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.