TWO BALALAIKAS, CALIFORNIA, CIRCA 1973

With an amazing ability for creative output, the combined efforts of the Dopyera Family lead to the developments of new musical technology that would leave its mark across a wide array of disciplines. In 1925, the Dopyera brothers, including John, Rudy, Emil, Ed and Louis, developed a new type of guitar with substantially more volume, allowing it to compete with other modern day instruments. The creation became known as the resophonic guitar, also referred to as Nationals or Dobros, short for Dopyera Brothers. The distinctive sound of these instruments is loud and crisp, making it a favorite in Bluegrass, Hawaiian, Gospel, Blues, Ragtime and Jazz. In addition to these well-known instruments the Dopyera brothers continued to experiment and create other resonator musical instruments through their lifetime and many companies, including the National String Instrument Corporation, the Dobro Manufacturing Company, the National Dobro Corporation and the Original Musical Instruments Company.