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trinity_project - Posted - 09/01/2013: 11:26:14

Hey all , I'm in need of some help pegging the date on this regal Dobro I have had for quite some time . I wanted to replace the broken end plate as well the wooden bridge is in need of replacing as well .

What I didn't realize is that there is some history behind this guitar as the person I got it from served in the Second world war . I thought it would be interesting to know how old this girl is but unfortunately he passed away ten years ago so I do not have an idea exactly when . As you can see in the pictures it is in relatively good condition and is stamped with the serial number '1796' and the regal decal on the headstock . Other than those defining marks and of course the 1896484 patent pending on the resonator that is all I have . Is there any of you out there that could help me out ?

Very much appreciated

Neil

Regal Guitars Serial Numbers Pictures

MarkinSonoma - Posted - 09/03/2013: 10:09:29

Weird - according to a couple websites many of us refer to for dating dobros, #1796 would be from 1930 - but the general knowledge from Dobro historians is that there were no Regal-built Dobros until 1932. Maybe the neck was manufactured in 1930 with the serial number stamped on it, it could have sat around for a couple years and then been attached to a Regal body? Perhaps it was one of the early Regal bodies shipped to Los Angeles from Chicago to the Dobro factory, and they attached this neck that was built in L.A.

I have a California-built Dobro brand Dobro with a serial number that is a couple hundred plus lower, #1575.

So this Regal deal is a little confusing...yet another episode in 'the convoluted history of the Dobro.'

otdobro - Posted - 09/03/2013: 11:15:43

Regal had their own numbering system, different than Dobro, but, just as confusing. This is probably from the mid '30s.

Edited by - otdobro on 09/03/2013 11:18:10

kitkat - Posted - 09/03/2013: 14:10:26

You may want to check with Gruhn's,Elderly,and google pictures of this type of dobro.There are guitar collector web sites that may have some information that could help you.I have a dobro that there is no informationon that I can find.It has the experts stumped. It is a 9 out of a 10 but the mystery remains after 20 years of seeking the truth.If Gruhn guitar could see it they might be able to help you.

Slideman1939 - Posted - 09/04/2013: 09:52:53

Regal Guitars Serial Numbers Chart

Difficult question. In the early thirties BODIES went West from Chicago to Calif. but the Dopyeras did the necks--with the dobro decal.This instrument having the Regal decal indicates Chicago plant. As stated above Regal had their own serial numbers (SOMETIMES). The alternate method was that Dobro/ Dopyera/ California assigned 'blocks' of serial numbers for their licensee to use on Chicago production of Dobro and Regal. The next alternate method was a large amount of Regals with NO SERIAL NUMBERS that were built for mail order catalog houses, or private label, or special order for music instruction chain studios, or distributors who wanted their own brand and could meet a minimum order of 100 or more----so serial numbers are almost immaterial because there was production (no serial) estimated at 2-3 times the number WITH serial. The final confusion---at some time in 1935 Regal elected to abandon their old series of numbers, AND abandon the block of assigned numbers from Dobro and arbitrarily started all over from '0'. This is why the Mike Auldridge Dobros have such low serial numbers--#401 and # 426 are obviously just after this change--Regal body / Dobro decal/ Chicago production. So it seems impossible to determine if your serial was early 1936 ( built 1100 guitars later than the (1935) Auldridge instruments) OR much earlier like 1933 when Regal was following one ( of 2) original systems. Fun with mathmatics: The history of Dobro serial numbers seems to go to the 9,000 series. But interviews with John Dopyera state that after things got rolling they were doing 500- 600 PER MONTH for years. So if they were doing 6,000 to 7,000 instruments per year X 7 key years (1929--1936) wouldn't the serial numbers be iending in the # 48,000 series instead of the #9,000 series ???? It is thought that the
'600 per month' remark was a grand total--Dobro production PLUS REgal PLUS Kay PLUS Harmony PLUS private label PLUS Non-serialized. An almost impossible question because by 1935-36 Dobro and Regal were making them and selling them so fast that serial numbers (with or without) were just not important and subject to whim on which of 3 methods were used..It became obvious that the National-Dobro profits were from selling PATENTED, LICENSED HARDWARE to multiple manufacturers----and the source of the necks and bodies was far less important than the fact that 'genuine dobro hardware' was used with (whatever) peghead decal.

Regal Guitars Serial Numbers

kitkat - Posted - 09/04/2013: 10:33:20

George Gruhn in Nashville is the best source.Many on here have the books that have the Regal story, but Gruhn maybe able to solve your mystery.