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Oldpiper73 - Posted - 04/03/2009: 13:10:32
Absolutely gorgeous! Trying to replace the Weissenborn? Someday I'll be able to afford some Beards.
Fred USN(SS) Ret
Mbradford6288 - Posted - 04/03/2009: 17:08:47
That is what I'm talking about. Is it going to be a production model or just a custom thing? MSRP?
WRM - Posted - 04/03/2009: 18:15:46
Looks nice!!!
drubin - Posted - 04/03/2009: 19:02:31
Looks great, but as I said on another forum, I don't think the name "Kona" is appropriate.
Philsweep - Posted - 04/03/2009: 20:10:24
be more specific when saying Kona isn't appropriate. What I take from that is your expecting a Weisenborn style guitar with a hollow neck . but that doesn't mean Kona is inappropriate since there are Kona's , not weisenborn's without the hollow neck.\
Phil
drubin - Posted - 04/03/2009: 20:45:48
What I said on Reso-Nation was:
"The name Kona should be reserved for guitars fitting the traditional "Kona" design, developed by Herman Weissenborn. That design has a deeper body than a weissie, but retains a similar shape. The other major differences are that it has a narrower bout and has a solid neck that goes to the 7th, 8th, or 9th fret or thereabouts. A real Kona thus has a partial hollowneck. I played one once in Tucson, from the late 20s or early 30s I was told, and it had a sound that has haunted me ever since. Otherworldly! Too bad I didn't have $3K on me at the time! Anyways, as far as I can tell, the new Beard (which looks stellar, by the way), looks much more like an "acoustic slide guitar," or a 6 string flat top with a square neck."
Edited by - drubin on 04/04/2009 02:51:24
Trapper - Posted - 04/03/2009: 23:54:18
Very nice, Howard -- when do we get to hear a clip?
"Life is tough, but it''s tougher if you''re stupid!"
John Wayne, American
Stringnut - Posted - 04/04/2009: 07:24:23
I don't know that much about Hawaiian guitars but I've seen old pictures of Hawaiian players that were playing guitars with standard body shapes to them. I figure if it does not have a resonator, then it is more suited to the Hawaiian "sound". Anyhow, it's got a great finish and binding on it. The neck is really beautiful and without a doubt "Beard" is written all over it. The wood finish on the back and sides just jumps out at me. However, IMHO, the front of the body is very plain looking and seems to contrast with the rest of the features. Maybe a little more dress up around the sound hole or giving the bridge a unique shape would give it more fluidity from the neck on down. Or how about a warm, firey Hawaiian sunset burst? Something to go with the floret inlays on the neck. Ahhhh, I can feel that warm breeze and hear the rustle of the palms and surf now.
Go get 'em Beard. You are on the right track!
Dan
Things are more like today than they''ve ever been before. --Spiro T. Agnew
jaykellogg - Posted - 04/04/2009: 07:55:52
I am a relative newcomer to music. I saw David Holt a few years ago and he held up a guitar he described as a "Hawaiian Steel Guitar" It appeared to be a guitar made of steel and he played it spanish style with a bottleneck slide. Until then when i thought of a steel guitar I thought of a pedal steel.
I think this guitar is a niche item. It is a wood bodied non reso guitar for lap playing. I would be interested in hearing the sound and maybe compare it to an R body and also a Weissenborn. The question comes to mind, is it going to be made in China or in the USA? This doesn't seem to be a really good fit for Beard Guitars. Also this looks like there would be significantly less tension on the strings since they are anchored on the top instead of the tailpiece.
W. Jay Kellogg
hlpdobro - Posted - 04/04/2009: 09:42:58
Speaking for myself..
Sure it's a niche. Heck, resonator guitars are a tiny niche in the scheme of things.
At want point or another Scheerhorn, Meredith, Benoit and Adams have made "one off" guitars similar to this. I love Rob Ickes playing his.
Why an acoustic...There are a bunch of us around with old Hawaiian learners from the late 1920's/30's. Oahu, Stella, Branson and others. Most of the originals were pretty crappy guitars and were sold with lesson subscrpitions. Hawaiian was incredibly huge back then.
These guitars have unique voices . The spruce/rosewood I played could be played in open G without fear of implosion (like most of the originals...like mine). I also played it in open F/Dropped E and dropped D. It's a real alt.singer songwriter/blues/acoustic lap machine.
If that is your thing of course.
Oh..Yes. Paul is building them for sure.
Make music..Have fun...try different stuff.
h
Howard Parker
hlpdobro@gmail.com
Shameless Self Promo at:
myspace.com/DCsteelman
Carpe Cerevisi
Edited by - hlpdobro on 04/04/2009 09:55:24
Mbradford6288 - Posted - 04/04/2009: 12:27:57
I think it's badass. Also, not just for hawaiian music. Anybody ever listen to Kelly Joe Phelps? Monstrous player on a gibson with a raised nut. Howard, thanks for sharing, I'm really excited to hear and see it.
Beard Guitars - Posted - 04/06/2009: 05:54:10
Point taken on the "K/Kona" thing. We may just call it the "A/Acoustic". It is still a sweet sounding box.
Howard Parker
Beard Guitars, LLC
howard@beardguitars.com
301-733-8271
jaykellogg - Posted - 04/06/2009: 06:57:20
Also there is already a guitar company named Kona (or KONA). konaguitars.com/
Might cause great confusion.
When can we hear clips?
W. Jay Kellogg
Beard Guitars - Posted - 04/06/2009: 07:12:53
Actually it's just a brand. The trademark ran out years ago. We may just call it the "K" or the "A" or something else.
Don't know when you'll be able to hear clips. We've got some folks on there way over to play the guitar. We may have to build another one to get clips...I hope :-)
Thanks for all the interest.
cheers
h
Howard Parker
Beard Guitars, LLC
howard@beardguitars.com
301-733-8271
