The Steel Guitar Forum

yep, it's all in the title
in what year did Gibson buy up Dobro ?

is there a ref site or guide as to dating Dobros ?

SR# :BC 033 95 - model DW90

Mercy Bookoo

Try this site for Dobro Serial #'s: http://www.provide.net/~cfh/dobro.html

Thank you Bill
everythang i was needin' to know is on that link

close 'er up
that's all she wrote

The serial number info on that site is very valuable, but I believe it is incorrect about 1998 being the year that Gibson bought Dobro.

If memory serves, it was 1993, and the Dobros were still being produced in Southern California. I think 1998 was when Gibson closed up the California facility and moved the production to Nashville.

I think Mark is right.I bought mine about '92 or '93 and it was made in Cal.At that time there was some talk that Gibson had bought Dobro.Dunno,wasn't payin' much attention.PJ

OOPS,Just checked my serial number and it was made in '88. But I do remember the Gibson talk of the time.

I agree with Mark that the website does not seem correct in that the Gibson buyout was not as early as '88. I have a '92 model 27 which is definitely pre-Gibson, OMI. In '95 I attended a Dobro workshop in the Denver area at which Cindy Cashdollar and Al Perkins were among the instructors, and Gibson was represented by Richie Owens. (No, not just a good memory, I won a door prize of an autographed T-shirt and it's dated and hanging on the wall next to me.)
Gibson sent one of each of their new Dobro models and let us try them. These were presented as the first Dobros produced under the Gibson ownership of dobro. So to me it was definitely between '92 and '95. Allowing for production time of the new guitars, it was probably earlier than '95.

Thanks for straightening that out guys. I've only been playing the Dobro (and music in general for that matter) about a year and a half and that website seemed to have accurate info as to year of manufacture of my 1973 Dobro. I had no clue about the accuracy of the rest of the info.
I'm continually amazed by the expertise offered on the SGF -- what a goldmine for a beginner like me!

I bought one in 96 that was supposed to be a 95 model.

I believe what happened in or around '88 was that Gibson was going to take over Dobro and perhaps even had invested some money,then Dobro backed out. I had a resonator guitar built in the Gibson custom shop that was used as a display at the NAMM show in L.A.. It has a machine head styled like the big Gibsons,says The Gibson on the headstock with a flower pot inlay under the name. Gold plated cover and screens all nicely engaraved. A beautiful flame maple guitar. It was built and signed by the gentleman who was later commissioned to build the New Yorker reissues. The guitar is now in southern Minnesota in a collection. I sold it to buy My '76 LDG which I don't regret doing.

http://www.gibson.com/whatsnew/pressrel ... jul2a.html

When Gibson bought Dobro® (in 1993), they made the same Dobro® they had made for thirty years.

It's® always® amusing® to® read® adrvertising® articles® from® big® companies® patting® themselves® on® the® back®. It's funny how small luthiers never seem to engage in self-congratulatory bragging like big manufacturers - I guess they know that they are good, and so do their clientele, so they don't need to use "marketing language".

Anyway - I love my 1976 OMI Dobro®!

Fred