hubcap guitar

Carroll Hale · Post by **Carroll Hale** » 16 Feb 2009 9:25 am

had an interesting and funny experience over the weekend.....an old fella came up to me after I had finished playing and asked me ...where did I get that "Hubcap" guitar....referring to my resonator with the "shiny hubcap" in the center...

has anyone heard that expression.....I am 62..been playing guitar 50 yrs...but "hubcap" for only 2-3 yrs....just curious...

Mike Neer · Post by **Mike Neer** » 16 Feb 2009 9:29 am

Yes, I've heard that expression many times, although I used to refer to my National Duolian as my "trash can guitar".

Carroll Hale · Post by **Carroll Hale** » 16 Feb 2009 9:48 am

never to old to learn .....
something new every day....

Mark Eaton · Post by **Mark Eaton** » 16 Feb 2009 10:06 am

Carroll, you know how after you buy a new car suddenly as you are driving around town you notice many versions of the same car as yours?

I think that's how it is with an expression like "hub cap guitar" for a dobro.

You started on dobro fairly recently, and you may have even heard it in passing a number of years ago, but didn't put 2 and 2 together.

I started playing dobro in the mid 1970's so I have heard that one plenty, and used it myself.

Carroll Hale · Post by **Carroll Hale** » 16 Feb 2009 10:17 am

Mark Eaton wrote:Carroll, you know how after you buy a new car suddenly as you are driving around town you notice many versions of the same car as yours?

I think that's how it is with an expression like "hub cap guitar" for a dobro.

You started on dobro fairly recently, and you may have even heard it in passing a number of years ago, but didn't put 2 and 2 together.

I started playing dobro in the mid 1970's so I have heard that one plenty, and used it myself.

hey dude....appreciate your comments.....and after looking at your profile.....you are one lucky s.o.b....to live in or around Sonoma, CA....been there a few times ...some business...some pleasure...as an old farm boy....I just love driving around the vineyards and near the roadside vegetable stands......those vineyards are so clean and neat...my old dadddy would have loved it there...he could never plow a straight row...(with our mules).. but he would just die to see the neatness of those farms in the area........hope to return there someday when I retire.......a beautiful place..
thanks
ch
from deep in the piney woods of east texas....
another of God's beautiful places on earth

John Drury · Post by **John Drury** » 16 Feb 2009 10:22 am

Carroll Hale wrote:had an interesting and funny experience over the weekend.....an old fella came up to me after I had finished playing and asked me ...where did I get that "Hubcap" guitar....referring to my resonator with the "shiny hubcap" in the center...

has anyone heard that expression.....I am 62..been playing guitar 50 yrs...but "hubcap" for only 2-3 yrs....just curious...

Heard it? I am the guy who coined it!

Seriously, around many of the folks I know, when the subject of guitars comes up and I mention the word Dobro, I always get, Dobro, whats that?

For sake of brevity I always say, you know, the guitar with the hub cap on it. It has never failed and I don't have to go into the long drawn out John and Rudy, blah, blah, blah.

Mark Eaton · Post by **Mark Eaton** » 16 Feb 2009 10:41 am

Yeah, Carroll, we're pretty blessed to live here in Sonoma County...wine and steel guitar is a great combination!

With the hub cap analogy I'm able to keep my spiel under two minutes regarding "what is that thing?"

I only wish I had a dollar for every time someone asked (and this even after they have seen me play with a steel bar), "how do you play that thing, the action is really high?"

D Schubert · Post by **D Schubert** » 16 Feb 2009 10:51 am

I've called mine a "Hawaiian Hubcap Guitar" for years, and that explanation is enough for most folks. I'll tell them more, but only if they ask good follow-up questions.

chris ivey · Post by **chris ivey** » 19 Feb 2009 9:35 am

i've always been proud to own one o them geetars with the hubcap an' two ashtrays!

matter of fact, it's been sitting in the case in the frontroom for days and my friend heard it pop a string just settin' there!

AJ Azure · Post by **AJ Azure** » 19 Feb 2009 3:15 pm

chris ivey wrote:two ashtrays!

cup holders

George Rout · Post by **George Rout** » 19 Feb 2009 4:15 pm

I'm 71 and I don't know who coined the "hubcap" term for it, and I don't know if I just used it many moons ago, or I heard the expression and used it.

Like others, when I tell some folks that I play Dobro and they don't know what it is, it seems to be a natural description for the guitar (one with a shiny hubcap on it) and often people then know what it is.

Geo

Ben Elder · Post by **Ben Elder** » 19 Feb 2009 5:21 pm

Ned McIntosh · Post by **Ned McIntosh** » 20 Feb 2009 2:20 am

When I had my Dobro 60D, back in the late 70s, I used to refer to it as a guitar with a hubcap on it for the benefit of people who had never heard of a Dobro.

Now I own a new resophonic, made by a local luthier, Lawrence K. Smith, and it is as good as I remember that Dobro 60D ever was. Lawrence has given me permission to post these two photos of it, and for those interested you can get further details from Lawrence's website:-

www.smithguitars.com

if anyone wants to see examples of one of our local Australian luthiers beautiful work.

I guess I'll still refer to it as a guitar with a hubcap on it...and technically, I can't even call it a Dobro now.

John Drury · Post by **John Drury** » 20 Feb 2009 2:45 am

Ben Elder wrote:

Hurtin!

Post by **Joey Ace** » 20 Feb 2009 11:21 am

I prefer to call mine . . .
"A Guitar With A Hot Plate".

Tony Davis · Post by **Tony Davis** » 22 Feb 2009 4:03 am

Joey...

If that is the one that you lent to me two or three years ago in Dallas...well I would call it a Smoking Hot Plate !!!
Once again..thank you for lending me your Dobro to play in the International Jam..I.O.U.
Tony

Post by **Joey Ace** » 22 Feb 2009 5:05 am

Hi Tony,
No the guitar I loaned you was a GT Beard, that now belongs to Doug (builders of "Stage One Licensed by Zumsteel'). Remember we gave the guitar to Bruce Z to deliver to Doug?

You were the last one to play it, before it went to Branson. It still had traces of the bacon you were trying to fry

.

Here's a photo I dug out, of us in the Peavey Room that day. I won't be there this year, neither will the Peavey Room.

The Hot Plate guitar in my first photo is my Clinesmith, made by Todd who also makes those beautiful Bigsby style Steels.
Thanks Todd, Doug, Bruce, Tony & Mrs. Tony !

Joey

Ned McIntosh · Post by **Ned McIntosh** » 4 Mar 2009 3:53 am

No matter how hard I try I just can't see any connection "between a guitar and a kitchen sink" and a Dobro. I'm sorry but "the little grey cells" just can't seem to get around that particular image.

A guitar and a hubcap - yes. A guitar and a ventilation louvre - yes. But a guitar and a kitchen sink? No way - unless they have some really wierd kitchen sinks in Sweden, that is!

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