In early 1929, John Dopyera (1893-1988) resigned from the board pf the Lod Angeles-based National company. His departure followed a dispute over the ownership of the design for a single-cone resonator that he and his brother Rudy had developed for National. Together with their other siblings Emil, Robert, and Louis, they now formed a rival resonator guitar-making firm called Dobro.

“Dobro” is both an abbreviation of “Dopyera Brothers”, and the Slovakian for “good”. With this establishment, both brothers invented an alternative resonator with a patent for it being filed in June of 1929.

However, there were some experts who maintained that Dobro instuments were already using the design.

The guitar’s headstock facing is rosewood with inset mother of pearl lettering.