Rare: A square-neck Model 45. Despite the enormous popularity of Hawaiian music of the day, Dobro, Dobro/National and National/Supro/Valco all only built very small numbers of square-neck early Dobros.
Rare: Making this Model 45 extra rare is a fingerboard of what appears to be either Brazilian Rosewood or Australian Red Bean. Red Bean, (from northern NSW), was put to various uses in the US in the first quarter of last century, and Regal are known to have used it at the time. So this is either a fairly ordinary piece of Brazilian, or a fairly nice piece of Red Bean.
Rare: A rare 12-fret model – Regal mostly made 14-fret models, hoping to catch onto the rapidly rising popularity of Martin’s new 14-fret guitars.
Rare: Black. Very few early Dobros were finished in Black. Ancient overspray inside the soundwell clearly shows this was the original factory color.
Rare: Original, highly desirable ‘Poinsettia’ coverplate design – almost unheard of on a Model 45.
Imagine that incredible sound
Blues, country, Hawaiian… this one has the tone and projection to cut it all. The addition of an LR Baggs ‘Para Acoustic’ pickup system & DI makes the guitar instantly gig-able. Check out or soundfile of this exceedingly fine Model 45 and imagine that incredible sound in your own band.
Top of the Dobro range
The Model 45 designation originally belonged to a student model, however, as the original model numbers were also the price, (a Model 27 cost $27, a Model 45 cost $45, etc), by the start of the second World War, a Model 45 was the top of the Dobro range.
More tone and projection
As befits a top-of-the-range model, the guitar features a laminated Spruce top and laminated Mahogany back and sides. These old laminate bodies have proven to age with considerably more tone and projection than the solid timber construction of the time – and this one is pure Dobro tone, all the way, with fabulous string-to-string definition, nice bottom end and crystal clear mids and highs. This is everything you could ever dream of in a resonator guitar.
Barron Clarke
Our Model 45 has recently been given some careful workshop attention by top Australian luthier and resonator expert, Barron Clarke – no repair work was involved, only minor tweaking, cleaning and servicing. Work included: the previously mentioned LR Baggs pickup system; new bone slide nut; new Ebony-tipped saddle; new ‘tea-strainer’ soundhole covers; new hard shell case, (original, refurbished case also supplied). The original cone has been re-seated; original Kluson tuners disassembled, ultrasonically cleaned, Teflon coated and reassembled; later period Philips-head screws replaced with aged slot-head screws. The guitar is now in as close to original condition as possible. A full list of Barron’s work will be included with the guitar. (Brass fingerpicks and a Jim Dunlop glass slide are also included)
Plug in and play
So, an original, Chicago-built, pre-war, square-neck Dobro Model 45, as close to original condition as you will find, with added LR Baggs ‘Para Acoustic’ pickup system, complete with original hard shell case, 100% ready to plug in and play. Rare 12-fret model, with rare Black finish and rare Poinsettia coverplate… over to you.
Weight: 5lb 9oz / 2.53kg
Just Guitars
