'Dobie'

I like to introduce 'Dobie' to you.

He's a 14-fret (this refers to the number of frets from the nut to the heel of the guitar) dreadnaught-size electro/acoustic resonator guitar.

The neck is mahogany with rosewood fingerboard and pearl position markers. The headstock overlay is ovangkol with my logo made of exotic chatekok (red heart) inlaid into the surface. Grover enclosed gear tuners draw Martin SP 12-54 gauge strings across a corian nut and saddle to the vintage stainless tailpiece.

The body of the guitar is quilted maple with ovangkol top and rosewood binding, heel cap and end piece. You'll notice that sound holes are a combination of stylized initials and yin-yang symbol.

A spun aluminum cone is the sound resonator with wood biscuit and corian saddle perched on its top. And, the most fun part is the cone cover, which is a re-purposed vintage automobile hubcap.

These photos are pretty self-explanatory.

This is the recessed cylindrical cavity where the cone resonator rests on the ring.  Notice the small wood support shafts (tone bars) which are glued between the back braces and base of the cone ring.

The spun aluminum resonator cone, and the fabricated vintage hubcap salvaged from a local junkyard.

And, last, but certainly not the least, is my friend Jimi Vincent taking 'Dobie' for a test drive.

Jimi has been playing guitar for more than fifty years, so when he critiques my work, I listen.

Jimi said, "This is a wonderful instrument. I love it."

That's good enough for me.