. Come on over. Haha. 🤣🏝👍
Excellent way of recycling, sir. :)
I did the same thing 25 years ago, took me a lot longer though! Great video, wish I had seen it back then, would have saved me a lot of time!
Thanks. Do it again!!! 25 years go fast!! Now your an old guy🤪👍🏻🤪👍🏻
@@JeffMcDermott1 Yep, 62 now. I don't feel it though, still a kid at heart! :)
@@yobrojoost9497 67 here!! Still feel 26 brother!!
@@JeffMcDermott1 Good on you, Jeff, you're my kind of guy! :)
This guy is teaching good stuff lol. love it
THANKS Danny boy!!
Hey man!
This is really great, your video! Your explanations are great. It's super, that you put it in a nutshell, short and easy to follow, enough explanations and instructions!
Many thanx, GbY, Greetings from Duisburg in the Ruhrvalley in Germany.
Thanks Wolf. Greetings to from Santa cruz Ca. 👍🏻👍🏻
Nice job, man.. it's really cool.
Well done, Sir. This is what the internet was made for.
Thanks Jarrett. Check out my Toneanator video. Think you have to click on the videos section of this???
It will help your geetar.
Happy Holidays
Jeff
Ha ha; man I'm sitting here laughing and wondering if I just saw what I saw. Great great job...nice sound on that resonator too. You should show us the second story on the house. I just loved this video; incredible job...I'm definitely going to try this one day!!
Thanks Craig. My wife would like to see that second story video too. hahahahahah
wow man, what an afternoon you had!...lol.. thats very cool!!.. Thanks for sharing..
Hey Robbie. I checked out some of your stuff. Real nice!!! I've been pickin for 50 years and still can't find the rhythm like you have. I just love to waste the evening with a home brew and my tunes, What year is your D35. I have a 1969 in perfect condition. A friend of mine bought it new but didn't like it because it was to big. He hardly ever played it. I just finished building him a custom 00 with 4.75 inch depth. Panama Rosewood with Adirondack top. I adjusted the bracing for extra bass. Got the martin plus 4 grand for the geetar. Probably the best deal I've ever gotten in 30 years of building guitars. Always wanted a Martin but couldn't afford a good one. Finally at 61 I get it!!
That toneanator really does work great. It got that old Martin sounding fantastic!! I'd give you one if you were in Santa Cruz.
Pick on brother
Jeff
By the way. I really am going to put on that 2nd story this summer!!!
jeff you are so cool man!!! congratulations from Buenos Aires...Saludos Viejo....
Saludos Vieho. Thanks
Good stuff!
This is awesome!!!!!
Thanks William. Great to see younger people taking a good interest in building something like this. I got turned on to building guitars when I was 20. A guy was sanding the top of a guitar he built at a bluegrass festival camp ground. Doing stuff like this is real fun for an old guy!! Good Luck
Jeff McDermott hey Jeff, i'm 20 and have recently got into guitar building, i've made an acoustic guitar already and i have a guitar that's bust and plan to make a resonator out of it. What do you recommend using to make the resonator cone?
Cool great job!
Thanks Jeff, .nice video.
Nice work
Sounds pretty good. I prefer a smaller guitar body for a resonator but it's also cool like that.
I like smaller bodies to. Easier to handle. Had major hand surgery. Turned one of them into a lap steel..
well Just dang Nice ! Good Job
Thanks Cuz.
Greer job man!
👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻
hahaha!!! would love to come round for a few beers and a jam on your new second story
Come on over Tropics!!!!
Ha ha . Awesome Lucinda Williams in the background.
Nice job dude
Thanks Pal. All in fun
I'm sure you know this but you sir are a cool cool dude.
Thanks Chris. I don't think I'm cool but I'll accept the compliment. I do like to do cool stuff.
I want to do this with a Guitarron but I am nowhere near brave enough to try it. Someday perhaps. Thanks for sharing this video.
My pleasure Harry
Very cool
Sweet tone, does it has a pricetag?
This is exactly what I had in mind. You are a true craftsman. Thank you.
What I really want to know is do you get any extra resonance from the old top? I have yet to play any reso with any harmonics from fretted notes. I don't play slide but I need a weatherproof strummer for busking in high humidity. I'm used to vintage gitz with boatloads of harmonics.
It adda a little tone. Plenty of harmonics. Thanks
Nice job... I like the soundboard to back bracing you did, and I have an old Martin with a couple of holes in the soundboard-- I might give this a try! By the way, your flag is backwards-- whether horizontal or vertical, the star field should always be in the upper left.
Scott Philbrick
Hi Scott. A lot of mentioned the flag. I didn’t know at the time but I know all about it now.
🇺🇸🇺🇸
Hey, awesome job on the build. what is the song you're playing at the end ? I'm digging it !
+Sean Davies HowdyThat's just a jamb song. Thanks!!
You should've sang the "dont need a dobro no mo blues" when you played your tune 😁. Great video
THanks.
Got me 12 string Mateo that I want to make into a dobra. Waving hi from Geneva n Mission!!! ;)
Howdy Rehab?? Good luck. Double think everything!! 👍🏻👍🏻
That's really cool how you did that. Love the new sound also what a great hat you are wearing. Love them giants and love the blues. Thanks for the video.
Thanks Bro
as soon as you said, " bath", your pooch looked up at you with a "NOOOOOOOO" look in his eyes, hehe. @ 10:21
Great video Jeff--I loved everything but the hat--
HAHAHA! Thanks
Groovy man
I'm thinkin about doin this with a 12-string someday when I have the time to do it.
Hey Jeff Have you ever though of building a pedal dobro, I herd Zane King playing one the other day, best sounding machine I ever herd, If I can find some plans for the thing, I am going to try to build one, with some kind of plans it would make it lots easier, it was 3 pedal and tuned in the open E the song I herd him play was Amazing Grace and you win again, now I have to build one, just got to have it
Hi Randy. I have one of these set up for lap dobro. Added a piece to the bottom of the neck to get it a little higher off my leg. Amazing grace is one of my favorites to play. Along with Pony Boy by Allman bros.
Good luck
Thanks for watching
Thanks C!!! If you ever try to build one and run into trouble just contact me.
Any suggestions about removing the neck? I’ve never done it before but I’m thinking I still need to lower my action more.
Look inside and see if it a bolted on neck. If it is. Just unscrew it. probably a 1/4 inch Allen screw. More expensive geetars have a glued in neck which you have to melt the glue with a rod through the 15th fret. I found a way to get more tension without removing the neck. I'll go to my daughters house and take a picture. Good luck and happy Pickin!!! Thanks for watchin!!
Thanks
Well done sir
Thanks Andre. Spur of the moment video. Should have cleaned the shop! HAHA
Man, you are God!
sweet !
Ok "THAT" was awesome. I mean DAM!! I'm all in. Subscribed I am as Yoda would say. DAM !!
Great
i am going to order parts tomorrow and give it a try
+dennis mccoy Hi DennisYou can use 3/4 inch plywood instead of the banjo pot I used. Works great. Also. Glue in a block behind the cone ring where the tail piece goes. My first one buckled a little but was fine after installing the block. Good luck. It works great. Let me know if you need anything. I did this video in the spur of the moment. Didn't plan it out at all as you can tell by the messy shop!!hahaha
Hi Jeff, Just wondering how big the rings you cut are and also the hole in the top of the guitar? I have a 9 1/2 inch cone and was wondering how i should big i should cut them.
HI Ryne
THe diameter of your inner hole should be around 8-3/4. That gives you about a 3/8th inch lip after you router it out for your cone. Make the whole ring about an inch and a half. THat give you plenty of glue area. Cut that inner circle as round as you can.
Thanks for your interest. Good luck
Jeff
hI Jeff, great and useful video! i have two questions:
a) do you really need to remove the neck?
b) is it possible to do it with a classical guitar?
thank you
alberto
Hey Alberto
You don't have to take off the neck and you can't take the neck off a classical guitar. Classical or steel works. Just gotta make sure rim for the cone will fit inside the guitar. A lot of the dobros are pretty close to the classical size anyway!!!!.
THanks
Jeff
Well done, with humour :-)
This guy is rad.
Thats what she said. HAHAHAHA