Great Players Melobar Story

 

Great Melobar Story from Rene Brosseau in the Melobar Hall of Fame Page

New Melobar Model... L25

 

This is the L25 body style 2026

I haven't released a new model for Melobar since the Telobar 15 years ago, but this new body style is working so well - it deserves it.

It is a spin off of the David Lindley Gold Body but more elongated and the swoop of the lower bout under your arm gives you the same good leverage as the V body gave. Very comfortable to stand or sit and play.

Even though there won't be many due to the fact we are running out of necks, I believe this body is perfect. I have three in the works for 2026/27. They will be flat black kit guitars still.

Two sold - one left.

 this one is sold

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You can ping me at melobarted at g mail

2024 Melobar Prototypes finally done

 Some of you have been following these prototype instruments over the last couple years...here they are, finally done. Be sure and hit the full screen so you can actually see the wood, fun stuff 😉

Lindley's Genious video mentioned for the Gold with Rosewood Cap

BTW the necks used on the prototypes were oddballs and rejects that couldn't be used on stock Melobars - I'm still saving the last good necks for players.

3/2024 Update on Melobar Availability

Video explains what is happening on the last Melobars

David Lindley -Very Sad...we lost a wonderful person!

 

So sad we lost David, this is the day the Smith family met him and he was always gracious and wonderful. Only person Dad would build whatever he wanted :)

Every time I met him he always went out of his way to talk to me even clear back at age 16, let me into his home, took time to talk guitar builds, so many great memories, going to miss you David!   

Fun Melobar Article in Vintage Guitar Magazine

 

Great article on the Mosrite Melobar model in the February issue of Vintage Guitar.
Click Here https://www.vintageguitar.com/40225/the-story-of-melobar/

Always wanting to make sure the history is correct I do want to point out that Jimmy Page had not called us back in the 80's for "playing tips" but because he wanted an effects box that Brian Jones had used with his Mosrite Melobar on a movie track for a unique sound; we talk about it in Fun Melobar Facts. 

The caption between the Mosrite and Rosac are backwards, the Rosac model is on the right. What is pictured here is a Mosrite Melobar.

The little town we built them in during the 80's was Weiser...not Weister, and Melobar moved to the Sweet Idaho Shop in 1991 after Dad had died. Otherwise it was a very good recount of Melobar's Roots.

the Author Willie Moseley emailed me that; When I interviewed Jorma Kaukonen, he was appreciative of the opportunity to discuss his experience with Melobar, telling me "Thanks for the trip down memory lane."

We all thank you for that trip down memory lane Willie!!

Rusty Young the first Melobar man

 

Special tribute to Rusty Young, the first Steel'er to put Melobar on stage and break the Rock barrier with it in his great book. 

He nick named his Melobar the Bear and really did some wild stage moves with it, I think he still is miles ahead of what the world doesn't realize Steel can do in cross over country rock.

Thank you Rusty, RIP

Rolling Stones Melobar

The Rolling Stones got 2 of the new Professional Melobar models in 1981, this is a CD of recordings in that time period, check out track 6

Never know where a Melobar will end up

I've mentioned in the history how guitars I thought were going to beginners, ended up in the hands of players like Joe Walsh or Jimmy Page, but this is one that surprised me.

You never know who will get that Melobar that's being built...this months Guitar World article with David Gilmour's auction of 120 of his Iconic guitars asked him...

Major surprise to me, I didn't even know he had a Melobar :)

Update Well it's officially in the history books; David Gilmour of Pink Floyd's Melobar went for $52,000 realized at the Christie's Auction...the most ever paid for a Melobar for sure.

Italy knows how to Melobar

Xabier Iriondo Rocking it on Melobar

Duncan Broadcasters sound great

I've been looking for a sound with edge but not bright bight and I really am liking these Duncan Broadcasters in a Melobar  click - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SkvLRGGlyV0

What about adding effects...click- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rqvkqPZ0fdM

Randy Patton and his new Telobar "ole Yeller"

Randy Patton is the proud owner of Ole Yeller a doubleneck Telobar that we look forward to seeing him use on stage. We don't have a lot of photos of how comfortable they are to stand up and play, Randy adapted to it immediately. This one was a MIM Tele on top with a Teleratt on the bottom.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YlDOW12a5-A

Telobar in the Band  https://www.facebook.com/rpfarrier/videos/pcb.10212989321544775/10212989307544425/?type=3&theater

Buying a Telobar

The double neck Standard and Melobar is a cool guitar. To get into one there are a couple things to consider.

One is that you really are buying two guitars, if you start with a $450 used MIM Tele, it has to be stripped, chopped, laminated to a lower blank, re-routered (hand router the lower body too), then assembled so the electronics work from the upper bout to the Melobar control panel. There are often over $832 in parts before you count any labor or finish work. That brings them up to the $1,800 level in price.

A lot of guys have stated they'd like to buy one but would like to try it out and use it to see if they want to pay that kind of price. So we have tried to come up with ways to help you into one at a do-able price.

Here are some Options:

You can send in your own "donor" Tele that you have laying around but don't use much which will cut that initial cost out. Send it to us and we will do the rest. That can bring the price down considerably from $350 to $500 depending on how complete you want it.

Build your own kit - you can buy a guitar that is the complete "bones" in primer and you paint it and assemble as you want it, which opens the door to a lot of customizing which is cool to do. Again price ranges on what the upper standard cost but it can cut the cost in half ranging from $685 to $900 on a top of the line that just needs to be painted and assembled.


Hope that helps you get into one, there are only about 9 necks left and then this era is over.

Telobar's out working the Blues

  link -https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6NtHK_Nf88w

Telobar Blues fun killin' it, have to be patient but some good shots of how to use a Telobar on stage
link is just below photo

Lindley on a V Click

Three old prototype Melobros found

Three older proto-type Melobros were found uncompleted in the early models, three bodies and two of the mahogany necks and I think I have the ebony fretboard still for them, if you are a DIY guy and want to build one send me an email as listed at the top of the site and I'll get more photos and details and take the best offer. Ted
photo is of finished ones from these models, the first RayBay model, Royal and Hula style.

Sold some so email for update on what's available

Melobar 2018

Melobar focus for 2018

Sample of a three pickup Nashville Tele with Fender TexMex pickups, nice blues tone. click the link on the next line
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dsMk29hBpA8

I'm trying something new for 2018; paint finishes are what slow down the availability of these and the double neck Tel-O-bars. This Blue Burst guitar shown was a year in getting finished due to my limited time to work on them.


This year I am doing "Completed Kits":
I router the bodies, necks, primer the guitar to seal the wood, then actually build the instrument and sell it as a DIY paint only.
You get the guitar and can actually play it as is, then unscrew everything and paint it any finish you want, then simply screw everything back together, add your own knobs and anything else you want to customize.
Here is a video of one:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kkYCbTAZXPg

                                          SOLD
This will help ensure they are built correctly, and make it simple, not to mention it will drastically cut the cost to get into one of these last Rosac neck (Barn Find) Melobars.

SOLD



all plus shipping and handling

Dean Black playing one of the first Melobar double necks

Great video of one of the Melobar double neck fathers; Dean was one of the guys that pushed me into building the double neck
Check out the video click below

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0O3uqISxo9o

What is it like to play one?.. video link here https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1EHPM7BWOmg

2016 Melobar Barn Find

First look at the parts found by Sydney, Click Here

It's a mix of original Rosac necks, and a few Powerslide necks, along with another standard neck cutaway fiberglass body and two original SuperSteel necks for 8 string and we're still finding stuff. Felt a bit like the show Pickers today going through stuff I haven't seen in over twenty years.

Soooo I guess I'm back to building some Melobars. A little bit mind blowing after thinking we were completely done. I'm teaming up with a couple other local builders for painting and we'll probably only do a dozen a year.

My primary goal is to build a couple of models I built for myself and really - really - feel other players would rock on. Personal Video with Ted on why

The other Melobar is the double neck Tel-O-bar. I have already purchased a nice MIM standard Telecaster to cut in half and marry to the Barn Find Tel-O-bar. These double necks are just so great to play, we need to make them more available to the guys that will love playing them

Here is a Video of what they are like by Ted

How do older Melobars Sound?

How do older Melobar's Sound?
An important question now that we are no longer building them, older models are going for pretty high prices on ebay, and you should know what you are looking at.
Older Rosac Model Sample
Video Click Here https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TZKYdAJgKxw





a quick A - B is to listen to a Rosac body Skreemr from the 90's on the A video then a Tele Body Melobar from 2016 on the B video...NOT Pros but a decent sound bite

A - Old 1992 Melobar Skreemr (skip forward to .30) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bqnVbZkGGg4

B - 2016 Melobar Tele version  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FzHjoVJpqUw

Real difference is scale length and pickups

Quick Reference:
Mosrite Melobar; The first production Melobars were built by Semie Mosley in the Mosrite factory with Mosrite pickups. I love these guitars in that they have that fat Mosrite sound with a longer scale. Excellent for Blues, professional stage and studio work if strung as a 6 string.
Video of Tone Click Here and Here

Rosac Melobar; Paul Barth single coil pickups, these guitars were supposed to be for students and this guitar is not good for stage if you don't want old single coil non-shielded hum. Magnets are 63mm, so with standard spacing, best if strung 6-string.
Video being used Click Here

Powerslide V and X 10 models with Bill Lawrence Pickups from the 80's are the best and good for up to 10 strings. This was the best professional model built by Melobar until the late 90's.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uNwpKwT2T2w
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uzm1Lk9gZsk

Note: want that Lindley sound...click here

Skreemr 6-sting models built in the late 90's started with EMG pickups but were later upgraded to L500 Lawrence pickups with Grover Keys, these are very good professional instruments but the short 22 7/8" scale doesn't give a fat blues tone like the Mosrites did, take the same guitar and lengthen the scale and they'd be even better.
Steelgitr and Telobar double necks were all built custom but all were expected to go on stage so they have good components and sound good.

In the lap steels...
The LS model had the Rosac Paul Barth pickups on them so limited to single coil problems.
SLS, upgraded using the Lawrence pickups but a bit sharp in tone because of those pickups, switching out to even a tele rhythm pickup can help that tone a lot.
CC8 again Lawrence pickups but built for steel not guitar so more of a steel sound.
Teleratt most had Lawrence Tele pickups and had a good tone
Paul Franklin on Teleratt
XL models had Lawrence L500 pickups with the best tone of all the Melobar Lap Steels
Supersteels had the above set ups so match your pickups to the above
Rattler, considered the best Melobar Lap Steel if you want that "Running on Empty" Lindley sound

In all, Melobar's were a crossover from a standard guitar to a steel built with Alder like a Strat' so you'll want to set your amp with that in mind and roll back the treble if it sounds too bright or aggressive if you want Hawaiian steel, and not be afraid to change out pickups.
Hope that helps...

Melobar Guitars

Patented angled up neck to play steel standing up

See Melobar in Action CLICK HERE and HERE Black V on the Left

 

 

 

Melobar is the registered trade mark of the Smith Family who manufactured the instruments for over 50 years. The patented design that started the company was a 45 degree tilt neck to play steel type guitar mounted on a standard guitar body.

This blog is dedicated information and facts about Melobar from Ted Smith, the last Melobar builder and son of Walt Smith the originator.

See the pages on the right for models, history and fun Melobar facts (hard to see in grey).
Melobar on National Television CLICK HERE
Listen to a Melobar Rattler CLICK TO HEAR