Copper Mountain by Beard Guitars

[Howard Parker]

Paul has released a spec sheet on the new "Copper Mountain" line. Composite body with a birch top. Hand built in the Beard shop. Picture is up on the company's FB page. This is a baffled guitar.

Full disclosure..I've played it and I think it is very cool. It sounds like a....resonator guitar. smiley The square and round neck guitars share a common cutaway body, probably to keep costs down.

We'll have a bunch at IBMA.

I know the square neck will retail for $1,499.

Usual Beard specs. I'll have them very soon.

That is all!!

[Cartwright Thompson]

Looks interesting, but a square neck with a cutaway....

[Paul DiMaggio]

I am baffled by the cutaway on a squareneck, almost as much as the guitar is baffled.

[gary pierce]

Looks like a composite body on a Ovation guitar, and no pickup included.

[Brad Bechtel]

No pickup included, but the Fishman Nashville pickup is available.

It looks interesting to me. That's a good price for a Beard guitar and in my opinion hits a sweet spot in the market.

I'm not bothered by the cutaway at all.

[Ken Pippus]

I would bet Beard will sell many more roundnecks for this model, and the cutaway will be a selling feature in that market.

[Tony Dingus]

I saw/listened to Josh Swift demo this guitar on facebook at the IBMA last week. The guitar sounds great. Josh gave it a good report.

Tony

[Howard Parker]

FWIW Beard brought six of the squarenecks to IBMA last week. He returned home with none of them.

No one seemed to care about the cutaway. The guitar sounds nothing like many would expect. Surprised everyone that played them.

Me thinks Beard has a winner here.

h

[Mark Eaton]

Howard, as I posted about on Reshangout, the initial kneejerk reaction about the squareneck having a cutaway was to be expected - as if the idea of this question coming up never crossed Paul's mind during the design and manufacturing process.

So aside from people sitting down and playing them and then loving the guitars, how many times during the IBMA (International Bluegrass Music Association convention in Raleigh, NC) did you have to answer questions about the cutaway?

[Howard Parker]

Funny you should ask. Maybe about 30-40% of the time.

Paul explained it was a cost savings move. He had a price point in mind. A prototype full body was made and was determined that there really wasn't a sonic difference between the two. More cost efficient to deal with a single design. He also pointed out that the guitar is instantly recognizable and the cutaway would just be considered a unique design element in the squareneck world and a desired feature in the roundneck market.

It shouldn't surprise anyone that knows Paul that this design was a long time in coming and there was opportunity for a number of "players" to try the guitar and offer feedback. The feedback was positive and here we are.

There was a question about the nature of the "composite" body. I do not know the formulation but it is NOT carbon fiber.

Hope that helps.

h

[Howard Parker]

Try THIS VIDEO. I copied this from the Beard FB page so the video is compressed. You'll get decent camera audio.

I'll leave this up for a while.

[Godfrey Arthur]

Try THIS VIDEO. I copied this from the Beard FB page so the video is compressed. You'll get decent camera audio.

I'll leave this up for a while.

Pretty consistent up and down the neck. No dead spots. Guy can play!

[Howard Parker]

Josh Swift. Doyle Lawson's right hand man. Super guy.

h

[K Maul]

I LIKE this idea. Might be an excellent instrument to fly with.

[Dale Foreman]

Are thee guitars available for retail? Where can I get one?

[Howard Parker]

Beard Guitars or their dealers.