Best "dobro" in $500 range

David Ellison · Post by **David Ellison** » 29 Dec 2014 9:53 pm

Just curious as to what people think is the best square neck resophonic guitar in the $500 range. I've heard good things about both Recording King and Gretsch instruments. What's the best bang for the buck in that price range?

Stephen Gambrell · Post by **Stephen Gambrell** » 30 Dec 2014 2:13 am

A used Paul Beard Gold-tone. I bought one here on the Forum, for less than 750.00, including a great pickup.

"Cheapest" does not equal "good."

Kevin Lichtsinn · Post by **Kevin Lichtsinn** » 30 Dec 2014 6:08 am

If you feel adventurous and are willing to work on one, I bought a new Morgan Monroe squareneck (yeah, I know guys, junk)and put in a Quarterman cone, an adjustable spider and maple inserts. The tone is great (to me anyway) and it is loud. I needed to "massage" the area around the tone ring to get the cone to fit properly. I have less than $500 in it and it sings!

Kevin Lichtsinn · Post by **Kevin Lichtsinn** » 30 Dec 2014 6:16 am

I also have a Wechter Scheerhorn (frugal horn) that I paid under $400 for when a music store heard that Wechter was going out of business. It has a warmer, sweeter, softer sound than my modified Morgan. I don't know if you could find one for $500 bucks tho.

Kevin Lichtsinn · Post by **Kevin Lichtsinn** » 30 Dec 2014 6:20 am

Check out www.resohangout.com

George Piburn · Post by **George Piburn** » 30 Dec 2014 7:01 am

Just re read OP yo see Square Neck --Sorry for my post about round neck.

K Maul · Post by **K Maul** » 30 Dec 2014 7:51 am

Generally The Gretschs are best for the money,I think.

John Speck · Post by **John Speck** » 30 Dec 2014 8:41 pm

I've put Quarterman cones and upgraded spiders in a few Regal Dobros for my customers. And like any cheap dobro, most of the sound in those is the cone and the spider. Might not satisfy a pro, but if you are a non-pro, how good does it need to be.

Brian McGaughey · Post by **Brian McGaughey** » 30 Dec 2014 10:34 pm

Used Beard Signature Series Gold Tone...

Kevin Lichtsinn · Post by **Kevin Lichtsinn** » 31 Dec 2014 7:02 am

John Speck wrote:I've put Quarterman cones and upgraded spiders in a few Regal Dobros for my customers. And like any cheap dobro, most of the sound in those is the cone and the spider. Might not satisfy a pro, but if you are a non-pro, how good does it need to be.

YES, how right you are.

John Speck · Post by **John Speck** » 31 Dec 2014 7:20 am

The sound a guitar has is more for the player than his audience. Jerry Douglas could play on a non improved cheapie, and his audience would only hear Jerry. But Jerry would know. That's why he plays a Sheerhorn.

Howard Parker · Post by **Howard Parker** » 31 Dec 2014 8:04 am

Actually that's why Jerry has played a Beard for about a decade.

"Scheerhorn"!

h

Greg Booth · Post by **Greg Booth** » 31 Dec 2014 8:04 am

John Speck wrote:The sound a guitar has is more for the player than his audience. Jerry Douglas could play on a non improved cheapie, and his audience would only hear Jerry. But Jerry would know. That's why he plays a Sheerhorn.

Jerry used to play a Scheerhorn, but his main guitars have been the Jerry Douglas Signature Beards for many years.

http://www.beardguitars.com/Jerry_D.html

If you're not a pro, how good does it have to be? Good enough so you don't think, "God, why did I buy this POS!" Good enough to enjoy playing and taking to a jam. Buy a used Gold Tone Beard or Wechter Scheerhorn. You can always sell it for what you paid.

Rob Anderlik · Post by **Rob Anderlik** » 31 Dec 2014 8:28 am

Wish there was a "like" button here on the SGF!

Howard Parker · Post by **Howard Parker** » 31 Dec 2014 8:30 am

How about a

?

Mark Eaton · Post by **Mark Eaton** » 31 Dec 2014 9:29 am

Greg Booth wrote: If you're not a pro, how good does it have to be? Good enough so you don't think, "God, why did I buy this POS!" Good enough to enjoy playing and taking to a jam. Buy a used Gold Tone Beard or Wechter Scheerhorn. You can always sell it for what you paid.

Can I get an "Amen!" for Greg?

Mark Eaton · Post by **Mark Eaton** » 31 Dec 2014 9:56 am

Regarding the Recording King, not bad instruments, I'm pretty impressed with some of the imported offerings from two of the brands that are under the Bay Area-based company known as Music Link: the modern iteration of the Recording King moniker, and the the other brand is The Loar. I have a pretty nice Loar mandolin that is a lot of bang for the buck, and a friend recently picked up a Recording King flattop that is a good value.

But the increments in these designed in the U.S. and manufactured in Asia instruments changes pretty dramatically every couple hundred dollars. Goldtone/Bead and Wechter/Scheerhorn (no longer made) resonators are a big jump in quality from instruments that might retail new for $300 less. the lowest price on a new Goldtone these days is $750-$800, and IMO you're looking at a dramatically better instrument than those dobros selling in the lower price ranges. So to be able to find a used entry level Goldtone/Beard for around $500-$600, or a Wechter/Scheerhorn for around the same price, that's the ticket.

The new Gretsch guitars that retail most places without the Fishman p'up instilled are about a $360 guitar and are decent for the money, but a well set up Goldtone or Wechter/Scheerhorn blows them out of the water.

Back to the Recording King for a minute - like the U.S. built Tut Taylor/Crafters of Tennessee guitars that are no longer made and in which Greg Rich was involved at one point, the R.K. is based on the "traditional" Dobro design. People read the blurbs on the website and sometimes think, "oh yeah - that's what I want, traditional."

But that's not what most people really want as new players in the 21st century. What they really want is the modern sound of the likes of Jerry Douglas, Rob Ickes, or Mike Auldridge in the second half of his career after he retired his 1930s Dobros and started playing the more modern large body guitars like Guernsey and later Beard. Different story if one says, "I want to sound like Brother Oswald" - whole different kettle of fish.

As far as the imported instruments, which are on the higher end of the scale dollar-wise, the Goldtone/Beard and the Wechter/Scheerhorn are the ticket.

Here is a video from several years ago, Mike Auldridge and Jimmy Heffernan checking out the Goldtones at the Beard shop in Maryland:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C3ynXYavql4

Erv Niehaus · Post by **Erv Niehaus** » 31 Dec 2014 10:09 am

I have a Regal Black Lightning that is very nice, $495 at Elderly's.

Chase Brady · Post by **Chase Brady** » 31 Dec 2014 10:17 am

If you're not in a hurry, another option is one of the small shop makers who are not quite as famous as Scheerhorn or Beard. James Adams, Greg McKenna, Redline and Appalachian all make fairly affordable instruments. (There are others as well, I'm sure.) New instruments are more likely to start around $1000, but if you watch the want ads here and at Reso-Nation, you see used ones come up occasionally for significantly less. I got a new Adams for about what I'd have paid for one of the bottom of the line Gold Tones, and I love it. It was an Ebay auction. I think he expected it to be bid up higher.
Personally, I think there is value in knowing the name of the person who actually made the instrument. If I have a question, that person is only an email away. Getting a question answered about a Pac-Rim import is unlikely.

Kevin Lichtsinn · Post by **Kevin Lichtsinn** » 31 Dec 2014 11:10 am

Mark Eaton wrote:
Greg Booth wrote: If you're not a pro, how good does it have to be? Good enough so you don't think, "God, why did I buy this POS!" Good enough to enjoy playing and taking to a jam. Buy a used Gold Tone Beard or Wechter Scheerhorn. You can always sell it for what you paid.
Can I get an "Amen!" for Greg?

AMEN !!!!

chris ivey · Post by **chris ivey** » 31 Dec 2014 12:22 pm

once again...new inexperienced members passing on false information. (jerry...beard...scheerhorn)
i know it's fun to participate and try to help, but you do more damage than good talking out your ***.

Bob Blair · Post by **Bob Blair** » 31 Dec 2014 2:35 pm

There is a used Gold Tone square neck on the Forum Buy Sell right now, listed at 475.

Post by **Brad Bechtel** » 31 Dec 2014 4:26 pm

I'd agree with Bob - the used Gold Tone on the forum is probably your best bet right now.

Stephen Gambrell · Post by **Stephen Gambrell** » 1 Jan 2015 6:46 am

Absolutely, Brad. It's always been a wonder to me--A guy will play a 4000.00+ Steel guitar, through a megabucks amp, in search of "tone." And then look at a resonator guitar that's 500.00, saying, "That's too much."

Howard Parker · Post by **Howard Parker** » 1 Jan 2015 6:53 am

Just a point of order.

If you have a question about a Goldtone you can either call Goldtone in FL or Beard Guitars in MD.

Beard parts in the internals of those guitars.

h

The Steel Guitar Forum

Best "dobro" in $500 range

Best "dobro" in $500 range

Round Neck