resobass - Posted - 11/06/2021:  13:59:12

Hi all. I got a Gold Tone Paul Beard Signature Series PBS Squareneck that was sold as new, but I am not convinced. Why?



1) It had a paper towel wrapped over a piece of folded corrugated cardboard under the strings between the bridge and the neck that I am guessing was there to help it in shipping (see attached picture)

2) My fingers get dirty when I play it, which doesn't happen when I play my guitar or my bass unless I haven't changed strings for a really, really long time. NB: my fingers get dirty because I am still getting used to finger picks and sometimes play without them, so my right hand fingers make direct contact with the strings

3) The 6th string buzzes on the first few frets unless I push the back of the tone bar down farther than it seems like I should need to

4) Three of the four screws holding the metal piece in place above the bridge were so loose that it rattled like crazy when I played until I tightened them up.



Any one of those things might make me think "eh, that's life in the city" except the paper towel thing still seems weird to me even if it supports strings in shipping. But all four of those things together are making me deeply suspicious since I would expect a $1,000 instrument to arrive in a playable condition once I've tuned the strings. I have played bass and guitar for a few decades but am new to reso-world so I don't have an informed frame of reference and am wondering if this is actually new.



What's the collective wisdom from this group? I am eager to put time into this, but am wondering if I should return this instrument and find another one or if this is the way it generally is and I need to adjust my assumptions.



Thanks!

Edited by - resobass on 11/06/2021 14:03:50

Cardboard

 

MarkinSonoma - Posted - 11/06/2021:  15:37:01

Not much to go on with only the cardboard/paper towel photo. Probably the seller's take on a shipping precaution. 

Speaking of the seller, I am guessing  it was a retail store since you wrote it was sold  as new. Might have been hanging on a hook for quite awhile and the strings are old and have been sampled by a lot of walk-in customers. 

Screws on the coverplate  -  Could be after you decided to purchase they just grabbed it off the wall and packed it up for shipping without giving it a good once over. 

Photos of the guitar and more information about the purchase might help instead of my stabbing in the dark above. 

Edited by - MarkinSonoma on 11/06/2021 15:39:28

badger - Posted - 11/06/2021:  16:56:19

To be clear, you're thinking about returning an instrument because it has some loose screws, possibly worn strings (strings oxidize and leave gunk on your hands just from sitting in the open air), a sixth string sitting too deep in the nut (a bit of superglue will fix, but check first with a new set of strings - may be the wrong gauges, and a smaller diameter 6th string could be the culprit) , and suspicious packaging (cardboard between strings and fretboard is typical)?

These seem pretty minor in the grand scheme of things. There's not a lot of budget for setup when these things are produced, and its not uncommon to need minor setup adjustments, even in new instruments. Bottom line, it'll be easier to fix these minor issues than to repack and return - feel free to message me if you need any help with getting the nut right or have other questions.

resobass - Posted - 11/06/2021:  17:24:55

Thank you both for the insights. With an electric bass or electric guitar, I would right away know what I needed to do, but I am literally just starting with Dobro. I got a few books and watched some videos to help me get context to learn when it finally arrived. I was thinking those things seemed individually small, but was wondering if all those little things added up to a bigger issue given that I don't have practical knowledge yet and couldn't tell if this was going to be a big deal.

Thank you for the context and the offers to help. I will take a few pictures when I get home and PM if I get stuck. Incidentally, I did buy it from an online company. I wanted to support a local shop, but nobody had Gold Tones and didn't seem confident about getting anything in the near term. I am also looking for a local teacher to play it and maybe help me tweak it. I have a few messages out for that and am still working through it.

Thanks again for the quick and helpful responses!

Iceman6937 - Posted - 11/07/2021:  01:36:45

The cardboard/paper towel thing is standard on a new Gold Tone. The guitar has to get from the company to the retailer then to the buyer; plenty of shipping/handling chances to cause damage to the cone. I expect crappy strings on most new instruments; loose screws=quick fix. Enjoy your new guitar!

resobass - Posted - 11/07/2021:  04:36:49

Ok, thanks Iceman!

hlpdobro - Posted - 11/07/2021:  06:14:51

There are more than a few players in "Northern, VA" and vicinity. Some are VERY fine and known pros.

Help can be very close.

hp

Phaedrus - Posted - 11/07/2021:  06:42:29

I lived in NOVA for many, many years (Fairfax County) and I can tell you that Paul Beard is only a hop, skip and jump up the road in Hagerstown, Md. If you have concerns it is well worth a trip to have him or his crew check things out. I'd check first with a phone call in case Covid restrictions are still in place, however.

resobass - Posted - 11/07/2021:  13:37:08

Thanks everybody! I actually called Paul Beard a few weeks ago to see if they could do the setup when the new instrument arrived. The good news/bad news is business is booming so they have a backlog for many months and didn't have time to do the setup on it. The silver lining in it all is that the dobro scene appears to be jumping and that seems good even if I can't get the awesome setup done. Yesterday, I tweaked a few things that didn't scare me as a noob and I plan to put new strings on today to see how much that helps. The item that gives me the most trepidation is doing anything to the nut. I have bass player hands and they aren't overly gentle so I am being really careful!

As far as being in Northern Virginia goes, I looked for some teachers through this site as well as the DC Bluegrass Union. I found a few that could be leads, so hopefully something good shakes out (although please feel free to PM me with information for anybody you think I should talk with). I am also trying to connect with the community so went to the Bluegrass Festival at Merriweather Post a few weeks ago and am planning to go to the jams at Frying Pan Park to listen and learn about bluegrass while I get some basic stuff together on the dobro. Not sure what other opportunities exist to meet people and learn in our area so I am checking around for other events/gathering places.

I am hopeful that putting new strings on will help get my instrument to the point where any awful sounds are clearly attributable to me and something I need to learn as opposed to some kind of wonky setup issue. This forum is great - thank you all for helping me get started!

Iceman6937 - Posted - 11/07/2021:  15:18:46

Just relax...your guitar will be fine. New/different strings can be a rewarding experiment but stock Gold Tone zero glide bone nuts work just fine. Relax and enjoy the ride.