DOBRO ROOTS: A PHOTO TOUR OF PREWAR WOOD BODY DOBROS

DOBRO ROOTS: A PHOTO TOUR OF PREWAR WOOD BODY DOBROS
BY STEVE TOTH

Centerstream Publishing 9781574243017. Foreword by Jerry Douglas, 216 pp., CD included, $55. (Centerstream Publishing, P.O. Box 17878, Anaheim Hills, CA 92817, www.centerstream-usa.com.)

   I don’t usually quote from the foreword of a book I’m reviewing, but in this case, Jerry Douglas says it best: “This is the Dobro wish book! Dobro Roots will undoubtedly be the go-to book for everyone interested in these amazing instruments for many years to come.”

This beautifully crafted homage to resonator guitars built by the Dopyera brothers from 1929 to 1941 is a must-have, not only for Dobro players and collectors, but also for anyone interested the fine art of instrument making, especially in the golden age before World War II.

The author, Steve Toth, is a long-time, respected Dobro player who has spent a lifetime tracking down these gorgeous instruments. He provides an overview and description of each series and model. But he goes further by including a CD of what 15 of these guitars actually sound like on tunes. The photography is gorgeous and detailed, and the vintage advertising adds a touch of the time period for each instrument. I would call it a coffee table book, but I kept picking it up and reading it. Highly recommended for Dobroists and anyone who loves well-crafted acoustic instruments.CVS