A resophonic guitar, as they are now called (by those who do not want to get in trouble with Gibson's legal department, who now own the copyright to the name "dobro" and "Dobro"), is a type of guitar played horizontally. The guitar is fretted with a steel bar (the "steel") in the players left hand, and the strings are usually plucked using fingerpicks on the right hand.

JERRY DOUGLAS

Jerry "Flux" Douglas is one of the real masters of the resophonic guitar. His speed and melodic taste make him a legend among steel guitarists. www.jerrydouglas.com

DOBRO HISTORY

In his quest for a louder guitar, Los Angeles guitarist, George Beauchamp envisioned a mechanically amplified instrument whose volume could compete with the trumpets, saxophones and banjos dominating popular music of the day. Beauchamp took his idea to John Dopyera and his brother Rudy, Slovakian craftsmen who already held several patents for improving banjos. It was John who perfected a resonator design utilizing three aluminum cones while Rudy suggested using a metal body to further enhance amplification. Their collaborative efforts resulted in the 1927 National tri-cone resonator guitar.

John Dopyera left National the next year with an idea for developing a more affordable wooden bodied guitar. His new design, featuring a single cone with its bridge supported on an aluminium spiderweb base, was introduced late in 1928 under the name DOBRO (R). This clever contraction of "Dopyera Brothers" also forms the slavic translation of "good" --hence the slogan, "DOBRO(R) means GOOD in any language". All five brothers, John, Rudy, Emile (Ed), Robert, and Louis participated in the financing, production and everyday operations of the company. Eventually, even their sister, Gabriela would come to play a part in the continuing history of DOBRO(R).

More info here: tomswatzell.com/dobro.htm

THE DOBRO/RESONATOR GUITAR WEBSITE
www.resoguit.com
The Dobro(R) resonator guitar, an american invented instrument, has been around since the mid 1920's. The Dobro trademark is owned by Gibson. Guitars of this type, built by independent guitar makers, are referred to as resonator, or, resophonic, guitars.

The resonator guitar, now in a "Golden Era", is popular in contemporary Bluegrass music, adding a soulfull, bluesy touch to the music. Modern country music has rediscovered the resonator guitar after abandoning the instrument for decades.

The instrument is available with either a wooden or metal body. Square necked guitars are played horizontally, similar to the steel guitar. The strings are elevated off the neck. The instrument is played with a bar called a steel. Round necked models are played Spanish style, with or without a slide.

Also see:

PLANET DOBRO www.mphase.com/planetdb.htm
An Internet resource devoted to providing links to artists, music, labels and sites on the web for the culture of SLIDE GUITAR.