Dobro Resonator Guitar with Electric Pickup

by Rick Taylor
(North Canton, Ohio)

Have a Dobro brand resonator guitar with a single white electric pick up built into it. Natural finish face and stained sides and back. Chrome resonator and chrome sound hole covers on shoulders of face with diamond shape cuts in them. Serial number is 50632 stamped into end of headstock. Probably circa 1970.

Would like to know date of manufacture and estimated value. A few scratches and chrome needs polished, but generally in good shape. Thanks.

ANSWER

Hi, Rick--

Here is general info about the Dobros during that era:

In 1965, standard production of Dobros was underway again in Gardena, CA. Ed Dopyera's son Emil Dopyera along with a few partners received a license to build instruments under the Dobro trademark. In 1966, Mosrite founder, Semie Moseley, purchased Dobro and continued producing the same models that were introduced a year earlier and eventually moving production to the Mosrite production facility in Bakersfield, CA. The Mosrite/Dobro era lasted until 1969 when Mosrite went bankrupt and production ceased. Instruments produced in Gardena, CA under the Dopyera-ownership have serial numbers stamped on the top of the headstock. Instruments produced in Bakersfield, CA under Mosrite ownership have serial numbers stamped in the fingerboard toward the body. No serial number lists exist for either era of manufacture.

It is difficult to determine the exact pricing with no model name or number. Here is a representative and like candidate:

C-3 "THE MONTEREY" Add to Collection
- Spanish guitar configuration, compact body with mahogany back and sides and a maple top, top and back body binding with double top purfling, set slim adj. neck, 14/19-fret rosewood fingerboard with dot inlays, standard headstock, three-per-side tuners, C-style resonator with two diamond hole plate round soundholes, trapeze tailpiece, available in Natural finish, 23.25 in. scale, mfg. 1965-69.

-3E "The Monterey Electric"
- similar to the C-3 "The Monterey," except has a single coil Dobro pickup two knobs (v, tone), and a jack on the face of the guitar, available in Natural finish, mfg. 1965-69.

Pricing:

Excellent $1,200 - 1,500
Average $700 - 850

Lynne