Weird double-square-neck dobro

Roman Sonnleitner · Post by **Roman Sonnleitner** » 22 Aug 2006 2:29 pm

Have you ever seen anything like this?
Auction on eBay.

[This message was edited by Brad Bechtel on 22 August 2006 at 07:56 PM.]

Bill Hatcher · Post by **Bill Hatcher** » 22 Aug 2006 2:36 pm

Yes. There was a guy here in the USA that was making the same style of double sided dobro. Flip it over for a new tuning.

John Bechtel · Post by **John Bechtel** » 22 Aug 2006 9:11 pm

The fellow who built double~neck Resonator~Dobro style guitars here in the states was a friend of mine and a recent fellow Forumite. His name was Ray Watkins and he lived in Burns, Tn. just south of Nashville. I visited with him several months ago just before his untimely passing!
------------------
“Big John”
a.k.a. {Keoni Nui}
Current Equipment
[This message was edited by John Bechtel on 22 August 2006 at 10:12 PM.][This message was edited by John Bechtel on 22 August 2006 at 10:16 PM.]

Alan Brookes · Post by **Alan Brookes** » 31 Aug 2006 4:44 pm

What an idea ! You could put a dobro on one side and a banjo on the other.

Loni Specter · Post by **Loni Specter** » 31 Aug 2006 5:01 pm

Or perhaps, a hibachi![This message was edited by Loni Specter on 31 August 2006 at 06:02 PM.]

Bill Manning · Post by **Bill Manning** » 31 Aug 2006 5:26 pm

Or, a refreshment center!

I'm wondering how, when playing it while standing, do you prevent unwanted sympathetic vibrations in another key?

[This message was edited by Bill Manning on 31 August 2006 at 06:28 PM.]

Doug Beaumier · Post by **Doug Beaumier** » 1 Sep 2006 12:48 am

Yes, Ray Watkins built a few of these double sided dobros. He called it a RAYBRO. A great idea... basically a double neck dobro!

There was one on eBay a couple of years ago and I was wavering... I didn't bid on it, and it sold for a fairly low price I believe. I was concerned about the tone because of the two resonators... more particularly, the two holes in the wood body (front and back) for the resonators. Anyway, I wish I had bought it. There was some discussion about the Raybro here a while back.

Mike Neer · Post by **Mike Neer** » 1 Sep 2006 5:28 am

Really sorry to learn of Ray Watkins' passing.[This message was edited by Mike Neer on 01 September 2006 at 06:29 AM.]

Mike D · Post by **Mike D** » 1 Sep 2006 6:42 am

I'm wondering how, when playing it while standing, do you prevent unwanted sympathetic vibrations in another key?

I wondered the same thing till I played a double neck guitar tuned to 2 different open tunings. Amazingly it didn't matter at all, the other neck sort of 'harmonizes' right along.

------------------
Half-assed bottleneck and lap slide player. Full-assed Builder of resonator instruments.

Erv Niehaus · Post by **Erv Niehaus** » 1 Sep 2006 7:03 am

When you are playing the top neck, it would seem to me that you would be muting the strings with your pants leg on the bottom side.

Vern Wall · Post by **Vern Wall** » 1 Sep 2006 8:35 pm

PIC CREDIT

Alan Brookes · Post by **Alan Brookes** » 1 Sep 2006 9:29 pm

Seems to me you could apply the same principle to a non-pedal console steel. The whole thing could be pivoted, connected to the legs on the side, so to go from E9 to C6 you just flipped the instrument over. In fact a 3 or even 4 sided instrument could be built which takes up less space that a 4-necked regular steel.

Of course, if you're one of those folks who likes to swap necks in the middle of a tune you would end up spinning it like fanning a revolver !

Charles Davidson · Post by **Charles Davidson** » 2 Sep 2006 7:25 am

Was'nt there a photo here on the forum awhile back of a 4 neck steel that rotated over and over?

Russ Young · Post by **Russ Young** » 2 Sep 2006 8:36 am

Ray Watkins and the Rabro (Raybro?):