1935 Dobro Model 27 (Roundneck, Nickel-Plated)

The Dobro Corporation made resonator guitars during a brief and turbulent decade, and the instruments they produced have become some of the most collectible acoustic guitars in the American market. The Model 27 represents a mid-range offering with a rounded nickel-plated steel body, a design that balances visual elegance with functional purpose. A 1935 example catches the company at its creative height and provides insight into what American instrument manufacturing could achieve before World War II ended the original Dobro era.

The Dobro Origin Story

The Dopyera brothers (John, Emil, Rudy, Robert, and Louis) developed the resonator guitar concept in the late 1920s and founded Dobro in 1929 after John had a falling out with the National Guitar Corporation, where he had worked on similar instruments. The Dobro design used a wooden resonator bowl with a central hole rather than National's more complex biscuit or tricone configurations, which gave it a distinctive midrange honk that suited blues, country, and especially Hawaiian music.

The company operated independently until merging with Regal Guitar in 1935, which expanded distribution but complicated the brand story. Instruments from the early-to-mid 1930s are considered the prime Dobro collectibles.

The Model 27 Specifically

The Model 27 occupied the middle range of the Dobro line, above the entry-level wood-bodied models and below the more elaborate engraved or etched metal designs. Key specifications for a 1935 Model 27:

• Round-neck configuration (suitable for playing in standard position, not as a steel guitar)

• Nickel-plated steel body with the characteristic Dobro body shape

• Single resonator cone inside

• Mahogany neck

• The Dobro spider bridge system driving the resonator

• Dot position markers

• Chrome hardware

The round neck design makes the Model 27 more versatile for standard guitar playing than the raised-nut square-neck models intended for lap steel use. Many pre-war Dobros are square-neck or banjo-head configurations; a true round-neck is the configuration most useful to contemporary players.

Sound and Playing Character

Dobro resonators have a distinctive midrange honk and clear attack that cuts through acoustic ensembles. The spider bridge design transmits vibration differently than National's biscuit design, giving Dobros a warmer, more vocal quality in the mids. This sound became central to bluegrass (Dobro became the generic term for resonator guitar in that context) and remains valued today.

A 1935 Model 27 in playing condition will be louder than any conventional acoustic guitar and will have a characteristic sustain and resonance from decades of the metal body aging in place.

Condition Grades and Values

Nickel condition is the primary visual variable. Nickel that has been polished repeatedly or cleaned with abrasives shows wear-through at high points and loses the original surface texture. Original nickel patina in good condition is preferred to over-cleaned examples.

The Resonator Cone Issue

The resonator cone inside the body deteriorates over time and is eventually replaced. Replacement with a correct-specification cone is standard practice and does not necessarily reduce value significantly. However, knowing whether the cone is original or a quality replacement is part of evaluating any pre-war Dobro.

Original cones are thinner aluminum with specific shape parameters. Quality replacement cones are available from several makers. A correctly installed replacement cone can actually improve playability compared to an original that has degraded.

Collecting Pre-War Dobros

The Dobro market rewards knowledge. Brand variants (National-Dobro Corp. instruments from the post-merger period, Regal-made Dobros, and the original Dobro Corporation instruments) have different collector appeal. The original Dobro Corporation instruments from 1929-1935 are the most prized.

Model numbers broadly indicate body material and ornamentation: lower numbers for wood bodies, higher numbers for metal bodies with more elaborate finishes. The Model 27 sits comfortably in the range of instruments that combine aesthetic appeal with reasonable market availability.

For collectors interested in the roots of American acoustic music, a 1935 Dobro Model 27 connects directly to the country, blues, and Hawaiian music that defined the era.

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