The 1980s might make you think of acid wash jeans and hair metal, but probably not acoustic resonator instruments, right? Well, despite what music dominated pop charts in those days, the Dobro brand—under the ownership of Original Musical Instruments (OMI) in Huntington Beach, CA—produced some classic-sounding, high-quality resonator family instruments in the 1980s.
Originally introduced in 1970 as "Ye Olde Wooden Dobro," the Model 60 was the flagship model of the Dobro brand under OMI ownership. It features a 24-1/2" scale and Dobro's signature single-cone resonator with a spider bridge. This design goes back to when Dobro began in 1929, and it was intended as a means to increase the volume of an acoustic guitar (in the age before electronic pickups). The Model 60 has a wooden body made of laminated Maple, which gives it a warmer, mellower sound than its metal-body cousins. It was available with a round neck for regular guitar playing and a square neck for traditional dobro style.
By 1982, the Dobro brand hand changed hands a few times, but the instruments themselves didn't look, sound, or feel very different from how they did in the '30s. This 1982 Dobro Model 60D features a round neck and a fitting slotted peghead. It's in impressive condition for its age with some expected playwear, but no repairs or issues. The best way to describe its tone is "mid range punch." It is throaty, and it growls when you want it to. A natural fit for open tunings and slide playing, the setup is low and inviting and the original jumbo frets still have plenty of life left. Original hardshell case included.