New Squareneck Dobro

Doug Ubele · From: Pennsylvania, USA

I have been reading or posting here for quite some time.

I am going to purchase my first squareneck dobro within 2 weeks. I am looking to spend between $500 - $600. Is the Goldtone/Beard still the best?

Thanks,

Doug

Richard Brandt · From: Waymart, Pennsylvania, USA

Doug,
I just purchased a brand new Johnson reso for
$199.50.It is a close copy of the original Dobro. There made in China but don't cut them people short.The finish and the sound is exquisite. Look up Johnson guitars on your computer and it will come up on screen with pictures.They have a 800 number to call and the shiping is free and no TAX.

Brad Bechtel · From: San Francisco, CA

I would say within the price range you mention the Gold Tone Beard is the best choice. But that's if you can find one for that price; they're typically a little bit more than that.
The Johnson is a very good entry level reso, but the Gold Tone will start you out on a fine instrument that will keep you going as you improve. You won't want to upgrade as quickly, but you will want to upgrade some day - it's DAS (Dobro® Acquisition Syndrome).

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Brad's Page of Steel
A web site devoted to acoustic & electric lap steel guitars

Tony Davis · From: Brisbane, QLD, Australia

Doug.....
Last year in St Louis....Chet let me play on a few of the Beards he had on display...I was tempted by the cheapest...I think about $450...I tried a few others too.
We had an international jam on the Saturday afternoon and I used a Beard ..I think it was about $600.........friends had bought it and lent it to me to use..........fantastic guitar.
Just a few weeks ago I bought a Martinez square neck with a Danelectro pick up build on to it............beautiful acoustic sound and just still sounds like a louder Dobro when plugged into amp...........not sure where Martinez are made...prob Mexico......but it sure sounds great
Tony

Herb Steiner · From: Briarcliff TX 78669, pop. 2,064

Go with the Gold Tone mahogany model from Beard. The street price on those models are from $525 to 600, add another $75 for a case.

I shopped them all a couple of years ago, and for all around quality, tone, and attention to detail, the Gold Tone is it. I have one in mahogany, and one of the fancier ones in maple (street $700 +/-).

I've also heard good things about the new Scheerhorn/Wechter, which is the import model of Scheerhorn, but they're a few hundred pricier. And noticeably more breathtaking cosmetically, I've been told.

IMHO, bang for the buck is Gold Tone. Johnsons, Regals, Galvestons, et al. have a good sound for the bucks spent, you bet. But they're just not in the same class as the Gold Tone you can get for a couple bills more.

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Herb's Steel Guitar Pages
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Mark Eaton · Posted 27 Sep 2005 12:29 pm

Ditto what Brad said. Also, if you really want to do a Goldtone Beard right, get one directly from Beard or from Jimmy Heffernan. These have been brought in from Asia to Beard, disassembled and re-set up by Beard. Now you have a legitimate pro level instrument for the fraction of the price of a custom. This costs more but over the long haul it's worth it.

No disrespect intended to anyone here, but I find on this Forum that some of the folks that are hard core steelers have a dobro as a side thing or something to dabble in. Some of the cheaper imports are truly a good deal, but all would hugely benefit from a $200 upgrade and set up from a qualified reso luthier including a Quarterman cone, quality saddle, and bone nut.

If you think those basic off-the-shelf imports sound really great then you need to sit down with a really nice quality reso from one of our outstanding luthiers.

The difference is like day and night!

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Mark

Keith Cordell · From: San Diego

The problem there, Mark is that the budget you need for a luthier built guitar and the budget given are miles apart. I'd give a lot for a pro level dobro, if I had it. I don't, and neither does someone who says they have $500-600 to spend...

Mark Eaton · Posted 27 Sep 2005 1:32 pm

Obviously, Keith-point well taken.

I probably wasn't making myself clear enough as to the point I was trying to make.

There are a number of steelers, provided they are financially able, that wouldn't think twice about spending $4,000 plus on a top psg, say, something like a Mullen.

But you talk to them about spending that kind of dough on a custom built dobro and they would look at you like you are out of your mind.

A $200 imported stock dobro is like comparing a Sho-Bud Maverick to that same Mullen. But folks that kind of dabble in the dobro as a side or occasional thing often don't see it that way.

If you go over to the Jerry Douglas Board, or Reso-Nation, or Reso-Guit, the priorities are switched in the other direction, where in many cases the dobro is the first instrument, and some players may dabble in lap or pedal steel. The discussions often center around the relative merits of Beards(real Beards-not Goldtone designed by Beard and manufactured in Asia), Scheerhorns, Guernseys, Clinesmiths, Wolfes, Harpers, etc.

I have even read here from posters who are probably very good steelers the old saw about "don't waste your money on an expensive reso-it's just a wooden box to hold the cone, which is responsible for all of the sound." Hey-that's like a 1965 attitude.

As I wrote earlier, a Goldtone Beard with a Beard setup is truly a reso that one could gig with-and a relative bargain. If Doug could swallow the extra money involved (I think it's about $750-I think he'd be a real happy guy for a long time.

Hey-I was at a steel guitar jam awhile back and a gentleman who had a pretty nice psg asked if he could check out my Clinesmith. Come to find out that even though he plays pedal steel, this was literally the first time he had ever played a dobro in his life!

I guess what I'm saying is that I have learned volumes about pedal and non-pedal steel from the fine people on this forum and really appreciate their generosity and taking the time to write these posts, but in the dobro area, where I have spent a lot more time gaining experience-I read some posts that are pretty rudimentary (I've also read some outstanding dobro posts-don't get me wrong) but if you really want to sink your teeth into the subject and are fairly serious about it, one should visit the website forums that specialize in the dobro, along with gleaning what one can here at the Forum.

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Mark

chas smith R.I.P. · From: Encino, CA, USA

I can't speak for the Gold Tone, but I can speak for Beard. A few years ago, I dropped the wad and bought a 6 string mahogany and this year, I got the 8 string cherry wood and they have an extensive range of tone.

[This message was edited by chas smith on 27 September 2005 at 05:30 PM.]

Mark Eaton · Posted 28 Sep 2005 11:57 am

So Chas, you are obviously one of the converted. What the modern luthiers are doing with resos is truly remarkable, some folks like to throw around the phrase that this is "the golden age of the resonator guitar."

And the cool thing is that the trickle-down technology has given us pro-quality imported, but designed in America instruments like the Goldtone Beard and the Wechter Scheerhorn for those on a tighter budget.

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Mark

John Rosett · From: Missoula, MT

greg boyd has a gold tone mahogany square neck in stock right now. i know that he only carries the guitars that have been set up at beard, and then double checks them before putting them up for sale. no financial interest, i just live down the street from him and go into his shop way too often.

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