Anyone put a hipshot in a dobro?

[Tommi Toijonen]

Just saw a thread of Jerry Douglas in a magazine with a picture of a dobro with a sumkinda of bending bridge.


Now I'm tempted to try a hipshot unit I have on my teleceaster ina dobro. Anyone tried that already? Mishaps? Something I haven't thought about?


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The picture in Vintage guitar magazine, the bender equipped one in the left.
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[Chris Templeton]

I would guess the detuning of the unbent strings on an acoustic would be pretty major. so using it alone might be a nice effect, but using it with any other strings, might be a problem.

[Alan Brookes]

I'm told it's difficult to maintain tuning. I've thought a better idea would be to put palm levers on a Dobro. Duesenberg actually make one specifically for resonator guitars.

[David Mason]

I love the little goobers. And it's not even so much that it does speed up tuning changes (though it will always need touching-up with the pegs), but - it makes me think of, try, and map out and learn to function in some unusual tunings that I never would've though of if they weren't just right there. If you read the blurbs about equipment in the magazines or websites, every single one of them promises to make you a better musician. This is one of the fairly rare devices that actually DOES make you play more interesting stuff. Cures halitosis, better sex, the whole nine yards.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CxEu0QN6nzk

No, actually, you can't play that in standard tuning...

[Tommi Toijonen]

What I am concerned of is the possible structural problems. Especially the point where the tailpiece rests on the resonator cover plate. Hipshot would replace the original tail piece.

First of all, would the bending movement add too much pressure on the cover? Somehow I would think no, since adding a whole step up of one string isn't that much and the pressure lies on tye whole width of the unit.

It may have some influence on the sound, but isn't the most of the vibration transferred into cone thru the bridge and not the tailpiece?

The unit I have is a Hipshot B-bender with a G palm lever and drop D lever.



(For the Zep video: I've always played Rain Song on standard tuning. Any idea what's the tuning there? Seem like a whole step up.)

[Jeff Mead]

The picture in Vintage guitar magazine, the bender equipped one in the left.
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That's not a bender.

It looks like one of the Hipshot Trilogy bridges which enables you to change tuning quickly (each string can be set to one of 3 pre-set notes).

BTW, is that your Dobro in the first picture you posted? I have the same one (it has the Hawaiian dancing girl on the back). Nice instrument.

Looks like we've got the same taste in guitars - I've got a paisley Tele as well

[Tommi Toijonen]

Yes, the Hula Blues is mine. Just bought it and had a first gig with it yesterday. Nice sounding instrument. Now it's time to learn to play it

[Jeff Mead]

Yes, the Hula Blues is mine. Just bought it and had a first gig with it yesterday. Nice sounding instrument. Now it's time to learn to play it

When I got mine a few years back, I seriously considered getting it refinished to something more "normal" but I'm glad I didn't.

There's a thread here you might find interesting:

http://bb.steelguitarforum.com/viewtopic.php?t=169140

[James Trout]

The guitar you reference is a Guernsey guitar with the Trilogy bridge. The unit does not function as a bender - Jerry only uses it to quickly change tunings. According to Ivan (who built the guitar and installed the bridge) Jerry wanted a single guitar to use on solo gigs (radio interviews, etc.) that he could quickly change tunings with. It has been a while since I spoke with Ivan about this guitar - but if remember correctly I think he put a roller nut on it and strenthened the top where the unit sits. If you want Ivan's contact info let me know and I'll shoot you a PM.

[Olli Haavisto]

They make a special model for resophonics:

http://store.hipshotproducts.com/cart.p ... etail&p=35

[Tommi Toijonen]

Indeed it's not a bender, the text under the picture is obviously wrong: "This Ivan Guernsey resonator is fitted with a Guernsey’s Hipshot tailpiece that works like a B-bender on multiple strings. "

Anyway, I like benders and want to try one on my Hula Blues. Experiment time.

[Michael Brebes]

I have one that I unfortunately haven't put on yet. It is a Trilogy bridge with a special plate that is made just for use with resonator guitars. Each string on the bridge has three different tuning positions, which opens up a lot of different tuning possibilities. I also have the roller nut shown in the picture, also made by Hipshot. Am waiting until I decide which resonator to put it on.

[Mark Eaton]

I've seen Jerry play that Guernsey in a couple gigs, but the last time was over 10 years ago. As I recall the two times he played it where I was in the audience, he never changed the tuning during the evening.

[Michael Brebes]

Here's a link for a closer look:
http://store.hipshotproducts.com/cart.p ... etail&p=35

Looks like they don't sell the roller nut any longer.

[chris ivey]

in general the benders haven't worked well on dobros.

[Tommi Toijonen]

in general the benders haven't worked well on dobros.

What have been the main problems?

[chris ivey]

due to the structural design of the dobro and cone assembly, the bender changes the pressure on the bridge/cone and either does damage or compromises the tone.

[Michael Brebes]

I think it would take (maybe) a roller nut and (definitely) some kind of roller insert on the spider bridge to get benders like the Duesenberg to come back to pitch consistently. Have no idea how a roller insert on the spider would affect tone.