Dobro

Dobro

31

Also known as: Dopyera Brothers

Unclaimed

Dobro is an American resonator guitar brand founded in 1928 by the Dopyera brothers — John, Rudy, Emile, Robert, and Louis — along with partner Vic Smith. The name is a contraction of "Dopyera Brothers" and doubles as a Slovak word meaning "good," giving rise to the company's early motto: "Dobro means good in any language." The brothers' single outward-facing resonator cone design was developed...

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Dobro is an American resonator guitar brand founded in 1928 by the Dopyera brothers — John, Rudy, Emile, Robert, and Louis — along with partner Vic Smith. The name is a contraction of "Dopyera Brothers" and doubles as a Slovak word meaning "good," giving rise to the company's early motto: "Dobro means good in any language." The brothers' single outward-facing resonator cone design was developed as a louder, more affordable alternative to the tricone and biscuit-bridge instruments produced by the National String Instrument Corporation, where John Dopyera had previously worked.

The brand changed hands several times over the decades before being acquired by Gibson in 1993 and eventually placed under its Epiphone subsidiary for manufacturing in Nashville, Tennessee. Key models include the Hound Dog series — the Hound Dog Roundneck, Hound Dog Deluxe Roundneck (with Fishman electronics), and the Hound Dog M-14 Metalbody with a bell brass body — as well as the Phil Leadbetter Signature squareneck resonator. The word "dobro" has also become a generic term for any wood-bodied, single-cone resonator guitar, a testament to the brand's lasting influence.

Dobro resonator guitars are closely associated with bluegrass, country, and roots music. Jerry Douglas, a 14-time Grammy winner described by The New York Times as "Dobro's matchless contemporary master," is the instrument's most celebrated modern player. Earlier pioneers include Josh Graves, who developed the bluegrass resonator style by adapting Earl Scruggs's three-finger banjo picking to the instrument, and Bashful Brother Oswald, who introduced the Dobro to country music through his work with Roy Acuff beginning in 1939.

Dobro has 18 products cataloged on Equipboard, including Resonators, Solid Body Electric Guitars, and Acoustic & Acoustic-Electric Basses. Their gear is featured by 26 artists, with the strongest followings in Rock, Pop, and Folk, World, & Country. Notable users include Kid Rock, Eric Clapton, and Billie Joe Armstrong.

Artists Who Use Dobro

Kid Rock uses 3 Dobro products

Kid Rock

Guitarist, Rapper · Various Artists for Children's Promise

Eric Clapton uses 2 Dobro products

Eric Clapton

Guitarist · Mark Knopfler’s Guitar Heroes

Billie Joe Armstrong uses 1 Dobro product

Billie Joe Armstrong

Singer, Guitarist · Green Day

Dan Auerbach uses 1 Dobro product

Dan Auerbach

Guitarist, Keyboardist · The Black Keys

John Lennon uses 1 Dobro product

John Lennon

Singer, Guitarist · The Beatles

Jeff Buckley uses 1 Dobro product

Jeff Buckley

Singer, Guitarist · Jeff Buckley(band)

Lindsey Buckingham uses 1 Dobro product

Lindsey Buckingham

Singer, Guitarist · Fleetwood Mac

Gary Clark Jr uses 1 Dobro product

Gary Clark Jr

Singer, Guitarist

Guy Berryman uses 1 Dobro product

Guy Berryman

Bassist, Music Producer · Coldplay

Steve Hackett uses 1 Dobro product

Steve Hackett

Guitarist · Genesis

Waylon Jennings uses 1 Dobro product

Waylon Jennings

Singer, Guitarist · The Highwaymen

Will Champion uses 1 Dobro product

Will Champion

Guitarist, Drummer · Coldplay

Sam Duffy uses 1 Dobro product

Sam Duffy

Guitarist · Bleech 9:3

Jan Borysewicz uses 1 Dobro product

Jan Borysewicz

Guitarist, Bassist · Lady Pank

C.W. Stoneking uses 1 Dobro product

C.W. Stoneking

Guitarist, Singer

Hank Williams, Jr. uses 1 Dobro product

Hank Williams, Jr.

Guitarist, Singer · The Bama Band

Seth Avett uses 1 Dobro product

Seth Avett

Singer, Guitarist · The Avett Brothers

Justin Johnson uses 1 Dobro product

Justin Johnson

Guitarist

Andre .S uses 1 Dobro product

Andre .S

Guitarist, Composer

Kjartan Kristiansen uses 1 Dobro product

Kjartan Kristiansen

Guitarist, Composer · DumDum Boys

Gear Guides featuring Dobro

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