The Steel Guitar Forum

Lookin' at buyin' one.
1. Do any have a scale like my D10? I tried one and the scale is much longer than my steel.
2. Are there any 8 string ones (I want C6 tuning) for under $600 that sound good?
3. What else do I need to know but don't know to ask?
Thanks for the help.

1) What's the scale length on your D10? Without knowing that, I can't answer. I can say that most resonator guitars have a 25" scale length, whereas many electric steel guitars have a 22.5" scale length. I don't believe anyone makes a short scale resophonic guitar under $600, but I could be wrong.
2) I don't really know of any eight string resonator guitars under $600, regardless of whether they sound good or not. I understand Gold Tone is coming out with an eight string model, but it's slightly more than $600.
3) The two brands recommended in that price range are the Gold Tone (Paul Beard) models and the Wechter (Scheerhorn) models.

Parr, correct me if I'm wrong, but don't the vast majority of pedal steel guitars have a scale of at least 24 1/4 inches?

And as Brad mentioned, your typical resonator guitar will have a scale of about 25", which isn't a huge difference, unlike comparing it to some lap steels having a 22 1/2" scale.

Are you concerned about slants being too difficult with a 25" guitar?

My advice is not to sweat it - you are going to want the longer scale for the sustain - after all, we are talking about an acoustic instrument here.

For 8 string dobro players, this new Gold Tone Beard being unveiled at the NAMM Show is pretty exciting stuff.

The ballpark street price of the new 8 string Gold Tone is $750, and I don't believe you are going to do any better than that unless you find an older OMI Dobro 8 string, and for it to come in at $600 or under it will no doubt be in pretty shoddy condition.

Here is a link to a photo of of the new 8 string:

http://reso-nation.org/files/imagepicke ... y/pbs8.jpg

I'll second what Brad and Mark have said. As Mark mentioned, they are different instruments and take a different approach. My guess is that the string spacing on your D10 is considerably closer than a dobro.

Dave

Another thing you may want to consider is that Dobros are usually set up for (and sound better with) heavier string gages -- maybe a 0.013" to 0.016" on top and larger from there.

With that in mind, you could probably tune to C6 with an E on top (FACEGACE) or a D on top (ACEGACED) but not with a high G. If you like the high 5th on top, you may end up using a lower G6 or A6 tuning -- with the same intervals.

I believe that Mike Auldridge uses G6 (EGBDEGBD) for his eight-string tuning. At the moment, I have one of my six-strings set up with the highest six notes of that tuning (BDEGBD)...but I miss the root on the bottom.

hi -

is there word on when this one will be available?

U.

The word posted over on Reso-Nation is that the 8 string GT will be available in 2-3 months and Paul Beard is currently taking orders.

Dave

Would you be so kind to let me know what email I can use to get in touch with Paul Beard?

For some reason the above post was the only information I could find on that new instrument...

Thanks,

U.

You rang?


I will have at least one of the new PBS8's in Dallas