Some of the earliest electric guitars, amps-in-cases, pickups under the bridge, fiberglass guitars, built-in electronic vibratos. Sound curious enough for you? The subject of Supro guitars and amplifiers represents a profitable avenue for exploration by collectors and enthusiasts interested in the many curious and significant byways off the guitar superhighway, which can be enjoyed without having an oil sheik’s bankroll. While National resonator guitars have received superb attention by Bob Brozman, little has been written about this mysterious corner of the Valco universe. Well, with a little help from our friends (in particular, catalogs and invaluable information supplied by Mike Newton, Jim Dulfer, and Michael Lee Allen), let’s set the record straight. ![]() Just recently within the past two months have started to learn lap steel. A friend at church found out and offerred to let me borrow a lap steel. Can anyone help me to date this insturment. It is a Magnatone and the serial number is 52928. Thanks in advance. Willis Vanderberg Member. From: Bradenton, FL, USA. I've chosen to focus on electric lap steel guitars, as there still isn't a definitive reference book for these. Dickerson steels were the precursors of the Magnatone line. The serial numbers I've seen seem to follow no recognizable pattern. Supro was basically the “budget” brand of the National Dobro, and later, the Valco company, best known for National and Dobro brand instruments, and to a lesser degree, the Supros. National Dobro/Valco was, of course, one of the major players in American guitar history in the middle of the 20th Century. Motif batik indonesia. Before we wade in, please note that National Dobro and subsequently Valco, more than most other manufacturers, were notorious for putting together guitars with parts left around. This, combined with the fact that they routinely used components (especially bodies) provided by other manufacturers, means that you are likely to find instruments with details inconsistent with catalog descriptions, and they may just be Kosher. Roaring Twenties The roots of the Supro story go back to the ’20s and the sometimes tempestuous relationship between Czech immigrant/instrument repairman/inventor John Dopyera and dapper Vaudeville musician George Beauchamp (pronounced “Beech-um”). Both were searching for the guitar’s holy grail of the era, more volume. Disagreement, and some animosity, has always surrounded the account of just who was responsible for what, but Dopyera ended up building an ampliphonic or self-amplifying guitar (or “resonator” to most guitar buffs) for Beauchamp. John applied for a patent on his tricone design on April 9, 1927, obtaining it on December 31, 1929. The National String Instrument Corporation for manufacturing these louder guitars was founded probably in 1927, in Los Angeles, by John Dopyera, George Beauchamp, Ted Kleinmeyer and Paul Barth, when production and advertising began. The company was officially certified as a California corporation in 1928. For a detailed accounting of those early years, I recommend Brozman’s book, The History and Artistry of National Resonator Instruments (Centerstream Publishing, Fullerton, California, 1993). This is a horribly confusing relationship, so stick with me; we’ll try to put it right. In mid-’29, John Dopyera left the National company to start the Dobro Manufacturing Company along with his brothers Rudy and Ed, and Vic Smith. National String Instrument Corp. Continued operating under Beauchamp, Barth et al. In 1930, the Dobro company name was changed to the Dobro Corporation, Ltd., with additional capital provided by Louis and Robert Dopyera. Dobro was, during this period, a competitor of National’s, although in this somewhat incestuous world, both got their resonator cones, plate covers and other parts, like tailpieces, from Adolph Rickenbacker. Indeed, for some unknown reason, George Beauchamp and Paul Barth left National in 1931 and started Ro-Pat-In, with Rickenbacker, for the purpose of making electric guitars based on a Beauchamp design (developed while he was at National) for which he would eventually receive a patent. Ro-Pat-In began making cast-aluminum Electro electric Hawaiian “frying pan” guitars in 1932, followed shortly that year by an electric Spanish guitar. In ’34, Electros became Rickenbacker Electro guitars, and founded the Rickenbacker dynasty, but that’s another story In 1932, John Dopyera left Dobro and came back into the National fold, regaining control of the company. Tekken 4 download utorrent. We can only speculate that the absence of Beauchamp has something to do with his decision. National and Dobro merged in 1935, becoming the National Dobro Company. However, until the end of the ’30s, when National Dobro finally completed its relocation to Chicago, Dobro instruments continued to be made in L.A. By what had been the separate Dobro Corporation, even though it was a part of National Dobro. Hmmm Against the background of this Byzantine web of comings and goings emerged the electric roots of what would become the Supro brand. Enter electricity As has already become apparent, the resonator instruments which made both the National and Dobro names in the late ’20s and ’30s were not the only effort underway to increase the volume of the guitar. The ampliphonics found immediate acceptance among Hawaiian players, notably Sol Hoopii, the very first to record with them when he used a prototype in his first session for Columbia on October 18, 1926. This was used on “Farewell Blues.” But they still didn’t satisfy the desire of orchestra guitarists to get out of the rhythm section. In addition to metal resonator cones, electricity was waiting in the wings, and National, Dobro and National Dobro would play a significant role, both directly and indirectly, in that ultimately triumphant development.
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