mudman612 - Posted - 09/18/2019:  07:46:40

Because of the price difference and not having access to any dobros other than my own, I often have questions about various models I see online. I would love to hear what the sound quality and playing differences are in the Tim Scheerhorn, Scheerhorns and the National Scheerhorns.

docslyd - Posted - 09/18/2019:  11:58:14

Sometimes descriptions cannot express such things. Sound variations are as important as "in-hand" feel and playability. Somehow experience the instruments in your own hands, even if you have to travel. There are such opportunities at gatherings, festivals, jams and in the presence of members here....my suggestion.  Along those lines....let us know where you are located, that could help.

Edited by - docslyd on 09/18/2019 11:59:28

chrisakeley - Posted - 09/18/2019:  12:12:40

Oooh, that's a big one. In terms of shopping and comparisons, your best bet is to get yourself to a festival or (better) a dobro workshop where players congregate. I find people are pretty cool about letting you try their instruments if you're polite and patient. Then you can trust your own ears. You might find a store that has something like a comparable inventory but it's unusual at best.

I think the general wisdom on Scheerhorns is that that National ones are pretty darn good but the hand-made ones sound better. (Of course, the hand-made ones cost 2-3 times as much.) I know Tim will go to some length to explain that they are structurally identical.

It's pretty hard to describe how any instrument sounds, tbh.

MarkinSonoma - Posted - 09/18/2019:  15:01:32

Welcome mudman. Hopefully you'll add an avatar photo of some kind and give us at least your first name and where you live. Especially your location where we might  be able to suggest where and when you can test drive guitars.

With some of the Tim-built guitars when one has the opportunity to play them, the clouds part and the heavens open up. Others are just very nice guitars. I think this is not rare or unusual  for the majority of the world's quality guitar builders.

Tim has worked with National to get the specs and measurements almost identical to his L-Body guitars. But what I have experienced since the Nati-horns hit the market 5+ years ago is that they would often benefit from a new aftermarket setup  from the handful of setup "wizards" around the country.

I know that Tim Scheerhorn spent some time here in California training the National folks on final setup and assembly and they are definitely professional quality instruments, but there are episodes of Tim himself setting them up and this is when the Nati-horns seem to reach their full potential.  

Major difference in price between buying a used Tim-built L-Body vs. a Nati-horn.  Were I in the market I would have to price-wise seriously lean toward the Nati-horn but I would contact Tim in Michigan beforehand to see if he would still be willing to have me send it to him for a fresh setup. 

firelakekid - Posted - 09/24/2019:  10:24:13

It was I think a couple years ago that I was in the market for a dobro and I went to Elderly's Instruments in Lansing, Mi. (Which is a wonderful place for stringed instruments.). There I tried several Beard dobros; and some of the National Scheerhorns. Then....I tried a Tim Scheerhorn dobro that was there on consignment. That Tim Scheerhorn was just an exceptional instrument. I just loved it. Of course, I could not afford the $8500 price tag. The other Scheerhorns were good and so were the Beards that I tried. But they did not inspire me. And they were not inexpensive. Ultimately I ended up buying a used Beard R body on line. It fits my needs and was half the price. And it sounds very good. But...if I would have had the cash for the Tim Scheerhorn, I would have bought it in a heartbeat. I remember setting my bar on the strings and just moving it lightly. It was so expressive, smooth, etc. That instrument still haunts me. The National Scheerhorns, did not.

MarkinSonoma - Posted - 09/24/2019:  14:28:01

quote:

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Originally posted by firelakekid

Then....I tried a Tim Scheerhorn dobro that was there on consignment. That Tim Scheerhorn was just an exceptional instrument. I just loved it. Of course, I could not afford the $8500 price tag.

... But...if I would have had the cash for the Tim Scheerhorn, I would have bought it in a heartbeat. 

---

Sort of a "universal truth" when it comes to expensive guitars, nice cars one takes for a test drive, or visiting an Open Home on  Sunday of a place you'd really like to live but it's out of your price range. There are a lot of nice things we'd buy in a heartbeat  but  it's just not in the cards. LOL

The great thing about Elderly is that Tim Scheerhorn has a long association with them and is a Michigander himself. If one were to purchase a Nati-horn it's quite possible he'd still be willing to do a setup on it. There have been stories,  and one or more of them have been told on this site, of Tim doing his personal setup  on  Nati-horn guitars and players and listeners have a difficult time between it being a Tim-built or a National-built. 

RODNEY CARTER - Posted - 03/04/2020:  09:27:52

Would anyone know where Dobro #422 is in the picture, I sold it to Don Tinsley, I would like to buy it back

Oboe Cadobro - Posted - 03/04/2020:  14:58:43

quote:

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Originally posted by RODNEY CARTER

Would anyone know where Dobro #422 is in the picture, I sold it to Don Tinsley, I would like to buy it back

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Rodney, what does this have to do with Scheerhorns? Best start your own thread.

RODNEY CARTER - Posted - 03/04/2020:  15:23:11

I am Sorry

docslyd - Posted - 03/04/2020:  17:03:03

 

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Originally posted by Oboe Cadobro

quote:

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Originally posted by RODNEY CARTER

Would anyone know where Dobro #422 is in the picture, I sold it to Don Tinsley, I would like to buy it back

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Rodney, what does this have to do with Scheerhorns? Best start your own thread.

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Because, although he uses the term Dobro, it is a Scheerhorn for which he is looking....

Oboe Cadobro - Posted - 03/04/2020:  17:06:46

quote:

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Originally posted by docslyd

 

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Originally posted by Oboe Cadobro

quote:

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Originally posted by RODNEY CARTER

Would anyone know where Dobro #422 is in the picture, I sold it to Don Tinsley, I would like to buy it back

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Rodney, what does this have to do with Scheerhorns? Best start your own thread.

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Because, although he uses the term Dobro, it is a Scheerhorn for which he is looking....

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Gotcha...my apologies to Rodney...

Bigred - Posted - 03/16/2020:  18:29:11

Does anyone have Tim's contact info?
Thanks in advance...

crk - Posted - 11/25/2020:  20:05:42

Jumping in on an old thread hoping it may be of interest to anybody comparing Scheerhorn options. I am fortunate enough to have a hand made 'wish list' Scheerhorn of Sinker Mahogany that I really love. The sound and playability are amazing. I also bought a mahogany National Resophonic 'Scheerhorn model' to use for travel and lessons etc figuring it would be really close to my Tim built. It was darn decent. I sent it to Tim who was kind enough to do a set up for me, and install a fishman as well. I would say my rating of them regarding tone/playability on a scale of 1 to 10 with 10 the best, is the hand built Tim is a 10 , The Tim Set up National/Scheerhorn is an 8, and the stock from the factory National Scheerhorn is a 6. But don't take that to mean a '6' is not a great resonator, it is really nice, it is just the other two are notches above it. Hope that helps.

Edited by - crk on 11/25/2020 20:06:35

Doug Schuch - Posted - 11/26/2020:  16:25:02

What the heck, I'll hop in here. I am fairly new to reso, but have played pedal steel for about 10 years (long enough to still suck at it). Over on the Steel Guitar Forum, they sometimes play a "game" where someone with several different pedal steels will record each of them playing the same thing, mention which models he has, and the readers then try to figure out which numbered track was which guitar. Results are pretty much in the same range as random guesses would be, despite many people swearing their particular favorite model sounds better than any other.

It would be interesting to have someone record several different resos using the same recording setup (and it would have to be a pretty good quality setup - decent mic. the proper 8-12 inches away or whatever "standard" recording advice is) and see if we can tell which is which.

Resos vary more than pedal steels, not so much by brand, I think, but by design - small vs. large body being the most obvious example, but also tone wood choice, etc.

Of course, a recording is not the same thing as hearing it at close range, which is also different from playing it yourself. There may be qualities to a reso that are only really apparent to the musician playing the instrument. If so, one must question whether those qualities are really worth an extra $3000 or more! But recording through a well placed good mic will give you an idea of what an audience will hear if one plays live.

OK, who's up for recording their "quiver" (to steal a surfer term)?