What would Oz or Josh thought about modern resos?

It is a good question Dean! I couldn't even begin to offer a speculation about that...Hard to know what went on in those super picker stylist brains?...All I know is that they could sure suck the marrow out whatever dobro bone they chewed on..

Dan'l.

That is indeed a great question. I don't use a Ouija Board, so I don't know, but it brought to mind a related question:

If they had these modern tools available, and embraced them, how would their music have changed, if at all?

I know different instruments inspire me and pull me in different ways musically, to make best use of their sonic qualities.

   To add just a bit of thought to this, I once had a conversation with Gregg McKenna in regards to the soundwell and if he built the open body, post style guitars. Well I just about got blessed out for even mentioning the post style. He built the soundwell style and that it. So along that line of thinking, if Gregg was that steadfast in his way of thinking, I can't help but think the the pickers of yesteryear would have about the same mind set. But then I still think Jerry's RQ Jones sounded better than the present Beard.

  pt

Josh played a Beard "Josh Graves" model before being wooed back by Gibson to endorse their guitars.

fwiw

As soon as I saw this thread I thought of that Beard Josh Graves model. Howard or anyone else, do you know if that Beard had a soundwell, along the lines of a Beard Vintage R?

Josh played an R.Q. Jones on his 1977 album entitled "Same Old Blues" which I have had on vinyl since it first came out. The guitar credit on the back reads: "Josh Graves' guitar was manufactured by the R.Q. Jones Resophonic Guitar Company, Wanette, Oklahoma"

It's one of my favorite Josh albums. I bought it back then after it was first released, and I had recently acquired my circa 1930 Dobro. I remember thinking that was the only kind you could get, because in those well-before-the-internet days, I didn't know Rudy Q. Jones from Adam. The guitar has the name "Doug" inlaid on the 12th fret. And I wasn't aware if the young Jerry Douglas was playing a Jones yet.

Here is a link to a dinky photo of the cover:

http://www.lpdiscography.com/g/Graves/graves_sameold.jpg

I think it's pretty unusual for a long-time pro musician in the guitar family of instruments to only play one brand of guitar, or more specifically one guitar, through the majority of their career, like Oswald with the Dobro named 'Herman, ' or Rob and Sally with Scheerhorns, or for a number of years Ferrell Stowe with Harlows. Though they might have their favorites, like Josh had with 'Julie,' many of the great ones have played a number of brands.

Late in his career and getting toward retirement I'm speculating that Josh jumped at the chance to have a Gibson/Dobro model for financial reasons. All indications point out that he and Mrs. Graves weren't exactly thriving in retirement, I'm thinking with his health issues the medical bills alone had to be a tremendous burden.

I wish I could have supplied the beer (or wine) for Tab's session with Josh. That must have been something else!