Epiphone Dobro with Palm Tree pattern

[C.Gabellone]

Hello to Everyone,

i bought this Dobro resophonic guitar made by Epiphone, it seams to be an Hound Dog model with some minor differences but has the Palm Tree pattern sanded on it, i couldn't find any information of picture of this guitar on the net,  does someone know something about this guitar?

[QuestionMark]

The Palm Tree is engraved on  the body.  Palm Tree engraving goes back historically to designs on Vintage resonator guitars.  Gibson bought the rights to the Dobro brand some years ago.  On the Internet you’ll be able to find a large history on original Dobros and National resonator guitars.  Mark Knopler displayed a historic on on Dire Straits’ album that had “Money For Nothing” on it.  

When Gibson bought the Dobro brand, it was originally a standalone Dobro brand.  Those had some historic accuracy as reissues of the original Dobro and National resonator guitars.  (Keep in mind the original Dobro Company often outsourced its instruments to Regal to make.  Then, Regal issued its own resonator guitars.   Those are all historic and costly vintage instruments now.)

Dobro was also owned by a different company than the original Dobros, before Gibson bought the brand name.  It was only many years later after Gibson bought the Dobro brand name, that they then later, put  Dobro brand under the Epiphone banner.  I remember a friend buying one of the original Gibson Company made Dobros under the Dobro name and it had a Palm Tree design just like yours.  I have no idea if when Gibson moved the Dobro brand under Epiphone if they continued to make the Palm Tree design one.  What I do know is prices for the Dobro brand when Gibson first purchased the brand seemed to higher priced than when they shifted Dobro to be under the  Epiphone brand.  All of what I’ve said here is anecdotal on my part, just from watching the Dobro brand from the sidelines since about 1998.  (I own a 1998 Regal squareneck resonator guitar and a 2003 Regal metal round neck resonator with the Palm Tree design.  My friend had a Palm Tree Dobro from around 2001.)

Hope this triggers more research in your part.

 

QM aka “Jazzman” Jeff