Republic

As the world sank into the Great Depression of the 1930’s the tri-cone suddenly was too expensive for most musicians to afford. John Dopyera created a second model that was less expensive to produce, but every bit as loud as his original. This was the single cone model, sometimes referred to as a “biscuit cone” because of the round wooden disc that sits atop a larger, single convex cone. This model became the choice instrument for the traveling Bluesmen of that era because of their incredible volume and rugged metal bodies. This 12-fret version, called the 'Delta Rocket', incorporates tricone grilles in place of the traditional f-holes.

As the world sank into the Great Depression of the 1930’s the tri-cone suddenly was too expensive for most musicians to afford. John Dopyera created a second model that was less expensive to produce, but every bit as loud as his original. This was the single cone model, sometimes referred to as a “biscuit cone” because of the round wooden disc that sits atop a larger, single convex cone. This model became the choice instrument for the traveling Bluesmen of that era because of their incredible volume and rugged metal bodies.  Their sound is different from the Tri-cones with a sharper attack and less sustain.

During the early 20th century, acoustic guitars were used in antiquated dance orchestras and brass bands. However, the wind instruments would drown out the sound of the acoustic guitars. In 1927, Slovak luthier, John Dopyera was approached by a guitarist known as George Beauchamp with a request for a guitar loud enough to play alongside brass and wind instruments. Using 3 spun aluminum speaker cones (resonators), joined by a T-shaped aluminum bar that supports the bridge, a mechanical amplification system was created that allowed the guitar to be heard in the back row of the auditorium. From the jazz bands of the '20s, through the Hawaiian craze of the '30s, from Chicago down to the Delta, the sound of the Tricone defined an era.