prewar37 - Posted - 03/12/2009:  19:22:32

I went to a friends guitar shop today to get a new tuner and some strings. While I was there I test drove some new Dobros/Resos. First was a Gibson Phil Ledbetter signature model. Nice big sound, clean across the full range. Nice fit and finish. Then I played the Gibson JD signature model. I was dissapointed. It was weak on the high end, and not much sustain. Then I noticed the strings were too light. Someone had strung it with light gauge bronze guitar strings. Next I played a mahogany Beard R body. WOW. That is a very nice sound. Big and full all the way across. Beautiful fit and finish. Next was a Mike Auldridge signature Beard. That has to be the best sounding new Dobro I've ever played. Huge sound and still full of the sweet clear tone that Mike has been known for. Beautiful fit and finish. Amazing all the way around. I don't have the $$$ for another one right now, but it's fun to play them and appreciate what's out there.
Keep on pickin' prewar37

CentralMO - Posted - 03/13/2009:  06:57:27

I got to tune a couple of new resos yesterday at a local shop that I hadn't been to in a couple of years.
There was a Regal Black Lightning - I had bought one mail order in 2004 and the neck fell off in 2 weeks. I bought another one and the same thing happened in a month. I've read that Regal has fixed that problem and if I didn't have my GoldTone I'd try another because I really liked their old-timey tone. The one at the store was tuned to F#DimMinorAddC ( : ) not tuned) and had ancient strings.
The other squareneck that they had was a Weber Vigilante. I guessed that it was made out of plastic (and dust) until I saw the price tag (not cheap and it said mahogany). It was almost tuned to the key of D. It looked well-built with a very interesting sound-well design.
elderly.com/new_instruments/na...-WRG1.htm

I say that I got to tune them - I ask if I could play them and the store owner said yeah. I ask if he had picks and a slide and he said "yeah - got some for sale". I bought two pro picks (that I needed) and a thumb pick (that I didn't need) and decided not to buy a slide that I don't need. I bought a flatpick so that I could try out some acoustic guitars. I'll try to remember my picks and slide the next time and maybe really try out that Weber. The guy was nice enough but I found out why his instruments were covered with dust.

harperk31794 - Posted - 03/20/2009:  09:02:02

Prewar37,

I have a Beard MA-6 and I agree with your assessment on this guitar (Mike Auldridge signature). I owned a GIbson Phil Ledbetter, got in a huge argument with Phil on another site because I had the guitar for all of 20 minutes and sent it back, to many problems to name. I don't think Gibson can make dobros. Jerry Douglas has left Gibson and is playing Beards now, he has his own signature model at Beard. I played about 10 Resos in the store narrowed down to the Beard E and the Beard MA-6 and played them for over an hour back and forth, very close. I finally chose the MA-6 just as personal preference, I like the look better than the E, but I couldn't discern a lot of difference in the sound, volume, tone, etc. After my MA opened up, it is even more awesome, I would recommend anyone thinking of buying a great Reso, check out the MA-6 from Beard. I don't work for them, don't know any of them, shoot they won't even give me a Beard Hat, guess I'll have to buy one, you'd think you'd get one with a new Beard Reso, oh well. I will always play Beard IFKADs (Instrument Formerly Known As Dobro). For a long time I was a Dobro Picker, now I'm a Resophonic Guitarist due to GIbson's Anal Attitude about the Dobro trademark.

Ken

IFKAD, So Easy a Caveman can do it.

axeslingincowboy - Posted - 03/25/2009:  15:52:25

I find myself interested in the argument u got in with Phil. Lets hear it.

Dobro playin'' mofo.

schellter - Posted - 03/25/2009:  18:27:06

quote:

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Originally posted by harperk31794

Prewar37,

I have a Beard MA-6 and I agree with your assessment on this guitar (Mike Auldridge signature). I owned a GIbson Phil Ledbetter, got in a huge argument with Phil on another site because I had the guitar for all of 20 minutes and sent it back, to many problems to name. I don't think Gibson can make dobros. Jerry Douglas has left Gibson and is playing Beards now, he has his own signature model at Beard. I played about 10 Resos in the store narrowed down to the Beard E and the Beard MA-6 and played them for over an hour back and forth, very close. I finally chose the MA-6 just as personal preference, I like the look better than the E, but I couldn't discern a lot of difference in the sound, volume, tone, etc. After my MA opened up, it is even more awesome, I would recommend anyone thinking of buying a great Reso, check out the MA-6 from Beard. I don't work for them, don't know any of them, shoot they won't even give me a Beard Hat, guess I'll have to buy one, you'd think you'd get one with a new Beard Reso, oh well. I will always play Beard IFKADs (Instrument Formerly Known As Dobro). For a long time I was a Dobro Picker, now I'm a Resophonic Guitarist due to GIbson's Anal Attitude about the Dobro trademark.

Ken

IFKAD, So Easy a Caveman can do it.

---

Steevarino - Posted - 03/26/2009:  11:43:04

I find it a bit funny (or maybe ironic) that one person here would be concerned about violating copyright issues over a simple acronym that was perhaps created by a person who seems to be upset about, and I qoute... "Gibson's Anal Attitude about the Dobro trademark".

You can love Gibson or you can hate them, either way, they bought the Dobro company, and you didn't. That gives them (and nobody else) the legal right to use that name, and to legally protect it.

Believe me, being a reso. guitar builder myself, I run into it every day. A lot of people don't know what you are talking about until you say "dobro". Then they know just what you are talking about. Frustrating, really, but I have been on both sides of it. I worked for Gibson (and Dobro) and was in the position to enforce the D-Word issue. I didn't like it, but it was the right thing to do, and it still is.


Steevarino
RedLIneResophonics.com
CumberlandAcoustic.com