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Topic: Dobro brand.... opinions? |
J. Wilson
From:
Manitoba, Canada
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Posted 23 Oct 2010 10:02 pm |
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Have a chance to get a new 'Dobro' brand dobro -- $390. I am guessing its a starter level? Played it. I liked it. Sounds cool; but I don't claim to be knowledgeable in this area. Anyone who knows care to share their opinion on this brand?
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If Music Be the Food of Love, Play On. -Shakespeare
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1941 Ric B6 / 1948 National Dynamic / 1951 Bronson Supro / Custom teak wood Allen Melbert / Tut Taylor Dobro / Gold Tone Dojo / Martin D15S / Eastman P10 |
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T. W. Hatem
From:
Northern Hemisphere
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Posted 23 Oct 2010 11:15 pm Re: Dobro brand.... opinions?
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| J. Wilson wrote: |
| Played it. I liked it. Sounds cool |
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Mark Eaton
From:
Sonoma County in The Great State Of Northern California
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Posted 23 Oct 2010 11:51 pm
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J, I would be willing to guarantee you that if you can stretch the budget up a little higher, around $200 more, you can get the entry level Gold Tone Beard resonator, and you will be a much happier picker.
Check it out here:
http://www.playbetterbluegrass.com/paul_beard_4146_prd0.htm
And you will likely be able to find one used in good condition for less than that.
_________________
Mark |
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Dave Thier
From:
Fairhope, Alabama, USA
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Posted 24 Oct 2010 4:42 am
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| Mark Eaton wrote: |
J, I would be willing to guarantee you that if you can stretch the budget up a little higher, around $200 more, you can get the entry level Gold Tone Beard resonator, and you will be a much happier picker.
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Not only will it sound better to begin with, it will be easier to sell when you decide to upgrade! |
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Brad Bechtel
From:
San Francisco, CA
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Posted 24 Oct 2010 8:11 am
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The Dobro® you're considering is probably one of the more recent ones made in China. Despite what everyone else says, these can be pretty decent sounding guitars - however, they are very uneven (some can sound great, some no so great).
Does it look like this Hound Dog?
If you played it and you liked it, I'd go for it. You certainly could get a Gold Tone Beard resonator guitar for just a bit more, but you'll have a fine guitar for that price. Just don't expect it to sound like a much more expensive instrument.
_________________
Brad’s Page of Steel
A web site devoted to acoustic & electric lap steel guitars |
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Rick Barnhart
From:
Arizona, USA
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Posted 24 Oct 2010 8:26 am
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J. you might also consider a Wechter Scheerhorn for around the same price as the Beard Gold Tone. They're bright and responsive. I've never been able to find a lower end Dobro brand that had the sound I like. Just my opinion, of course.
_________________
Clinesmith consoles D-8/6 5 pedal, D-8 3 pedal & A25 Frypan, Pettingill Teardrop, & P8 Deluxe. |
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Dave Thier
From:
Fairhope, Alabama, USA
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Posted 24 Oct 2010 10:01 am
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Brad - I am hesitant to recommend many of the Asian imports because of the inconsistent quality. Even if it sounds good, there may be other mechanical problems that may not be apparent to the beginner.
Rick - I agree, the Wechter Scheerhorns are a good choice. |
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Lynn Oliver
From:
Redmond, Washington USA * R.I.P.
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Posted 24 Oct 2010 10:27 am
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I'm with Brad. If you like it, how far wrong can you go at that price? It might be a good idea to have someone more knowledgeable look it over for you.
My main gigging reso has been sitting here wwith its guts pulled out, waiting for Kent Schoonover to ship one of his spiders with a Fishman installed. I dreamed about reassembling resos last night... I wonder what that signifies?  |
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J. Wilson
From:
Manitoba, Canada
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Posted 24 Oct 2010 10:55 am
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| Brad Bechtel wrote: |
The Dobro® you're considering is probably one of the more recent ones made in China. Despite what everyone else says, these can be pretty decent sounding guitars - however, they are very uneven (some can sound great, some no so great).
Does it look like this Hound Dog?
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Hi Brad. Yes it is the Hound Dog. It sounded good to me, however I thought I sensed some oddness in the sound of the third string from the top -- an ever-so-slight dullness of tone -- but maybe when the shop sets it up they could fix it (?) and, as Dave alluded to, I was also concerned about resale, altho to a lesser extent.
It had good projection and sustain (as resonators do).
_________________
If Music Be the Food of Love, Play On. -Shakespeare
___________________________________________
1941 Ric B6 / 1948 National Dynamic / 1951 Bronson Supro / Custom teak wood Allen Melbert / Tut Taylor Dobro / Gold Tone Dojo / Martin D15S / Eastman P10 |
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Mark Eaton
From:
Sonoma County in The Great State Of Northern California
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Posted 24 Oct 2010 3:23 pm
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| Rick Barnhart wrote: |
| J. you might also consider a Wechter Scheerhorn for around the same price as the Beard Gold Tone. They're bright and responsive. I've never been able to find a lower end Dobro brand that had the sound I like. Just my opinion, of course. |
I didn't bring up the Wechter/Scheerhorn (aka "Frugalhorn") in my earlier post because I believe the cheapest price out there for a new one is $749 and it struck me that J. might not want to pay that kind of dough if he is looking at the Gibson/Dobro for $390. Brad has or (used to have?) a good sounding Frugalhorn that once belonged to one of the great players, Johnny Bellar.
| Quote: |
| If you played it and you liked it, I'd go for it. You certainly could get a Gold Tone Beard resonator guitar for just a bit more, but you'll have a fine guitar for that price. Just don't expect it to sound like a much more expensive instrument |
And speaking of Brad, don't you think you are leaving out the obligatory "try to play other guitars in your price range if possible before making a final decision?" J. might purchase the Hound Dog, then be at a gathering somewhere and find himself in a situation where he can play a Gold Tone Beard and think, "man, this guitar sounds a lot better than mine" and he'll be bummed out that he bought the Hound Dog. Something might sound good to a person who is new at this until he plays other guitars and realizes there are better options out there for not a whole lot more money.
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Mark |
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J. Wilson
From:
Manitoba, Canada
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Posted 24 Oct 2010 5:33 pm
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Well part of the problem is that there are very few dobro / lap steelers out in my neck of the woods. The music stores rarely carry square necks. In fact this is maybe the second time in a decade I've seen a square neck reso in the shops out here. Usually these are acquired second hand or online. We have lots of standard neck resos but that's not what i am after right now.
The long and short of it is I have little to compare it to, so the Hound Dog sounds good by default. Y'all have me thinking twice about the Gold Tone tho... and the Frugalhorn. How do they stack up against one another?
_________________
If Music Be the Food of Love, Play On. -Shakespeare
___________________________________________
1941 Ric B6 / 1948 National Dynamic / 1951 Bronson Supro / Custom teak wood Allen Melbert / Tut Taylor Dobro / Gold Tone Dojo / Martin D15S / Eastman P10 |
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Dave Thier
From:
Fairhope, Alabama, USA
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Posted 24 Oct 2010 5:52 pm
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| In a nutshell, as Mark said, the cheapest (inexpensive) WC is a bit more than the cheapest GT. The internal construction of each is different yielding a somewhat different sound. This is largely a personal preference matter. GTs from Paul Beard or one of the stores on his website are setup by Paul's shop, a real plus in my estimation. From all accounts, the WCs are set up consistently well also. |
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Rick Barnhart
From:
Arizona, USA
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Posted 24 Oct 2010 5:58 pm
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I'm biased because I own a "frugal horn" but I've played a Gold Tone a couple months ago. I prefer the W/Scheerhorn for brightness, sustain and "sheer" looks. Mine has the "F hole" option and it really looks and sounds great. Something about the round screened hole covers, just doesn't appeal to me.
_________________
Clinesmith consoles D-8/6 5 pedal, D-8 3 pedal & A25 Frypan, Pettingill Teardrop, & P8 Deluxe.
Last edited by Rick Barnhart on 24 Oct 2010 8:03 pm; edited 1 time in total |
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Mark Eaton
From:
Sonoma County in The Great State Of Northern California
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Posted 24 Oct 2010 6:34 pm
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Each to his own - I started playing dobro in the mid 70's and though I have no problem with F-hole instruments, I prefer the round sound holes.
J., even here in the SF Bay area with our population it's difficult to find shops that have any decent stock of squareneck resonators, so don't feel badly that they are tough to locate in Manitoba.
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Mark |
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Lynn Oliver
From:
Redmond, Washington USA * R.I.P.
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Posted 24 Oct 2010 10:39 pm
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Dave makes a good point about the Gold Tones set up at the Beard shop. Setup can make a big difference, especially with lower-priced instruments.
I've played Gold Tones and Wechter/Scheerhorns back-to-back and both sound quite good.
I don't know what a WC is. |
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Dave Thier
From:
Fairhope, Alabama, USA
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Posted 25 Oct 2010 9:00 am
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| Quote: |
| I don't know what a WC is. |
Sorry, my mistake. Should have been W/S. |
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J. Wilson
From:
Manitoba, Canada
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Posted 25 Oct 2010 9:16 am
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I am leaning towards the GoldTone Beard a little ... only because they seem (on YouTube samples) to have a better balance of warmth and clarity than the WS. This will doubtlessly offend some WS fans so please feel free to correct me... perhaps I haven't heard the right sample.
With the GoldTone, I see they have a range of four or five. The website doesn't really expand on where the money is going tho... what are the main differences and are they worth the extra dough?
Ultimately, if I am going to get one of these I should get that bang for my buck. I will cap this venture off at $1200USD.
_________________
If Music Be the Food of Love, Play On. -Shakespeare
___________________________________________
1941 Ric B6 / 1948 National Dynamic / 1951 Bronson Supro / Custom teak wood Allen Melbert / Tut Taylor Dobro / Gold Tone Dojo / Martin D15S / Eastman P10 |
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Dave Thier
From:
Fairhope, Alabama, USA
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Posted 25 Oct 2010 9:34 am
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J, I believe the squarenecks come in three models. From least to most expensive:
PBS - Mahogany laminate.
PBSD - Maple laminate and some fancier appointments.
PBSM - Solid Mahogany.
I'm not sure I can give you a good description of the differences in sound other to say that the maple is brighter sounding than the two mahogany models. Maybe Howard or some owners can verify what I've told you. |
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Lynn Oliver
From:
Redmond, Washington USA * R.I.P.
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Posted 25 Oct 2010 10:21 am
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| I think the solid mahogany is the best sounding GT. |
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Beard Guitars
From:
Maryland, USA
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Posted 25 Oct 2010 10:56 am
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Dave...he says:
| Quote: |
J, I believe the squarenecks come in three models. From least to most expensive:
PBS - Mahogany laminate.
PBSD - Maple laminate and some fancier appointments.
PBSM - Solid Mahogany.
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Dave gets a gold star. His description is accurate.
fwiw and my .02 only. I prefer the maple laminate PBSD in the Gold Tone. But...I may be in the minority. I like it's aggressive tone.
cheers
_________________
Beard Guitars, LLC
21736 Leitersburg Pike
Hagerstown, MD 21742
301-733-8271
pbeardguitars@hotmail.com |
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Mark van Allen
From:
Watkinsville, Ga. USA
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Joey Ace
From:
Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
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Posted 25 Oct 2010 3:26 pm
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I agree with Howard. I tried them side by side and liked the sound of the PBSD
better.
I only owned it for a year, because the real Beards are way better, as would be expected for more than double the price. |
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Steve Perry
From:
Elizabethtown Ky, USA
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Posted 25 Oct 2010 7:25 pm
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| J. Wilson wrote: |
| Ultimately, if I am going to get one of these I should get that bang for my buck. I will cap this venture off at $1200USD. |
Nothing against the GT/Beards or Wechter/Horns, but if you're going up to $1200 then you ought to check out the Redline Resos made by Steve Smith in Hendersonville, TN. Great guitars and a good guy to deal with.
http://redlineresophonics.com/
Steve Perry |
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Jim Konrad
From:
The Great Black Swamp USA
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Tom Wolverton
From:
Carpinteria, CA
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Posted 27 Oct 2010 7:25 am Redline should be in your trade space
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I agree with Steve. You should throw the Redline into the mix, as long as you are trying out different resos. I've played a few that I really thought were top notch, and the price was very reasonable.
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To write with a broken pencil is pointless. |
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