The 'New' Melobro

Jeff Peterson · From: Nashville, TN USA

Hey guys! I know ya'll know a good resonator from a not so good one...but I just received a new Melobro(not a Neely), and I gotta tell ya' it's the hottest thing since peanut butter on a poop stick! I told Ted(Smith) I needed a 'formal' guitar for the ACM awards show(May 3rd), and he put together a black on chrome resonator to die for. The Neely's were great.....this guitar kills it! It's lighter, and so 'alive' sounding, it's scary. Tons of volume and the 'bark' that I just absolutely love, ala Jerry Douglas. I'd put this guitar up against anything made today. I will be starting the Clint Black summer/fall tour in June, and this will be my main guitar...Ted hasn't had time YET to make me a back-up, so if you see the show, and I'm playing a wooden Dobro, it's 'cause the moon fell on me or the hogs ate the Melobro.
The fit and finish are beautiful, although for my taste, with the soundholes shaped the way they are, I would have gone with a 'fan' type resonator cover. The tuners are Grovers so they are fine, an ebony fret board and a finish that Ted just keeps getting better and better at. Ted, I know you read the forum regularly, so I'll tell you I had to share this with all these guys. You have developed a fablulous instrument here, and I wish you the best in bringing these to all the players that think the only good resonator guitars out there are the ones costing thousands of dollars. You've made great sound and looks reasonably priced(thank God). I can own 3 of your guitars for the price of 1 'reasonably' priced Beard or Scheerhorn. I am not putting down the other makers.....their work is beautiful....just pricey.
If you get a chance, in Nashville, go to King Bee Music and A/B Ted's guitars with one or two of the 'high end' guitars he(Gary Gilbert) has in there, you will be amazed by Ted's work.

[This message was edited by Jeff Peterson on 27 April 2000 at 08:28 PM.]

Ted Smith · Posted 28 Apr 2000 11:28 am

I was just calling you Jeff to see how you liked that guitar and I see the posting-guess so, got to give credit where credit is due here, that incredibly resonant body and new top shaping is thanks to Bert Quenzar, he is the man, just a master at that material. Before the phone starts ringing from you guys with back ordered GB-I's, that guitar was actually a cosmetic proto-type and we have the A-batch in the booth and in polishing now. We're also doing some R&D to insure the cover plate screws never strip out like they used to on the wood models. Jeff assures me that will be The Melobro on the sound on the music awards and let's hope we get a camera man that likes it too.
Everything about that guitar is just coming together beautifully now with the new CNC necks and the shaping, tone and sound that just jumps out and grabs you by the collar, this projects wearing me into the dirt but everytime I hear that sound it just...rambling, sorry, not enough sleep, just say-you got to hear one.

Ted

Mike D · From: Phx, Az

Hey Ted, a question. Since your doing these bodies in a mold why not incorporate the neck a'la the Weissenborn? Seems it would be simpler. Or are you planning on a roundneck version of the Melobro too?

Jeff, "peanut butter on a poop stick" ???

Chippy Wood · From: Elgin, Scotland

Very interesting to read about your new Melobro, any chance of seeing some pictures of it.?

Ted Smith · Posted 1 May 2000 7:34 am

Hi Mike, we are using a solid Mohagany neck for sustain. I am considering a Weissenborn in Reso-fiber next year-booked right now.
Yes we are building a unique round neck that we will be releasing hopefully next week.
Chippy there are some "fairly" good pictures on www.melobar.com under Products and on the hotsheet under the store, hopefully Jeff will have a good look on the TV Wednesday.
Ted

wayne yakes md · From: denver, colorado

Are you the Peterson of Clint Black fame? I've gotta get my dose of your steel on "Lovin' Blind" about every other week! Thank you so much for being a breath of fresh air in the steel guitar world!

Andy Alford · Posted 4 May 2000 4:07 am

Ted,

Will you ever reduce the Melobro to around 400-500 range?

Ted Smith · Posted 4 May 2000 7:19 am

Well that was the breaks, a song with no Resonator guitar on it with Clint and his wife singing, there was no chance. It's funny, all my life I can remember sitting in front of the TV watching one of the awards shows waiting for a camera shot, Jeff did get a great one a couple of years ago-I think it was the CMA awards, Clint singing "Good Run of Bad Luck", Clint turned hard left and the camera man couldn't follow so just framed on Jeff with the White Melobar V and stayed there-felt like a touchdown at the Superbowl. Well we've got some other hotshot players with GB-I's on order so maybe you can hear one later this year. The Neeley model is on several albums coming out and I'll get from Franklin the song names.

Andy you better go buy a plywood Fender or a Regal for that kind of price. There's a reason why the Melobro has a sound that compares with the $2K guitars, they have the same componants. Dropping in a Quarterman Cone helps but the Spider, Saddle, Nut, Sound Well, Scale, and Resonance of the material work together for sound. The only reason the price is less is that the mold saves labor and the finish is in the Gel Coat saving finish time and labor. Just like comparing any acoustic instrument-a $600 guitar sounds good to you UNTIL you compare it against the sound of a $2,000 guitar. I remember watching a kid walking into a store in Loisville Kentucky with a chip on his shoulder saying "I have a Takamine, what's so great about these Taylors?!", the dealer simply handed him the guitar and went back to talking to me, 10 minutes later the kid looked up with a very humble expression and said, "this is a different world".

Jeff is one of the best people on this earth Wayne, I bet if you go to one of the concerts we can set something up for you.

Ted

[This message was edited by Ted Smith on 04 May 2000 at 08:22 AM.]

[This message was edited by Ted Smith on 04 May 2000 at 09:51 AM.]

Bill Leff · From: Santa Cruz, CA, USA

Ted, your 100% correct.

I have a plywood Regal, upgraded w/Quartermann cone, Dobro spider, ebony bridge, new nut. It sounds fine until you compare it to a quality resophonic instrument. It's missing a huge component of the sound.

I also have a beautiful Taylor 612. Played the other day with a guy that had a Martin D1 (their low-end solid top/plywood sides and back guitar). The Martin sounded like it was stuck in the mud. The Taylor was communing with the angels.

There is nothing like the sound of a quality instrument.

Gordon Black · From: burns,oregon,usa

Just my 2 cents worth. I've got a Beard Flinthill with the Quarterman cone and Paul's upgraded set-up. It's a killer guitar for the money and will hold it's own along side a stock Dobro. I just recently got a Melobro Rabay (the prototype of the line) and man, talk about a difference! It's a beautiful black lacquer/mica body with an ebony fretboard, with chrome coverplate and Grovers. Really an eye stopper. And the tone and volume! I play alot of summer festival type events, and I'll tell you I can't wait for the guys with their Sheerhorns etc. The guitar is almost painfully loud and the bass resopnse is incredible! A real jam session weapon. Ted's got a real winner here.

Andy Alford · Posted 4 May 2000 3:37 pm

Well the guitar sounds nice but I will hold on to my Sherrhorn and pre-war Regal plywood Dobro.If it is good enough for Brother Oswald I will suffer and continue to play it.Thanks Ted

Ted Smith · Posted 9 May 2000 6:27 am

That's an interesting prejudice Andy, having never actually done a hand's on comparison. I'm really not interested in debating with the Andy's of the world, if you get a chance just do a comparison yourself, I'll let the guitar do the talking.

Jeff called me with some interesting things that happened back stage at the awards show, they were able to compare with a half a dozen different Resonators and impressed a lot of players like Jay Dee Maness and Cindy Cashdollar, I'll let them do their own talking about it.

Mike Tatro · From: Oregon, USA

If you guys don't stop talking about these new Mellobros, I'm gonna have to place a drool bucket near my desk!

Forum Index > Steel Without Pedals		Next oldest topic :: Next newest topic

All times are GMT - 8 Hours	Jump to: