The Steel Guitar Forum

I've got a metal body Dobro that's pretty mellow sounding. I'd like to experiment with different bridge saddles to see if I can get a bit more of a rockin' sound out of it. Right now there's an ebony topped maple saddle in it, but I'd like to see if anyone has any ideas on alterantives. Thanks much. Pete Hunt

Stewart-Macdonald's website says:

Hard maple is the recommended bridge saddle material for Dobro® or National™ guitars. Bone, metal and Micarta are sometimes used, but maple's still the best for authentic tone.

Resophonic Outfitters sells bridge inserts made of maple, birch, or ebony-capped maple.
You might get a better sound with a different cone. What do you have in there currently (if you know)?

This is a "problem" I'm having with my '35 M-32. It sounds quite nice, but I don't want it to sound "quite nice!" I know it will never have the blatant garbage can rattle of a biscuit guitar, but I'd like it to sound a bit more aggressive. Right now, the sound tends to a more Tri-cone timbre.

There would be two options I'd recommend:
1) Play more aggressively. Try changing the position of your right hand, moving it closer to the bridge. Don't worry, the guitar can take it.
2) Buy a different guitar.

Some guitars just sound the way they do, and no amount of modification is going to make them what they are not.

Brad,

In my case, you'd be hard pressed to find someone with a more "aggressive" pickin' hand. That ole spider bridge guitar is just very mellow-sounding, and is not very loud either. I was thinkin' the bridge material might help. Or,,,, maybe a new cone?

JB

Those options will certainly make a difference in the sound, but whether that ends up being the sound you want to hear in that guitar is going to be subjective. The M32 metal body Dobro® has a very distinctive sound, but it's not the sound you're going to get from a modern wood body resonator guitar like a Beard or McKenna or Rayco or any other good manufacturer.
Appreciate that instrument for the qualities it has; don't try to make it something that it's not.
I found this out trying to make a 1941 National Havana sound different It was designed the way it was. Nothing I did made it sound like anything other than a better 1941 National Havana. I sold it and later bought a Wechter Scheerhorn, then a Taylor Tennessee resonator. These two guitars have more of the sounds I'm hearing in my head when I play.

Brad, I use that guitar for ragtime in standard, and for bottlenecking. It's obviously had a very busy past! No paint left on the brass top! Of course the brass ones were known to lose their paint. I was just wondering if a cone could wear out, and lose it's resonance??? Maybe I'll try the cone from the '37, as that guitar has the voice of a very loud angel!