Upcoming Event
Free Newsletter
Made in Colorado
Cool stuff from the Centennial State
Eric Peterson //June 20, 2024//
Dobrato Resophonic Guitars
Kent Viles has been in the guitar business in Gunnison since the 1970s, first as a retailer then as a manufacturer since 2011. His Dobrato guitars are resophonic — acoustic guitars amplified by an internal metal cone — that originated in the 1920s when the Dopyera brothers sought to build a louder instrument without the help of electricity.
Viles’ Dobratos build on a near-century of resophonic innovation with a B Bender, a patented vibrato arm that allows the player to tweak a B into a C sharp. “That’s what gave it traction and made it stand out more,” says Viles, noting that it mimics the sounds of a pedal steel guitar. “I put the bender and the vibrato in your hand when it’s in the playing position. For someone who’s not used to a shoulder pull, mine’s a lot more ergonomic and easier to use.”
Viles estimates he’s made nearly 600 Dobrato guitars in all for customers including Tom Petty, Bob Weir, Jimmy Buffett and Jason Isbell.
$2,500 retail.
Made by Dobrato Resophonic Guitars, Gunnison, www.dobrato.com.
p
