Re: Dobro Mandolin - American Pickers
Yeah, I saw the American Pickers show where he bought it from the Nashville songwriter lady. As I recall he paid a couple hundred dollars for it, so I hope he didn't charge you a grand.
Most likely date for it is the later 1930's, but it's hard to be more exact because Dobro serial numbers are either not there, or hard to attribute. I have a similar instrument, and the main defect to watch out for, is pitch of the neck. Apparently the neck blocks in these are made of a wood that deforms easily (my repair tech called it "balsa wood," which was an exaggeration -- but you get the idea). and string tension pulls the neck forward.
All the sound from these mandolins comes from the resonator, so take off the cover plate and see what's going on inside. If the bridge and resonator cone are intact, you can get the rest fixed. The one f-hole has been enlarged, but that's not going to affect sound or playability, just its appearance. The bridge saddle insert is usually maple, though yours appears black (ebony?); if that's missing or damaged, it's fairly easily replaced.
The finish is pretty rough, but again, doesn't affect the sound. I'd take it to a good instrument repair shop and get an estimate, before consigning it to "decor only." These are nice little instruments, with a distinctive ringing sound, and were this one mine, I'd take a shot at getting it playable again.
Allen Hopkins
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