Deliberating on my first Dobro...

[Rob Morrison]

Hi all, I know there have been a few posts like this over the years, but hopefully the difference in timeline and specifics can justify this one.

I play guitar (a lot of slide, in open tunings), lap steel in C6, as well as mandolin and banjo. Lately I've been listening to a lot of country and bluegrass music and have been noticing the dobro passages more than usual. I'm really getting the hankering to have a squareneck spider resonator instrument in GBDGBD. (In a perfect world, I'd love to get something that already has a pickup installed).

Since we're living in a quarantined world here in NYC, any purchase I make in the near future will have to be online.

I have a roundneck National Triolian that is probably my favorite instrument...and also probably the most expensive thing I own (just under 3k! Yikes). I'd love to aim for around the $1000 mark with a dobro. Most of my other instruments were purchased for around $900-1000, and these include some of my favorites (Rickenbacker B6 lap steel purchased through this forum, Fender Baja Tele, vintage Gibson Marauder). Obviously, solid-body guitars are cheaper to manufacture than something like a dobro though, so I can see how that same price point might not get me as far in the world of dobros. I would much rather spend a little extra to get something that could very well be a lifetime guitar instead of something I'll "grow out of" in a year or two, should my playing really take off. I don't have much space in my apartment left for instruments, and no need for two dobros (I think). My mandolins are on the pricier side, and I can see why a truly good dobro would be above the 1k range.

The Gold Tone Paul Beard models seem to be the choice du jour for most beginners or those on a budget. I'll admit to looking down my nose a bit at Gold Tone stuff, but people do seem to consider the PBS models (esp. those setup at Beard) to be worthy instruments. Some friends have also steered me towards the Beard Deco models, which are a bit spendier than I was hoping for, but I do prefer to support USA-made instruments when possible. I'm a bit concerned about the "vintage-voiced" vs "modern-voiced" distinction. I'm fairly certain I'll end up jamming/recording/gigging with whatever dobro I wind up with, and I want to make sure it can hold its own volume-wise. The Deco models seem to be a throwback to pre-war instruments, which certainly appeals to my aesthetic more than the Gold Tone options...but I'm not sure if I'd regret having less "punch" or volume by going with a more "traditional" style instrument. The only direct comparison video I could find on Youtube used the larger-bodied Deco 57 compared against the Gold Tone PBS, but the price point on a 57 is really straining my budget...

I briefly considered Appalachian brand as well, but I have a feeling these will be way out of my price range.

Any thoughts and input would be deeply appreciated! Thanks in advance.

[Jerry Overstreet]

I'm not going to make a recommendation based on your poll choices, but you mention Appalachian. Tom Warner is the guy who owned the company, but I think that has since changed. I believe Tom is still building guitars under his own name.

Don't give up on these guitars as being out of your budget. Look over on www.resohangout.com for a used one under either name. These sometimes come up for sale at great prices and they are more guitar for your money than many of the others.

I think you will find nothing but good reviews from people who play these. A tremendous value on a US built resonator from a fine builder.

[Brooks Montgomery]

I'd look at this listing:
https://www.resohangout.com/classified/10968

[Rob Morrison]

Thanks for the feedback so far. I did find this used Warner dobro on the ResoHangout: https://www.resohangout.com/classified/10831

Not sure how birch fares as a tonewood...

[Ken Pippus]

You can buy a nice inexpensive birch Mike Auldridge model from Beard for about $4000. Birch isn't a problem.

[Jerry Overstreet]

The Deco series guitars from Beard are Birch also as are some others.

[Rob Morrison]

Thanks again all! Good to know birch is a common tonewood in dobros.

[Howard Parker]

The guitars mentioned are birch laminate guitars, of which dobros have been built from since the beginning.

The Deco's have the same profile as pre-war dobro but the guts are a modern design, using the same technology as the $$$ Beard "E" family. The exception is the M57 which features a thinner Beard "E" body.

fwiw, my personal favorite of the Beard designed Gold Tone is the maple laminate PBS-D. Just a bit more "spark". But heck, that's with my right hand.

Full disclosure - Happily retired Beard biz guy. I still work for him from time to time.

Good luck. Have fun.

hp

[David Maniscalco]

I owned a Beard setup Goldtone PBS-D (which I traded in for an American Beard) and have played the Deco Phonics when I visited Hagerstown in preparation for the trade in.

Both the Model 27 & 37 had a sweet sound and very cool vintage vibe, although to my ears seemed quieter than the Goldtone. The 57 felt and sounded fairly similar to my Goldtone (which sounded really good, btw) and matched it in volume but lost that vintage vibe & sound that the 27 & 37 possessed.

Honestly, you can't go wrong with either a Beard set-up Goldtone or Deco Phonic. Not sure what is in stock (or what will be in stock in the near future) but both are eligible for a full trade in on an American Beard when bought from Beard, which is a pretty awesome perk. I don't have an answer about which one is better, as both are excellent options.

[Adam Tracksler]

There’s a McKenna on the rest hangout that looks mighty nice in your price range. There is also one on reverb.

I would also check out the redline resophonics they are amazing and if you look hard you can find something in your price range.

[Douglas Schuch]

Hey,

I've just gone down the same path trying to figure out what I wanted for a 6-stringer (currently own a 7-string Sho-Bro).

First, I would suggest you start here: Search Youtube for "Beard demo mike witcher" and also "beard demo Josh Swift". Both guys have done demos of a number of Beard resos, all done on the same day with same mic setup and same or similar tunes. Your goal is to decide which body style produces the tone you like best. Listen with good quality headphones or reference speakers in a quiet room, or you won't hear any difference. Keep in mind that different players have different styles, and no two resos of the same exact model sound exactly the same (although good builders these days have reduced the variability that older models were known for, I think).

I recently did the same, I definitely prefer the tone of the large-body resos - fuller bass, for a more balanced overall tone. Sounds more like a cross between a Jumbo or Dreadnaught acoustic with a vintage style Dobro. But that's me - you may prefer the vintage tone, with more bite from the resonator, with loud, twangy high strings and more muted bass.

Once you have an idea of the basic body shape/design you want, then you can figure out brand. Sure, I'd love a Beard E or a Sheerhorn L. Those are $4k on up. I might as well buy a lotto ticket. So, alternatives.

Tom Warner is indeed still building resos. He will make a Birch or "hybrid" (Birch top/bottom and maple sides) large body for $1295. He will do your choice of Hardwoods for $1595. A few weeks ago he had an R-body (smaller, traditional Dobro size) with curly maple sides and back and a spruce top for $1195. These are all with hard case.

Tom Warner <appreso51>

You can also consider James Adams, in Texas. He currently has a birch laminate with a maple top on the FB page Resophonic Sales/Trades for $1300. Search him to find his home page.

Appalachian - he seems to be focusing on glammed out resos at a very affordable price. I thought about it - but my skills don't justify a higher price, and in the end, it's the tone. As Howard says above, perhaps the most popular modern professional reso is the Mike Auldridge Signature, and they are made from birch ply. Paul Beard would have made them out of whatever Mike wanted - Mike wanted birch. They sound great.

Check out Jake Clayton - he's a pro multi-instrumentalist, but not real well known yet. I met him when he was playing dobro with Sunny Sweeney and I was the captain of the boat that hauled them, and all the other performers for the Love City Country Music Festival opening party at Jost Van Dyke. He was playing a Beard Signature Gold Tone (I think his is the Maple Deluxe that Howard likes) with a hipshot doubleshot on it - and it sounded great. They are more traditional in design/build/tone - might be fine if that is what you want. From what I hear, the Deco's are a step up. I definitely prefer the Deco 57 - the larger body ones. Again, you may prefer one of the more traditional shapes.

I hope that helps!

[Lance Clifford]

Tom Warner was mentioned a few times, so I did a search to learn more and came across Bobby Branton's "For sale" post at this forum: https://bb.steelguitarforum.com/viewtopic.php?t=352754

Clicked on his profile to see his other posts and he has (or did have) others listed for sale.

[Mike Harris]

I have a Goldtone Beard all-solid woods model. I haven't heard a Goldtone laminate that comes close to the sustain and complexity of mine. YMMV, but for me it's a lot of bang for the buck.

[Rob Morrison]

@Lance - yes, that's the same Tom Warner guitar I saw on the ResoHangout classifieds. Definitely a contender...

@Douglas - thanks, that's exactly the closest thing to a scientific approach that I needed! After a cursory viewing of a slew of Mike Witcher and Josh Swift videos, I definitely prefer the tone of the larger-bodied Beard models like an E. The Deco models have fewer overtones (to my ear), and a "flubbier" bass response. Of course this is just what I'm gleaning through my headphones and through the compressed format that is YouTube. Like you said, I may as well hope for a winning lotto ticket when it comes to affording a 4k dollar guitar, but it's helpful information nonetheless.

@Adam - good to know! I don't know much about McKenna or Redline, I'll research both. Thanks!

@David - yep, the Beard trade-in offer is super tempting. Doesn't look like they have any Deco models on their site at the moment, but they do have most of the Gold Tones.

@Howard - very cool! And yes, the Gold Tone PBS-D definitely caught my eye. What's the perspective on maple vs birch as a tonewood? Both are less common in standard acoustic guitars, so I don't have much experience in comparing them.

Part of me wants to wait a few months for some local music stores to reopen so I can play something, anything before making a decision. Then again, I've got nothing but time on my hands here in NYC for the foreseeable future, and I could be getting to know a new reso during quarantine. Hmmmm. Thanks all for your input! I'll keep ruminating.

[Howard Parker]

@Howard - very cool! And yes, the Gold Tone PBS-D definitely caught my eye. What's the perspective on maple vs birch as a tonewood? Both are less common in standard acoustic guitars, so I don't have much experience in comparing them.

Birch laminate is a a classic "wood" for spider bridge guitars. It got a huge boost in popularity with the Mike Auldridge MA 6/8 baffled guitars in the early 2000s. Big body. Huge bass response. The guitar's been described as the "grand piano" of reso's

Solid maple became insanely popular when Tim Scheerhorn designed his guitars with an internal scoop back in the 90's. It took off like a rocket when Jerry Douglas started playing one. You can hear that guitar on the early Alison Krauss & Union Station "Featuring Jerry Douglas" recordings from that era. I think the open body, maple E is still one of Beard's more popular builds even as it's been eclipsed by his Jerry Douglas family of solid mahogany guitars.

Tonewoods can become "trendy" largely driven by choices of top players. There are of course, lots of choices & combinations available. It's the "golden age".

hp

[Howard Parker]

To compare the Gold Tone PBS (mahogany laminate) to PBS-D (maple laminate):

Exact same build design. The PBS-D has nicer cosmetics.

The consensus and my personal .02 is that even with the thin maple veneer, the PBS-D exudes the maple characteristic of a "brighter", more "aggressive" expression than the mahogany laminate.

But, I emphasize that "ymmv" in all cases.

Hope that helps.

h

[Rob Morrison]

@Howard - amazing, thanks so much for the info! ‘Tis much appreciated.

[Rob Morrison]

An option I hadn't considered until now is the Beard Copper Mountain. It's not as aesthetically pleasing to me as something like the Deco Phonics models, but with a Lollar pickup and maybe a Fishman too, it would have a lot of tonal options. Does anyone here have experience with the Copper Mountain model? I want to make sure whatever I get has good acoustic tonality, not just a great pickup system.

Haha if it's not clear already, I'm considering stretching my original budget a little...

[Howard Parker]

A jam session with known players. Several play Copper Mountains.

h

[Douglas Schuch]

Rob,

Most of the Beard models are, I believe, made to order. So don't expect to find what you want "in the shop" unless it's a Gold Tone. If you buy the GT, buy it from Beard - not just the trade in - the setup is reportedly much better from Beard.

I would look at used resos more, but I live in the Philippines - anything I buy has to go to a freight forwarder in CA who loads it into a container, and I get it in about 2 months, and very few options to return ship. So I buy something, I'm stuck with it. I ordered a Seydel Session Steel harmonica from an Amazon vendor back around start of the year. The other day my package of goodies all arrived - no Seidel Harmonica - just a reed plate. The vendor and Amazon are ignoring me as it was just over 3 months from when it arrived at the freight forwarder until I got it.

There was a Beard R model (97% sure that's what he had based on pics and serial number) on Reverb a month or so ago for $800. If I were in the US I would have snatched it. Here? Nope. But you can keep your eyes open. Watch Craigslist in your area - sometimes Mike Auldridge models come up at good prices.

So I decided I needed to stick to a new one, but had limited funds, so chose what every review I've read says is a great instrument from a great builder, but reasonably priced.

Copper Mountain - Beard had those on a special for about $1500, made to order. I really wanted to like it (even though, like you, I don't like the visual aesthetics - I wish they would make non-cutaway versions). But alas, the sound is more in line with the R-model - classic Dobro sounding to me. I don't play with a bluegrass band - I play with a country band that ventures into other stuff some, and an acoustic duo. I just really prefer the full tone of the large bodies for my style. I would love to also have a Deco 47 biscuit bridge square neck for that classic bluesy sound. Well, maybe someday. I prefer that to the small-body spider bridge resos (again, based on the sound tests - no dobros near me to try out!). Howard has had the privilege to play many different dobros - I'd pay more attention to his take on them than mine, just listening to sound tests. Better yet, make a road trip to somewhere that you can play some instrumeents.

McKenna - he's not building anymore. They have a reputation for sounding excellent.

Be aware that to fully use the Fishman pickup you will also need a Jerry Douglas Aura Pedal - another $400 or so. Howard recently put a video on Youtube about amplifying a reso - check that out.

Howard - so the PBS-D is just one layer of maple veneer over the standard wood? Also, what is that standard wood - they say "mahogany". Being from China, I'm guessing it might be meranti (aka, Luaun, or "Philippine mahogany". And the third model - the solid mahogany - how would you compare that to the other two? I appreciate also your comments on the fads for tonewoods. Currently, the more heavily figured and unique, the better, it seems. Personally, I think the tiger-striped maples look as pretty as anything, but in the end, it's the sound (and for me, price).

Good luck!

[Rob Morrison]

Doug, thanks for the feedback! I didn't realize most of the Beards are built to order, that's good to know. And I've definitely also heard that Beard setups are essential for the Gold Tones, and I wouldn't consider getting one that didn't have a setup from Beard.

A Beard R for $800?! That's wild. Cheapest I could find right now is a Vintage R for $1800.

It's good to hear your thoughts (and yours, Howard) about the Copper Mountain. I like the "workhorse" approach to the instrument....whatever I buy, there's a chance (unless I end up sucking at dobro, which is possible) that I'll wind up in many different rehearsal spaces, performance venues, and on the road with this thing (in, like, 2021 or something, when people can safely gather again). The Copper Mountain appeals to those needs and seems like a good compromise on my budget (1500 range, there's one on Reverb a little under that price with a Lollar installed), even if the aesthetics aren't quite my thing. But the tone side of things is inconclusive, and short of watching Youtube demos (which I've done) I can't really know without playing one in person, which I can't do in NYC right now. The most I've been able to glean from Mike Witcher demos on Youtube is that, not surprisingly, I prefer the larger bodied Beards like the Deco 57, E, R, unless I'm mistaken (quite possible).

Of the few steel player friends I have, their opinions have been split between recommending a Deco Phonic, Copper Mountain, or Gold Tone, with a nod to Tom Warner's guitars as well.

So yeah, I'm torn between the Deco models, Copper Mountain, various used (or new) Tom Warner options (which are a little friendlier to my budget), or going for broke with something a little nicer like from Beard (if I'm spending 1500 on a Copper Mountain, maybe I should stretch the budget and just go for an R or something in that 1800 ballpark?). I'm leaning away from the Gold Tone PBS offerings at the moment, but that could change. All of which to say I appreciate everyone's feedback on here, and am carefully weighing my options!

[Jim Sliff]

Talk to Tom Warner.

He will make an Appalachian with outstanding tone and should be able to fit your budget. He only makes "glam" guitars when they are ordered that way. I ordered a olid maple,, soundpost-and-baffle, deep-well instrument with a custom finish to look like a '59 Les Paul Sunburst and the price was a fraction of STOCK "name brand" instrument. It's been played head-to-head with Beards and Scheerhorns owners of the expensive instruments got that "deer in the headlights" look when they heard the price (which I won't mention, as it was a few years ago).

his setup work is also flawless. Most production instruments don't have carefully-notched nuts and saddles where the bar contacts all strings with NO bar pressure, which is critical to playing ease. Tom not only sets thewm up carefully but the soundposts are specifically shaped and placed for optimum tone - plus there's a molded acrylic baffle that really brings the screen(less) holes into play.

I havea collection of several vintage and newer resonators, but the two that get the bulk of the playing time are the Appy as my day-to-day instrument and a 1936 model 37 I use only for traditional bluegrass.

[Greg Booth]

Nobody has mentioned these yet but by all accounts the Recording King dobros sound great, are well made and are the best value now. The Maxwell is a trad sound well design for $399 and the Phil Leadbetter model is a modern open body w sound post design for $699. Here is Phil playing it with Steve Gulley. https://youtu.be/onYGuObAazs

[Douglas Schuch]

Rob,

A few quick points: R-bodies are not large bodies. That stands for "Regal" as it is based on the Regal Dobro shape of the prewar era, so is a traditional size resonator. Basically, it's designed/built to sound like the best of the pre-war Dobros.

Having said that, I agree that the tone Mike Witcher gets from the Vintage R in one of the series of sound tests he did sounds amazingly good with a much richer bass that the other small-body resos he tested. I can't say if that was his technique, that particular reso, or if all the Vintage R models have that sound.

As for those amazing deals - they come along rarely and don't stay there long. But in the past few months I've seen both that R-model for $800, and a 1 year old Beard E model (maple) with Fishman pickup for $2500. The shop did not know WHICH pickup. I told them how to tell, in about 30 seconds, if it was a Nashville or not, and they said they'd get back to me in a few days???? Of course, it sold before they replied, or i would own it.

I am actually a bit surprised at how few resonators other than Dobro brand or the very cheap Chinese ones turn up on the usual used sites (here, Reso-Hangout, Ebay, Reverb). Maybe it's because I've only really been paying attention since the start of the year, and with the COVID lockdown so many places people may be picking up and playing instruments they were ignoring 6 months ago!

Jim Sliff: Tom Warner no longer makes the Appalachian Resonators. He sold the name/business and provided training to Tony Langley, who still makes them. Tony told me he could make a flame maple with the Nashville pickup installed similar to the one on his home page for $2500. I think he will build whatever you want, but his website says:

Tony's goal is to to take Appalachian Guitars to the "next level," and that is the "Wow!" factor. Our guitars are not only the best sounding, but we strive to be the best looking guitar, too!

http://appalachianguitars.com/

He has some tough competition if he wants to make the best looking resos - I've seen some pretty impressive eye candy from Byrl and Lindamon. But in truth, I prefer the beauty of a nice tiger-stripe maple without the heavy sunburst most use that hides a lot of the grain. But that's another topic!

[Rob Morrison]

Whoops, I feel like a doofus! Noted on the R-type body shape.

Greg, thanks for mentioning the Recording King. I recently bought a Recording King roundneck tricone, and I feel kind of so-so about it. As such, the Leadbetter hasn’t been on my mind as much. I’ll admit that I probably shouldn’t hold an anti-RK bias against the whole company for one guitar experience, though.