VINTAGE ‘Dobro’

When Vintage guitars first appeared on the scene in the late 90s, they caused a sensation. The models were inspired by iconic guitars, like Django Reinhardt’s Maccaferri, Springsteen’s Tele and National-like steel guitars. I never intended to buy this model, but I had the happy accident of once mentioning how passionate I was about steel resonator guitars to my friend Keith, who at the time was helping to produce my first album Beyond… (2004). The next time I saw him he proudly showed me his new purchase. Officially it was his guitar but he gave it to me on long-term loan. He figured that it would came in handy for songwriting and recording. And boy did it not? I wrote a few yet-to-be-released tunes on this guitar and used it extensively on all my albums. Keith had the guitar fitted with a pick-up that cost as much as the guitar itself (around £400 at the time). Resonator guitars are notoriously difficult to electrify. I had my fair share of disappointment trying to get a decent amplified sound from my wooden dobro. This pickup however is amazing! Unfortunately they don’t make them anymore. It was made in the US by Highlander and it’s the shape of a disk that sits on the resonator, right underneath the bridge.

Anyway, eventually Keith decided to downsize and I ended up buying some of his guitars, including this one.

Steel guitars are associated with the blues and of course with Mark Knopfler, thanks to the Brothers In Arms album cover and the song Romeo And Juliet, but I would argue that this one has a surprising great middle-eastern tone to it, as you can appreciate on my tracks Sortie 20 and Almeria.