Gold Tone "Weissenborns" and GT/Beard resos

Russ Young · Post by **Russ Young** » 17 Apr 2004 5:48 am

The Gold Tone Weissenborn-style guitars and the resonators they are producing under license from Paul Beard are now on Gold Tone's web site , although there isn't much information on the resonators ...

Chuck McGill · Post by **Chuck McGill** » 17 Apr 2004 12:29 pm

I played a prototype of the 999.00 retail model and it was better than anything else
in that price range and was gorgeous.

Craig Prior · Post by **Craig Prior** » 17 Apr 2004 8:19 pm

Russ, great site! The Weissenborns - I assume that means they're made under license? Is there still a company someplace called Weissenborn? Is it the same one?

They look great and they're nowhere near as expensive as I would have thought. Especially that plain-jane model for $729... naw, the wife would never go for it.

I also got a kick out of listening to the Dojo (that's a banjo/dobro/guitar... sounds fantastic!)

I guess that Scott Cockerham character is the guy playing all the sound samples. Great player.

Russ Young · Post by **Russ Young** » 18 Apr 2004 6:41 am

I recall reading that John Pearse owns the rights to the Weissenborn name -- maybe someone else can enlighten us.

I can't figure out the difference between the "SS" and "SM" models ... other than $100. What am I missing?

Dana Duplan · Post by **Dana Duplan** » 18 Apr 2004 7:01 am

Russ:
The SS is "spruce" top, the SM is "Solid Mahogany" top, and the LM is a "Laminated Mahogany" top. The SM is pictured correctly, but the discription is incorrect as it states "Spruce Top." I saw these at NAMM and they looked pretty nice--I prefered the look of the all Mahogany model, but didn't play them--and it would have been too noisy to hear anyway. FWIW, John Pearse had some Weissenborns a couple of NAMM's ago, that he indicated were made by Maurice Dupont in France (who builds great Selmer style guitars). The mahogany models looked incredibly similar to the Gold Tones, but they were in the $2000 range as I remember. I know I've seen the Dupont made guitars pictured on the web, I believe from a dealer in France. I don't know how many Pearse made--I was considering ordering, but at the price, held off--now the Goldtones are a much better pricepoint!
D

Craig Prior · Post by **Craig Prior** » 18 Apr 2004 8:42 am

"I can't figure out the difference between the "SS" and "SM" models ... other than $100. What am I missing?"

One hundred dollars

Andy Volk · Post by **Andy Volk** » 18 Apr 2004 10:45 am

The Pearse Weissenborns were made in Italy - not in France by M. Dupont. There were a few great-sounding ones but many of 'em had major promlems such as spitting bridge pins out like a gattling gun. They also had a lignum vitae nut. LV is one of the hardest woods (used in things like sculpters mallets & clipper ship turn blocks) but still an eccentric choice for an instrument.

Terry Goodman · Post by **Terry Goodman** » 19 Apr 2004 4:43 am

Anyone selling these yet?

Bernard Beck · Post by **Bernard Beck** » 19 Apr 2004 2:00 pm

Sorry to contradict Andy, but Dupont Guitars are made in France.
They are made in Cognac, which is in western France, where they do make the real Cognac too !!
They have a great Blues Festival there too.
Dupont's site is under construction at : http://www.acoustic-guitars.com/
But on the above adress is a link to e-mail him.
My steel and dobro teacher is playing an all koa Dupont-Weissenborn which sounds really great and looks gorgeous too.
Dupont makes a sort of "budget" weissenborn, all mahoganny. I did try one in a store in Paris, it is a very good instrument too.
If anyone coming through Paris wants info on the stores where you can find them, just email me. I'll be glad to give the adress.

Bernard

Steinar Gregertsen · Post by **Steinar Gregertsen** » 19 Apr 2004 2:09 pm

London Resonator Centre also offers the Maurice Dupont Weissenborns. Here's the one pictured on their website:

Steinar

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www.gregertsen.com

Mike D · Post by **Mike D** » 19 Apr 2004 3:55 pm

Pearse may be having Weissenborn guitars made bt DuPont now, but Andy is correct in that at one time he did offer some Italian made models. I remember because I thought about buying one of the '2nds' he was offering before I built my first guitar.

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Half-assed bottleneck and lap slide player. Full-assed Builder of resonator instruments.

HowardR · Post by **HowardR** » 19 Apr 2004 4:31 pm

Russ Young · Post by **Russ Young** » 20 Apr 2004 9:50 am

I recall reading in an earlier Forum post that the Italian-made Pearse "Weissenborns" were probably built by Musikalia. They're pretty pricey, at least in comparison with the Gold Tones and Superiors -- from $1170 to $2340. When I was first shopping for a Weissenborn-style guitar I was told that Musikalias were best avoided ... but I don't think I've ever met anyone who has actually owned one.[This message was edited by Russ Young on 20 April 2004 at 11:56 AM.]

Olli Haavisto · Post by **Olli Haavisto** » 22 Apr 2004 9:53 pm

What is the finish like on the GTs? Satin or gloss? Any more comments on the one you tried,Chuck?

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Olli Haavisto
Polar steeler
Finland

[This message was edited by Olli Haavisto on 23 April 2004 at 02:35 AM.]

Chuck McGill · Post by **Chuck McGill** » 23 Apr 2004 3:11 am

Sorry Olli I played the resonator but I will
have the weissenborns in stock also when they become available.

Bernard Beck · Post by **Bernard Beck** » 25 Apr 2004 5:55 am

The store in Paris which now has a couple of Dupont Weissenborns is
Oldies Guitars
31 rue Victor Massé
75009 Paris
http://www.oldies-guitars.com/luthiers/dupont2.html

Keep on picking

Bernard

Terry Goodman · Post by **Terry Goodman** » 25 Apr 2004 9:17 am

Care to translate, Bernard?

Bernard Beck · Post by **Bernard Beck** » 25 Apr 2004 10:03 am

Yeah, the english part of the site doesn't work
OK for some translation
Acajou is Mahogany
Koa is ..........................

The LUTHIER marker will send you to the list of three or four craftmen from which they sell the production.

LE MAGASIN means the store, general infos.

I guess you can email them through the CONTACT marker.

By the way the store is in the PIGALLE area, a funny thing in Paris. The best music stores are near the sexshops and gogo-girls bars.

Well I guess thats part of Paris life.

As far as prices are concerned, right now 1 euro is about 1.15 or 1.2 US$.
That makes the Koa Weissenborn VERY expensive. But I can assure you it is an incredible instrument.

Just keep on picking

Bernard[This message was edited by Bernard Beck on 25 April 2004 at 02:35 PM.]

Ian McLatchie · Post by **Ian McLatchie** » 29 Apr 2004 12:42 pm

I played both an SS and an SM model Goldtone yesterday and was extremely impressed. Cosmetically they certainly don't compare with more expensive Weissenborn knock-offs. The SS is frankly pretty ugly, with a garish amber finish that reminded me of a toy guitar I had as a child. The SM isn't quite so gaudy, but is still no beauty, and both instruments had some fairly shoddy finishing details (glue smears around the bridge, etc.). Considering the price and sound quality, though, these limitations were easy to overlook. The SS especially was a really good sounding guitar, which, unlike a number of much more expensive copies I've tried, actually had that distinctive Weissenborn 'edge.' On the Gold Tone web site I see that the suggested retail prices are $999 U.S. for the SS and $899 for the SM, but these were selling for about the same prices in Canadian dollars (that's about $725 and $650 U.S., respectively). At those prices, these instruments were a HELL of a buy, more of a bargain even than the Gold Tone lap steel. Worth checking out!

Bill Leff · Post by **Bill Leff** » 10 May 2004 6:02 am

I was in L.A. over the weekend and visited McCabe's guitar shop, which has both models of the new Goldtone "Weisenborns". I played both and was not impressed with the sound or look of either in the least. Neither were very loud or resonant(I'll will say the strings were too light guaged, and perhaps were a bit on the dead side, but I'm not very particular when it comes to having fresh strings on an instrument, so I don't think that was the problem).
I own a spruce top Superior and there was no comparison in terms of tone (the Superior being vastly "superior"). I would definetly recommend you try before you buy one of the Goldtones.

On a brighter note, I played two nice sounding resos (a Beard and a Tut Taylor) a to-die-for maple Collings flattop among many other more forgettable guitars.

Erv Niehaus · Post by **Erv Niehaus** » 10 May 2004 8:26 am

I have a Superior and the sustain just goes on and on and on and----------.
And it certainly is good looking with the gold tuners and the abalone rosette.

Erv[This message was edited by Erv Niehaus on 10 May 2004 at 09:27 AM.]