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Joined: March 2002 Posts: 14842
Location: NJ | (Since the station doesn't come in on my office radio), I spent an hour out in my car listening to the local NY "commercial-free" radio station (WFUV-FM) who had Jerry Douglas in the studio live for an hour.
MMAANNN!!! Can that guy play a dobro!!!!
He plays with such style and inflection that you can spot him on another person's record a mile away!!!
Good stuff! |
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Joined: February 2002 Posts: 5750
Location: Scotland | I can see this thread taking a twisty-turny road but here goes.... "Flux" is an amazing player, but what's more amazing to me is that you guys get to hear non-mainstream music on the radio in the US. Radio in the UK is completely f***ked, it's controlled by the record company accountants & their harlot minions & puts out nothing but purile drivel. The UK has a population of well over 50 million, small by US standards, but you'd have thought big enough to warrant a decent national non-mainstream radio station or two. Not a hope. We have maybe 2-3 hours of national radio progamming a week where you have a chance of hearing acoustic music, singer-songwriters or anything that isn't manufactured soul-less, talentless bullshit.
Sorry about the rant, I'm going to sit in a darkened room, listen to some David Lindley, & try to calm down.
Paul
[ June 19, 2002: Message edited by: Paul Templeman ] |
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Joined: March 2002 Posts: 14842
Location: NJ | El-Rayo-X!!!!
For what it worth (and your Internet provider),
I believe that WFUV-FM broadcasts streaming audio via the Internet at www.wfuv.org
(hats off to me on my "bicenntestical" post) |
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Joined: June 2002 Posts: 123
Location: Pensacola,FL | Hey guys, if you'd like you can download
a bit of the "Flux" from this link.
Cave Bop |
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 Joined: January 2002 Posts: 14127
Location: 6 String Ranch | A big 10-4 on the bad radio. Here in JAX it isn't any better, even the country stations are tired. Whatever happenend to all those fm stations that played the obscure stuff that opened your eyes??? The most interesting stuff now is the early sunday morning gospel shows. Sometimes the music is good and when they really get out on that GOD limb (praise His name)(ahlaylouya)it gets entertaining. It keeps me awake and entertained driving to my 7:30 tee time.
But on a serious side, there are lots of monster players out there, Jerry Douglas, Bob Brozman, Marc O'Connor and a long list of others, where can we hear them?? |
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Joined: December 2001 Posts: 10583
Location: NJ | cwk2 check out wxpn.org they were doing the internet radio thang they are Univ of Penn's radio station and almost always are playing cool stuff |
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 Joined: January 2002 Posts: 14127
Location: 6 String Ranch | Thanks Al, I'll give it a listen, did you figure out the rest of the quote yet? |
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Joined: December 2001 Posts: 10583
Location: NJ | cwk see the other post I got it |
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Joined: May 2002 Posts: 3005
Location: Las Cruces, NM | Jerry Douglas is, if not the best, at least the most employed bluegrass resophonic player today. He is on almost every major bluegrass CD as a backup player. I say resophonic as I don't think he plays a Dobro, Dobro is the trade mark of Dopyro brothers. When I was in CA in the late 60's or early 70's, John Dopyro had a music store in Escondido where he sold and serviced them, I met him when I took a guitar there for repair. He was over 80 years old, very healthy and played violin (not fiddle), he put on demos at the schools on his resophonic Dobro violin that got him some local press. At the time the Dopyro brothers were suing each other for some reason, so John was out of the factory but still was a dealer. He spent a few hours showing me all these one off Dobros that he had built and the buyers had defaulted. I still remember a Koa lap steel, acoustic electric, beautiful Dobro sound acoustic and sweet hawaiin sound electric, he begged me to buy it for $200 as I could still play steel then. I had 4 small kids and was plain broke. I have always thought of it as the one that got away, he also was promoting resophonic violins, which he personally built, as he was a violin maker by trade. They never caught on as we know, but in his hands they had a distinctive and unique sound, quite good, unfortunately I never heard anyone else play one. I think the Dopyro Bros. settled their differences before they died but I think they sold the brand.(Acoustic electric Dobro, could this have influenced Ovation?)
Bailey |
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 Joined: June 2002 Posts: 6202
Location: Phoenix AZ | WFUV not only streams live, but they archive. Listen according to YOUR schedule, not some program director who is nothing but a shill to the corporate records mega-machiine. BTW (this is important), WFUV is a MEMBER SUPPORTED station. Meaning that they survive on member donations. If you like what you hear and want to keep it accessable, don't be shy about sending them a few shillings. A few of their air people are ex- progressive FM jocks from the once legendary WNEW. Listen to Pete Fornatale, Dennis Elsas and Vin Scelsa.
This post is related to OFC because WFUV and other stations like it are the tyoes of stations which are likely to play the kinds of artist who are more likely to play Ovations - so THERE! |
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Joined: December 2001 Posts: 10583
Location: NJ | standing O WXPN is also one of those stations |
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Joined: March 2002 Posts: 14842
Location: NJ | Al;
What frequency is WXPN-FM?
At this time of year, I often will pick up "Philly-area" stations on my "banzai runs" to the Jersey Shore to worship the sea.
WFUV tends to be a little too "twangy" for my tastes at times, but it's the only decent alternative to Backstreet Bizkit and Britney Korn.
(And yes; StandingO, I am a member) The only time the "Membership Pledge Drives" get more tedious are right AFTER you've sent your pledge in!!! ("C'mon, you've got mine - get on with it!!!")
Does anyone have any experience with XM Radio?
It's kinda like the digital audio channels they used to offer on your cable service. They tout 200 channels of various genres of commercial free digital, satellite-fed stations (with various fees applied, of course). They were a major sponsor when we did the last NY Auto Show, but I was too busy at showsite to check out their booth.
(Paul T: You DID say that this thing would take a "twist", and of course you were right!) |
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Joined: December 2001 Posts: 10583
Location: NJ | Cliff wxpn is 88.5 |
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 Joined: January 2002 Posts: 14127
Location: 6 String Ranch | Bailey,
Actually I think Jerry D does play a dobro. There is a great book by Bob Brozman on the history of the National guitar. "The History and Artistry of National Resonator Instruments" Having become a National fan I've read the book cover to cover several times. Tells the history of the Dopyera Brothers (Do Bro) and how they started National in 1927. In 29 John left and started Dobro. Around 34 the two companies merged back together and stopped making metal guitars in 41 after a move to Chicago. They kept making guitars but used this wood stuff to do it.
They made all kinds of instruments and were WAY ahead of their time. I think that the differences were patched up before they all passed on.
They were in no way any influence to Ovation. I'm sure my father had never heard of National when they were working on the Big O developement. The question might be was Chuck McDonough influenced by the National Style O guitar when he designed the Adamas sound holes to the front of the sound board. I don't know the answer to that. In their patents National shows the holes in the treble bouts and I know our patent lawyers were aware of these patent papers. Then again, moving the sound holes was done by many others as well as National.
For those who are interested Brozman's book is very well done and worth the read. He's at bobbrozman.com and National is nationalguitars.com |
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Joined: December 2001 Posts: 10583
Location: NJ |  |
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Joined: May 2002 Posts: 3005
Location: Las Cruces, NM | cwk2
I know that Jerry Douglas played Dobros, but I saw something recently on TV where all the players were switching to this new brand of resophonic, and I think Jerry was one of them. It is a pretty guitar with a little more trim than a Dobro. Jerry is from Ohio, and my brother who was a bluegrass fiddle player (now deceased) knew his father quite well, when my brother and I were learning to play, our friend Billy who played guitar with Johnny all his life, got a resophonic guitar somewhere. This was in probably 1950, and we did not understand what to do with it. I think it was a National, and if I can remember right, it was set up for playing as a guitar, not slide. Billy was a bluegrass fan, but Johnny and I were doing country and playing polkas and waltzes at country dances, the bluegrass came later in life. The National and Dobro were definately the first successful attempt to apply technology to the musician's desire to be heard, and in that sense I think there are some philisophical parallels with Ovation. Are you a Kaman, you mentioned your father? I was a helicopter mechanic in the Army in the 50's. I never worked on a Kaman, but I recall that they had some very advanced technology in the rotor head, using torque straps to control centrifical force, I think I saw some demonstration models in Virginia as I taught maintenance at the army's school, and we got everything the Army was looking at. Am I right that Kamans reduced costs, making civilian use more practical? I worked on Sikorskys, Piasakis, Bells, etc.. No music there, but another fun thing to do. Sorry, I am getting in a rambling mood.
Bailey |
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Joined: May 2002 Posts: 3005
Location: Las Cruces, NM | That is some kind of guitar, I think it should be locked up until us ordinary people have evolved to it's level!
Bailey |
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Joined: June 2002 Posts: 123
Location: Pensacola,FL | The "Dobro" brand is now owned by Gibson. :)
Gibson Dobros
[ June 21, 2002: Message edited by: OGL1 ] |
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 Joined: January 2002 Posts: 14127
Location: 6 String Ranch | Yes, Gibson does own the Dobro name.
There are many companies making resonator guitars and Jerry is probably playing one of those. This picture is awesome!!
As a guideline the Nationals are the tricone and biscuit single cone construction. The dobro is the spider type construction on a single cone. These designs are copied by others as well.
I've been told that the dobro, or spider type construction is favored by the bluegrass guys for it's tone whereas the tricone and biscuit Nationals are favored by the blues guys. A generalization but fairly accurate. |
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Joined: June 2002 Posts: 123
Location: Pensacola,FL | Yes, I agree with you. The Bluegrass guys
prefer the Dobro brand, partly for the sound and partly out of a sense of tradition ;) . In the "Dobro link" I like the pictures shown when passing your cursor over the different models -
especially the "Metal bodies" catagory :D |
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Joined: February 2002 Posts: 5750
Location: Scotland | Bill, there's a guy in the UK called Alan Timmins who is making some reso's that might intrigue you. They're basically National tricone replicas, including the Hawaiian motifs, but he uses woven carbon fibre for the bodies.
Paul |
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 Joined: January 2002 Posts: 14127
Location: 6 String Ranch | Woven Carbonium fibres?? Think that will work?
Pretty radical concept!
Actually it sounds interesting. Does he have a web site? Have you heard one? |
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Joined: June 2002 Posts: 123
Location: Pensacola,FL | CWK2, here's some info on Alan:
F1 Resophonic Instruments
42 Owen Avenue
Long Eaton, Nottingham NG10 2FS
UNITED KINGDOM
0115 972 4831 phone
alan.timmins@diamond.co.uk
[ June 21, 2002: Message edited by: OGL1 ]
[ June 21, 2002: Message edited by: OGL1 ] |
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Joined: December 2001 Posts: 10583
Location: NJ | my guitar
reverse headstock warmouth strat neck
original dano lipstick pickup
dobro electric body bound and stained walnut
k and K saddle pickup
standard resonator parts |
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Joined: May 2002 Posts: 3005
Location: Las Cruces, NM | Al
Beautiful guitar, and this is an awesome board, wow, how much super information showed up in a few hours time on these instruments, these members are the top of the world. Tonight I played my video tapes of the Glen Campbell Good Time Hour and I think I saw something relevant. Glen opened the show playing a Storm, which sounded great. Later on he played what looked very much like a Dobro with a pickup and volume and tone controls. Now this is what I noticed that I missed the first time I saw this. The pickup looked very Ovation like, the volume and tone knobs were almost identical to the ones on my Viper, and Glen kept turning and twisting to keep the cameras from seeing the back of this guitar, and the sound was awesome! Did I see a prototype that didn't work out? Anybody know anything about this?
Bailey :rolleyes: |
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Joined: February 2002 Posts: 5750
Location: Scotland | Bill there's some info on the Timmins guitars here: www.well.com/user/wellvis/acoustic.html and
here: www.michaelmesser.co.uk/tgm9.htm. The brand name is F1. They look prety cool, a mix of 30's art deco, Hawaiian kitsch & high tech. I haven't heard one personally but I have a couple of friends who are renowned reso players in the UK & they speak very highly of them. I think he may have a hard time with these. The market is flooded with cheap Chinese and eastern European steel resonator guitars. They don't have the finesse of the real thing but once you change the hub-caps they use as resonators for a Quarterman or similar they sound great.
Paul |
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Joined: December 2001 Posts: 10583
Location: NJ | Bailey
I saw that episode too I am almost positive that Glenn was playing a mosrite electric dobro.
since he was backing Ovation at the time that is probably why there were no real good shots of it but that is what it looked like to me.
can anyone else confirm or deny the sighting? |
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Joined: February 2002 Posts: 5750
Location: Scotland | I've seen Campbell with a Mosrite Californian, which was a 335-style bolt-on, not unlike an Ovation Storm, but with a dobro spider resonator & DeArmond pickups. Semie Mosley owned the rights to the Dobro name in the late sixties.
I aquiried one of these a few years ago in a trade & got rid as fast as possible. Dreadful guitar, which is usually the case when a company builds a guitar to get rid of inventory. Around the same time Mosrite produced some conventional square & round neck Dobros branded as Mobros. I had a squareneck & it was the loudest dobro I've ever heard. Another one I regret selling.
[ June 22, 2002: Message edited by: Paul Templeman ] |
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 Joined: January 2002 Posts: 14127
Location: 6 String Ranch | It probably was the Mosrite, he was playing them before Ovation.
Ogle, Paul, Thanks for the info.
[ June 23, 2002: Message edited by: cwk2 ] |
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