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Resonator Guitar Lovers Online
The resonator guitar reviews database is here to help educate people before they purchase an instrument. Of course, this is not meant to be a substitute for playing the instrument yourself!
264 reviews in the archive.
Where Purchased: Sweetwater
Year Purchased: 2024
Price Paid: 750 ($US)
I'm just a beginner, and have only ever played one other dobro, so my opinion doesn't mean much. But I'm very happy with sound.
Sound Rating: 10
Again, I'm new to this instrument, but I thought it was very nicely setup. I did change the skinniest string to .16, which seems to help.
Setup Rating: 10
Personally I think it's beautiful. Nothing fancy, but quiet elegance in fittings (butterbean tuners), binding, and black finish. Above all I love the ebony fretboard; call me narrow minded, but I really don't like fretboards in lighter colors.
Appearance Rating: 10
Reliability Rating: 10
Sweetwater WANTS to be in contact, which is nice of them.
Customer Service: 10
I read somewhere that an obvious upgrade would be a Beard spidercone. I'm sure that goes without saying, and I'd love to know what difference it might make. But I'm very happy with everything as it is.
Components Rating: 9
Thanks for the people who posted positive things about this guitar, including the (only?) other reviewer on this forum. I'm very happy with this instrument, and will be interested to see if I stick to it. I'm still learning the basics, and trying to sound ok on some of the licks. But the guitar sounds great when I do it right.
Overall Rating: 10
Where Purchased: Vandalia ohio
Year Purchased: 2021
Price Paid: $4200 ($US)
My style is mostly country with some bluegrass.
Played without electronics.
The guitar goes from quiet to very dynamic if required. A little less bright than my maple Harlow. More bright than the regal black lightning.
Sound Rating: 10
When delivered Frank and I spent an hour checking it out. Quiet, medium and digging in hard. No adjustments required.
Setup Rating: 10
A bit on the decorated side. Some semi precious stones. Lots of headstock trim. Fancy fingerboard.
The wood is an old species of black heart cherry. Not the usual straight grains but, more like swirls on the back.
Inlays were well done. Beyond plain Jane several steps.
Frank let me play
Gene Wootens jumbo cherry. Best described as, every expensive option there is . Likely a $10,000 minimum guitar. Gold engraved parts.
Appearance Rating: 10
Good quality hardware.
Well done traditional finish.
Guitar is well built structurally. Not light.
Seldom needs much tuning.
Reliability Rating: 10
Best service possible. Promptly returned calls. For my last guitar Frank had me pick out wood, fretboards, etc.
Then he had me help him mix stains to get exactly what I wanted. Burgundy with black on the maple. I asked him to match G Wootens guitar on this one in color.
Customer Service: 10
All first class parts. Black Diamond strings. Beard cover plate.
A 100 year old maple saddle. Bone nut.
Components Rating: 10
Frank Harlow does wonderful work. This guitar just does its job at a high level. It shocked me at how it sounds when you pluck hard! Very expressive. Just this has caused me to play harder.
Delivery time was under two months.
And, it is pretty!
Frank has also modified three $500 guitars for me as well. They are worth the effort. I will not sell them. Gretchen Honeydipper. Recording king brass tricone. Regal black lightning.
Overall Rating: 10
Where Purchased: Vandalia ohio
Year Purchased: 2021
Price Paid: $4200 ($US)
My style is mostly country with some bluegrass.
Played without electronics.
The guitar goes from quiet to very dynamic if required. A little less bright than my maple Harlow. More bright than the regal black lightning.
Sound Rating: 10
When delivered Frank and I spent an hour checking it out. Quiet, medium and digging in hard. No adjustments required.
Setup Rating: 10
A bit on the decorated side. Some semi precious stones. Lots of headstock trim. Fancy fingerboard.
The wood is an old species of black heart cherry. Not the usual straight grains but, more like swirls on the back.
Inlays were well done. Beyond plain Jane several steps.
Frank let me play
Gene Wootens jumbo cherry. Best described as, every expensive option there is . Likely a $10,000 minimum guitar. Gold engraved parts.
Appearance Rating: 10
Good quality hardware.
Well done traditional finish.
Guitar is well built structurally. Not light.
Seldom needs much tuning.
Reliability Rating: 10
Best service possible. Promptly returned calls. For my last guitar Frank had me pick out wood, fretboards, etc.
Then he had me help him mix stains to get exactly what I wanted. Burgundy with black on the maple. I asked him to match G Wootens guitar on this one in color.
Customer Service: 10
All first class parts. Black Diamond strings. Beard cover plate.
A 100 year old maple saddle. Bone nut.
Components Rating: 10
Frank Harlow does wonderful work. This guitar just does its job at a high level. It shocked me at how it sounds when you pluck hard! Very expressive. Just this has caused me to play harder.
Delivery time was under two months.
And, it is pretty!
Frank has also modified three $500 guitars for me as well. They are worth the effort. I will not sell them. Gretchen Honeydipper. Recording king brass tricone. Regal black lightning.
Overall Rating: 10
Where Purchased: from the builder
Year Purchased: 2020
Price Paid: 3500.00 ($US)
I play modern bluegrass, and enjoy playing hard in a loud ensemble and also very held-back and sweet where that's what is needed. I love Josh Graves and I love modern players who really milk the tone and vocal qualities out of whatever guitar they're playing.
How does it suit your music style (and what is that style)?
The Schoonover guitars use an open body design, no sound posts or soundwell, and Kent Schoonover has his own spider design. The guitar has a wide range of voices, from snapping and barking, to very ribbony and smooth, playing up away from the bridge.
I mike it but mostly play without a mike, without a pick-up
This guitar has abundant volume and rings nice and clear when I pick it hard. It sounds great with older worn-in bronzewound strings, but I like to keep 'em pretty fresh, cause I like the snap and the sizzle.
This is my second Schoonover reso (still have the older one in quilted maple, with a lot of scars from years of use). This one is the first brandnew instrument I ever owned. It's got a lot more depth and . . . depth. The guitar is like a well of music, and depending how good I am about reaching in and scooping, this new dobro just seems to keep offering more and more across the range.
I don't really go with numerical ratings: what are they based on? I haven't played every builder's guitars, so don't think about a 1-10 scale.
Sound Rating: 10
This Schoonover came set up. It arrived right when NYC was getting hammered with the virus, so the guitar has been played a lot in the past 11 months, but hasn't needed set-up — to my ears. If it needed attention, I'd probably ship to Bobby Wright. He did magic on my older Schoonover when I first got it in 2007.
Setup Rating: 10
You can see Kent Schoonover's artistry in wood and finish if you spend some time on his facebook. We consulted on this guitar after I played a nice new tobacco colored Schoonover that Mike Witcher had at the ResoSummit. Mine has a warm red honey color on the flame maple with tortoise binding. It came here in its solid Cedar Creek case, perfect out of the case.
https://www.facebook.com/Schoonover-Resophonic-Guitars-129719334395105/photos/532615254105509
Appearance Rating: 10
This is a guitar that turns heads in a jam session or on a stage (not too many stages this year, though!) Usually the first thing people comment on is the sheer projection of the voice. Then if I'm playing it at all well, they talk about the musical qualities — timbre, and texture.
These Schoonovers are super solid. Nothing wobbly about 'em. This one is going to be treated better. But I really put the older quileted maple guitar through a lot of rough wear and it always stood up. Every repair I ever did was just to hide my own strap-lock failures, or sudden turn around in a tight kitchen (yes, granite tops).
Reliability Rating: not rated
I've sent the older guitar back to Kent for work, and he did beautiful inside cleats and then buffed it up nicely. I love talking to him on the phone when we spoke about the build. It means a lot to me that he's a picker from way back, himself, good fingerstyle guitarist and banjoist, and knows instruments as music makers.
Customer Service: 10
The thing to know about the Schoonover is the inside build — the way the spider is supported without a wood tone ring or posts. Also the fact that this luthier makes his own cast aluminum spiders. He set this guitar up with a Beard Legend cone, and a Beard cover plate (regular fan pattern) and with good open-back Waverly tuners. I asked for a synthetic bridge (Beard makes a Shockwave bridge insert that gets the voice I like). Nothing here needs an upgrade.
Components Rating: 10
I was stunned to look on Reso Hangout and find no previous Schoonover reviews. There are a bunch of these guitars out there. If you spend anytime watching dobro players on YouTube you can see Schoonovers in some very good hands.
Up above, I mentioned the voice of the guitar. Trad bluegrass is what I love, so all the usual instruments are important in the mix. But for myself, what I want to do with music comes from the strings, the spider / cone, and the slide and the picks. I want to hear a vocal quality — not just a bunch of metallic sounds — whether it's gentle and almost whispering, or standing up and calling out. The Schoonover is a very vocal guitar.
I don't have a herd of instruments, so this review is about loving this guitar. But I had the older one (quilted maple) for a long time and when it finally came around to ordering a new instrument from the luthier, this is what I wanted.
I highly recommend the Schoonover resophonic guitar.
Overall Rating: 10
Where Purchased: Guitar Center
Year Purchased: 2020
Price Paid: 1000 ($US) (bought USED)
For my first squareneck, I wanted an early sound, such as heard on the earliest Grand Ole Opry performances. This one has it! Not much to add here, just that once adjusted and setup, it performs its function well, and sounds like a model 27.
Sound Rating: 9
Now that I've taken it apart, clean it, adjusted all the parts, including the spider, its very well setup. I learned some interesting things, as this one had never been apart. The factory setup was very good, fit and finish.
Setup Rating: 8
39 years of wear, smoke residue, and having never been cleaned inside or out, it cleaned up beautifully. The paint and finish were high quality, and released the scum and buildup very easily.
Appearance Rating: 9
All US original hardware is good quality. The tuners are good quality, albeit a bit stiff.
Reliability Rating: 8
Guitar Center was very helpful with excellent packaging, fast shipping, and assistance with checking it out in the store before completing the sale.
Customer Service: 9
Original US made case is in great shape. Steels, strap and book all look original and period. Guitar parts are original and do not need replacement.
Components Rating: 9
This was a real find in my opinion. These OMI instruments are sometimes considered less desirable, but this one demonstrates a great degree of craftsmanship. The fit of every single part is precise, and tight. The tunerss were extremely precise fit into the peghead, near machinist level fit! The cone was precisely located and staked to the well - there is a bead of glue between the cone and well, but I believe this was used as a leveler, rather than an adhesive. I decided to leave it, as it fit perfectly, and the cone contact was continuous around the perimeter. I may remove the glue at some point. After cleaning, the cone had a nice ring to it, right at F3 (173 Hz). Corrosion was minimal, and there were no dents anywhere, except at the stake points of course. The spider was fit pretty well, but I did take a little off the feet, by sanding on a granite counter top. I checked for contact, and all was good. The bridges were tight fit, full maple. The slots were cut for half string depth, and tapered to provide a level playing surface on the strings. The nut is plastic, but is pretty hard. It was also properly cut. I cleaned and replaced it, I may replace it at some point with bone. The tail piece and cover had heavy deposits but cleaned up amazingly with some hot soapy water. The poinsettia cover has honest wear near the picking path, indicative of plenty of play. Same with the tuners and sound hole covers. The body polished up well and the sunburst color came right back. A touch of mineral oil on the fretboard improved the color and grain. It now looks quite handsome. There are minimal nicks and scratches, and the paint was thick and hard enough to manage them gracefully. This was a high quality finish that has held up despite the attack of heavy smoke residue.
I think this instrument, having never been apart, gives a more accurate testimony to the quality of instruments coming from OMI in the early 1980s. After disassembling, I can see where less knowledgeable persons might loose track of the alignment and position of the cone, spider, and cover, causing fit problems when re-assembled incorrectly. I'm sure things like the seating compound (glue?) under the [stamped?] cone, and the hard plastic nut might can be improved upon, but as originally supplied and intended, this instrument has large volume, good clean tone, and good sustain. I will likely swap parts, being a tinkerer, but as it is now, its a fine professional grade instrument, fully prepared to perform to any players level. Given the market prices, I'd say these are undervalued and underrated for those seeking a vintage sound from a US maker.
Overall Rating: 9
Where Purchased: Fender online
Year Purchased: 2017
Price Paid: Don't Remember
historic exchange rates / currency converter
This is a Fender Roosevelt CE electric resonator guitar. I use it to play open-g, mostly chords and picking, some slide. I play it through a Digitech RP360XP multi-effect pedal. The sound is bright, with a great resonator sound. I like the guitar now, but it required some modifications to get it to sound well.
Sound Rating: 9
This guitar sounded fine until I plugged it in, after which it assaulted me with a high pitch wail through the speakers. I found the problem was due to the piezo pickup not being attached properly at the bottom of the cone. The pickup has to have proper contact with the cone, and that is done by adjusting a small nut on the tension adjustment screw beneath the cone. For some reason, the nut was too loose thus causing improper contact between the piezo pickup and the cone. Also, the maple-ebony saddle height was too low on the treble side.
Setup Rating: 7
This is a beautiful guitar, with dark maple highlights and a sunburst finish. The wood is laminate, the fingerboard is rosewood. There were no flaws in its appearance.
Appearance Rating: 10
I'm not sure how long laminate guitars keep their appearance, but I've had the guitar over a year and it still looks great. I think it is a sturdy and reliable guitar.
Reliability Rating: 8
I did call Fender for help soon after I received the guitar. I don't think the person I spoke with knew much about resonator guitars though. I'm not sure about the guitar's warranty, but I've never had to take it in for repair.
Customer Service: 6
I think the standout components are the piezo and magnetic pickups. I hated that the piezo pickup was attached to the tension adjustment screw beneath the cone, but I moved the pickup elsewhere within the guitar body so that solved that issue. I also had to replace the saddle, as it was too low on the treble side. The laminate body is a turn off, but it doesn't seem to detract from the guitar's sound.
Components Rating: 7
This is a beautiful, bright-sounding guitar. The body and cone seem to amplify and enhance each other well. It took a lot of work to get the piezo pickup issue resolved though, and I also spent quite a bit of time and money getting the saddle right. The piezo pickup makes it impossible to tighten or loosen the tension adjustment screw without getting underneath the cone because the nut holding the pickup to the bottom of the cone needs to be adjusted every time the tension adjustment screw needs to be turned. If the piezo pickup retaining nut is too loose, it will result in horribly loud feedback noise in the speakers.
Overall Rating: 7
Where Purchased: Eastwood Online
Year Purchased: 2018
Price Paid: $599 ($US)
This is an Eastwood Delta-6, 27 inch electric resonator 6-string baritone guitar. Tuned to ADADF#A, it allows me to play open-g chords, plus plenty of low notes available. Use three amps (Egnater Tweaker, Fender Accoustasonic 40, Peavey Rage) with Digitech RP360XP inline. Sound is beautiful and adjustable, with loudness completely optional due to combination of P-90 magnetic and piezo below the saddle pickups. The electrics are mostly missing the typical clicks and pops that plague piezo pickups (due to finger or pick contact with the strings and guitar body). Eastwood baritone resonator adds a deep delta sound, but somewhat inhibited as it is not a hollow guitar so resonator sound is somewhat dulled. Can play regular guitar, or as in my case open-g chords, with some notes an octave lower, which adds a nice rich lower tone. Variety is what you want to make of it, play regular rhythm and lead, delta blues, slide, add some bass, all optional and to a great extent depending on your strings. I really like this guitar, and as much as I like my strat and Fender reso, it may become my main "go-to" guitar due to its wide range of options.
Sound Rating: 8
It came tuned to BEADF#B which is a perfect fourth or five semitones below EADGBE. I tuned to ADADF#A which allows open-g chords. Action is perfect, and highly resistant to changes in tension due to heavier strings and alternate tuning. I recommend lighter to medium baritone strings, or for ADADF#A an individual string setup such as what I am using (14-17-26w-36-48-64). I use regular John Pearse electric nickel wound strings, which are longer than the usual guitar string, so they fit my 27 inch baritone without problems. The existing tuner holes do not allow anything larger than a 70 gauge string, so you can't play serious bass with this guitar. The piezo pickup and one-piece saddle make on-the-fly tension screw spider-cone adjustments impossible, so I tightened the tension screw 1/2 turn beyond spider-cone contact and that seems to have worked out well for the strings that I am using.
Setup Rating: 8
This 27 inch Eastwood Delta-6 baritone is beautiful, with a laminated maple sunburst black appearance. It is hollowed out enough to allow the resonator cone, but is otherwise not a hollow guitar in spite of its appearance. The neck is maple with rosewood dot markers. No blemishes were noted, although the trapeze tail bridge mounting hole was stripped, requiring a larger screw replacement.
Appearance Rating: 10
The hardware appears solid and reliable, and looks like it will last. The finish appears sturdy and tough. It should be reliable for gigs, without a backup being required. By its nature, it fills a niche somewhere between a regular scale-length guitar and a bass guitar, although it cannot function as a full-on bass.
Reliability Rating: 9
I am not aware of any particular warranty for this guitar. Eastwood does have a customer service available, but I found their information and advice regarding the resonator somewhat lacking.
Customer Service: 5
The guitar itself appears all-around solid. The resonator cone seems a little cheap, and is screwed into the guitar body. The body is hollowed out just enough to allow the cone to sit inside thus adversely affecting the full potential of the resonator, and in no way would this guitar qualify as an acoustic resonator. Without amplification, it is nowhere as loud as an acoustic resonator guitar.
Components Rating: 8
With its magnetic and piezo pickups and its resonator, it goes beyond what a standard electric baritone guitar can provide. I enjoy mixing open-g chords with the deep notes that this guitar can provide.
Overall Rating: 9
Where Purchased: Thomann
Year Purchased: 2018
Price Paid: 625 (EUR)
historic exchange rates / currency converter
Sound Rating: 1
Setup Rating: 1
Appearance Rating: 1
Reliability Rating: 1
Customer Service: 1
Components Rating: 1
I just bought my first dobro squareneck in my life, so I dont have much to compare with, but the sound is excellent, no flaws, I am very satisfied. For the moment I have not tried to play through cable/combo, only accoustic. I am very happy to have it, I am starting practicing. I play banjo, so I hope that will help me.
Overall Rating: 9
Where Purchased: From Builder Peter Mosco
Year Purchased: 2018
Price Paid: Under $3000 ($US)
I play mostly old country. I used a Myers pickup with a small Beherinson amp. The guitar is loud, has a great tone and long sustain. I am completely satisfied.
Sound Rating: 9
The guitar was set up by Peter Mosco and is very satisfactory. I have not made any set up changes.
Setup Rating: 9
The guitar is a highly flamed solid maple with an ebony fretboard. The glossy black finish is flawless with a black on black burst around the sides, sanded in the middle of the top and back to accent the grain of the wood. It has Mother of Pearl binding around the top, both sides of the neck and around the peghead. The inlaid fret markers and frets are Mother of Pearl. The F holes were designed by Peter Mosco with MOP dots on either side of the F holes. The cover plate and tailpiece is a carbon fiber-looking gray color. It has a Beard Legend cone, No. 14 spider and Planet Wave locking tuning machines.
Appearance Rating: 9
The hardware is top[ of the line, finish is excellent and I look forward to many years of playing this instrument without any problems.
Reliability Rating: 9
Peter Mosco is probably one of the most underrated luthiers around. He is very agreeable and easy to work with. He builds a top notch guitar at a reasonable price, considering the amount of work and care he puts into the product.
Customer Service: 10
There are absolutely no inferior parts in this guitar. It is made with the best products available.
Components Rating: 10
If you're looking for a high quality resophonic guitar built with great skill and care at a reasonable price, you're home.
Overall Rating: 9
Where Purchased: Beard Guitars
Year Purchased: 2017
Price Paid: Don't Remember
historic exchange rates / currency converter
I checked out several before getting the blackbeard.to me it has the sound i was looking for.I was using the goldtone pbsm with the fishman pickup and the jd pedal and was happy,but after getting the black beard what a big difference! the sound of the black beard is AMAZING !! I had the hipshot double shot installed so i do'nt have to carry 2 of them to every gig . THIS THING IS WORTH EVERY PENNY
Sound Rating: 10
The setup is perfect,I ca'nt believe how much easyer it is to play than the goldtone. I dont no why but seems i change strings alot less than i did on the goldtone. I had to change strings for every gig with goldtone and with the beard i can get two or three gigs
Setup Rating: 10
Wasnt sure i like the looks of it when i first saw them on beards web page,but it really grows on you.the finish and appearane could not be better and the red bubinga fretboard really stands out.Every gig we play i get so many compliments on appearents and sound
Appearance Rating: 10
I think this will last me the rest of my life because its a Beard. They take pride in there craftsmanship!
Reliability Rating: 10
Beard Guitars is the best people to deal with, they take the time to explain every question and beleive me i had lots LOL
Customer Service: 10
Every thing on the black beard is top notch
Components Rating: 10
I wish i would have bought this sooner than i did, the best word to describe is WOW!! I love the doubleshot hipshot it stays in tune perfectly.the tone and appearance is amazing
Overall Rating: 10
Where Purchased: Individual
Year Purchased: 2017
Price Paid: 1750 ($US) (bought USED)
Great sound in every way.
Sound Rating: 10
Setup Rating: 10
Beautiful instrument. Beard quality is second to none.
Appearance Rating: 10
Reliability Rating: 10
Customer Service: not rated
I wouldn't change a thing.
Components Rating: 10
Overall Rating: 10
Where Purchased: Macon Stringed Instruments
Year Purchased: 2017
Price Paid: 2000+ ($US)
The sound is exactly what I was expecting; very loud, or subdued should it be played in that manner. The tone is rich, clean and bell-like. The sustain is very good and the notes played above the twelveth fret are clean. I am very pleased with the results of the construction and the outcome of the endeavor.
Sound Rating: 10
The setup was done extremely well. There is no foreign noise, vibration or rattling.
Setup Rating: 10
The guitar is solid maple, highly figured with the grain showing very well. The finish is a high gloss beautiful red orange, is very bright and perfectly done. The ebony fret board has inlaid frets and exotic fret markers, all mother of pearl, that glistens when the light hits it. In my opinion, the inlaid mother of pearl sets this guitar off in a league of its own. It has a darker very slight burst around the top, sides and back. The whole guitar exhibits a "wet" look. I am totally pleased with the end result. It is on par with other high quality guitars, like my Ida Red, Red Line Peabody.
Appearance Rating: 10
All the hardwear is high quality, with none expected to fail. The finish appears to be of the caliber to last for a very long time. All main parts are high quality domestic, such as the Legend cone, poinsettia cover plate and Red Line Resophonics aluminum alloy spider.
Reliability Rating: 10
Peter is very cordial to work with and tries very hard to please. Every request prior to starting the build was agreed to in a very professional manner. A specific warranty was not discussed. However, should the guitar develop a problem, I have no doubt Peter would favorably address the issue quickly.
Customer Service: 10
I know of no weak or cheap parts were used in this construction. The most significant thing about this guitar is the look of the dark ebony fret board and mother of pearl inlaid frets and inlaid fret markers against the bright red orange finish. It is just spectacular!
Components Rating: 10
This Macon guitar is outstanding in every way. The bright red orange finish was applied in a superb manner without runs or blemishes and has no flaws. It can be very loud and has great sustain. The tone is true all the way up the neck. The mother of pearl inlays were the absolute best choice. I have no negative comments. I would certainly buy this guitar again. Peter Mosco did a superb job building this guitar for me. I just do not think it could have turned out any better!
Overall Rating: 10
Where Purchased: Wunjo London
Year Purchased:
Price Paid: Don't Remember
historic exchange rates / currency converter
My first resonator after nearly 50 years of guitars. I tried most of the resos in stock, wood and metal, from a National Escalita down including a Washburn and several Gretschs and was very happy to stay within my budget and take the Alligator. Playing finger style (no slide) it's warm and with plenty of controllable volume. Easy to find a wide range of tones.
Edit: a month on now- getting more into slide and it sounds so good I don't want to stop
Sound Rating: 7
It suits my style of playing. I've started playing some slide and Wunjo suggested going up from 12 - 53 to 13 - 56 (gave me the strings too) and would raise the action later if I wanted. As it is it seems an Ok compromise. I'll try the 13's but leave the action for now.
Setup Rating: 8
The sunburst semi matt finish is OK, not my favourite. Some pretty gritty patches and I may go over it with polishing compound, but it's a budget guitar so no gripes.
Appearance Rating: 7
It's a solidly built guitar. Hard to judge the resonator side since it's my first, but it seems sound enough. I like the matt chrome finish to the cover plate. Grover Sta-tite tuners work smoothly with no probs.
Reliability Rating: 7
I went to Wunjo at a quiet time. I've had less than welcoming times in Denmark St in the past, but they were very pleasant and helpful. 2 years of servicing available.
Customer Service: 9
All well for a budget guitar.
Components Rating: 7
I played it 8 hours straight yesterday. Love it. All ratings reflect its bargain price and for a budget intro to this funny reso world it's absolutely fine. I wish budget guitars as good as this had been around when I started. It's plain with no frills, but plays really well and sounds lovely. Although now I'm wondering if I should go back and get that koa Escalita while it's still there...
Overall Rating: 8
Where Purchased: private seller
Year Purchased: 2016
Price Paid: Don't Remember (bought USED)
historic exchange rates / currency converter
Maple 2003 E model - amazing tone and sustain, plays sweet or snarls, soft or loud - have played an exceptional old National tricone for years and never thought I would fine a single cone with half as sweet a tone...but this one has it and just as much sustain..plus warmth and more life to the bass notes...away from the bridge beautiful round sound a la tricone or more modern resos..closer to the bridge you can pull more old school tones a la Oz
Sound Rating: 9
One owner who purchased it from Beard, setup still seems perfect
Setup Rating: 10
Golden finish with a hint of orange/brown, believe this was called orange burst, very warm but not garish, screened covers..absolutely top grade AAA -AAAA curly maple face, back and sides...dark rosewood,ebony,or other peg head veneer
Appearance Rating: 10
Schaller tuners very smooth, for 13 years not slightest issue with finish on wood or metal components
Reliability Rating: 10
Customer Service: not rated
Components Rating: not rated
What an amazing instrument that is truly beautiful, but sounds even better...may predate the Legend cone / spider...but I couldn't care less...it sounds that good. So glad I waited to be able to afford and find a Beard...truly fine example of American Craftsmanship at its best. A top notch instrument that literally has me playing till it hurts...and then some more
Overall Rating: 10
Where Purchased: from the builder
Year Purchased: 2015
Price Paid: Don't Remember
historic exchange rates / currency converter
rich full sound
Sound Rating: 10
Setup Rating: 10
spruce and sapele mahogany with ebony fret board
Appearance Rating: 9
it is very solid well built.
Reliability Rating: 10
havent used .but i am sure he backs what he sells
Customer Service: 10
Components Rating: 9
he builds a very nice guitar for the price. look good last long time. sounds great.
Overall Rating: 10
Where Purchased: Marks Music Store
Year Purchased: 2015
Price Paid: 200 ($US)
Well, I haven't really played a lot of resos, but this one has a very nice, bright sound to it. Not quite as rich of tone as a Beard style, but I don't think Scheerhorns are meant to be like that. It has a lot more projection than the Regal I did have. No, I do not use any effects or amps, it is all the guitars work.
Sound Rating: 9
As I bought it directly from a music store which does adjustments, it was set up very well. I haven't needed to do anything to it, but I'd imagine it wouldn't be that hard.
Setup Rating: 10
I have played a custom built reso which was beautiful, so no, it doesn't compare to that. However, this reso has a nice, red color which has an understated look. Also, the F-style sound holes bring the look together.
Appearance Rating: 9
I suppose there are better, but it seems very nice to me. It has covered Grover tuners which work very well, and the finish work elsewhere is very nice as well.
Reliability Rating: 10
Well, i have never contacted Wechter personally, but the actual music shop is great. They are very freindly, and helpful.
Customer Service: 10
I would have to say the tuners. My Regal Black Lightning had open geared tuners, which worked well. These however, are nice covered ones which work very well too.
Components Rating: 10
I traded my Regal Black Lightning in along with the extra cash, but I would have to say it was a great deal. Wechter has been out of the business of making resos for a while, and this was one of the few still for sale. I really like it a lot. The sound is great, it looks great, and it plays great. What more can you ask for?
Overall Rating: 10
Where Purchased: Elderly Instruments
Year Purchased: 2015
Price Paid: 2550 ($US)
My first impression was that it is quite loud for an R body. The tone is very pleasing and even across the entire fretboard. I've been told by at least one top player that it has the classic Beard tone. To my ears it is a bright, nasally sound in a very desirable way, if that makes any sense. Great clarity from the lowest to highest notes.
Sound Rating: 10
Setup seems exceptional. It is very easy to play. Intonation is great and there are no buzzes at all.
Setup Rating: 10
The work all around seems flawless. The color scheme and hardware are very appealing in my opinion. Red sunburst with no body trim with a high gloss finish and a combination of black and resolution black hardware. The sunburst fades quickly from red to black with solid black finish all around the edges of the body. It looks great, but I wonder how it would look with a more gradual and natural fade. The grain in the birch veneer is vivid and visually appealing. The gloss finish looks very tastefully done unlike some other instruments where the laquer is unevenly applied and too thick.
Appearance Rating: 10
Hardware all seems top quality. The tuners turn very smoothly. The finish looks like it will wear very well.
It seems very dependable.
Reliability Rating: 10
I haven't needed customer service, but I did have some questions and they were helpful.
Customer Service: 10
Components Rating: not rated
I am very pleased with this instrument. I was looking to replace an instrument that was stolen. I was hoping to find an R body that was loud enough and had a tone that was, to my ears, versatile. I was also hoping to find a red sunburst and of course this fit the bill. The black hardware is a nice touch and is quite "bad ass" according to my son :-)
I don't think you can go wrong with a Beard. The build and finish on my instrument seems to be flawless. Beard seems to consistently put out very high quality instruments across their entire line.
Overall Rating: 10
Where Purchased: Guitar Center
Year Purchased: 2015
Price Paid: (Dollars)
historic exchange rates / currency converter
This guitar is beautiful with the brushed metal. Has the unique steel tone. Has a banjo like sound. I play with it dry acoustically for blues, and bluegrass mainly.
It's definitely loud and clear on the top.
Sound Rating: 8
It's pretty decent. The strings that came with it were really light, but that's normal from stock.
So I put new strings DAddario EJ42 PB Resophonic String 16-56 very thick and they ring lou.
Setup Rating: 7
This was a blowout special at GC as blemished but I could not find one blemish.
The instrument is a beautiful brushed metal vintage look and always catches attention.
Appearance Rating: 10
The body is Built like a tank, the neck and fingerboard looks a bit cheap (Made in China) but that's just purely looks. The frets are a bit edgy (not a perfect round smooth texture but for square necks you never touch the frets, neck, or fretboard so it's just purely cosmetic.
Reliability Rating: 6
Gretsch has a strong name and warranties everything.
And this instrument is a great quality practice and entry level instrument.
Customer Service: not rated
The included pickup is obviously crap, out of the box it sounds like plastic. But I prefer mic' up anyway. I bought the guitar because I needed that steel blues/ trash can sound to play delta.
Components Rating: 5
The instrument shines as a stand alone acoustic. The included pickup should just be ignored.
Strong body, great tone, and as a square neck, it does the job. I'm very happy about the price too!
Overall Rating: 8
Where Purchased: Second Hand
Year Purchased:
Price Paid: 1500 ($US)
Love this instrument. The quality is amazing. I use it for blues, Hawaiian, blue grass.
It's beautiful bright, clean and loud but not too loud.
Sound Rating: not rated
No it was set up for low action regular finger style. I had this modified for slide playing. Currently experimenting with Open G and open D tunings. I also like to play this lapstyle too because it's so comfortable!
Setup Rating: 10
Beautiful color has the tricone steel sound. Very unique sound of the polychrome model. As you can hear on YouTube. Everything is perfect on this guitar as far as the build. It's smooth all around. The details of National workmanship is absolutely amazing. This guitar makes all my other guitars seem like a toy.
Appearance Rating: 9
This guitar looks and feels bulletproof. It's stands up to the National brand.
Reliability Rating: 10
N/a
Customer Service: not rated
The cones ring for days. The neck is so comfortable. Feels like silk.the body is like a race car.
Components Rating: not rated
All American high quality instrument that sounds brilliant and loud. My first national, and this makes me feel like I only want nationals.
Overall Rating: 10
Where Purchased: Guitar Center
Year Purchased: 2015
Price Paid: 229 ($US)
Works great with blues/rock type. I got this for practicing lap style and dobro. I've been playing Spanish style standard tuning for over 25 years. So this is my first lap style guitar.
It's fun but dull sounding . I'm using it plugged directly clean through my channel mixer going into my DAW.
Sound Rating: 4
Came in G Tuning. These units are mass produced in China. I wasn't expecting it to be perfect. There are buzzes and the bridge and but are definitely not set up properly.
I'd like to modify this if there are any mods available please let me know.
Basically you get what you pay for.
Setup Rating: 2
The finger board is a little distracting. Almost like a shiny plastic rain boot material.
It's definitely a cheap unit.
Appearance Rating: 4
It feels pretty strong, but the neck is somewhat toy like.
Reliability Rating: not rated
The strap broke right split down the middle of the sewed on button.
Glad I was sitting down when this happened. Obviously QC can't make them perfect at this price.
Customer Service: 5
Strings are very thin and dinky. I'll have to upgrade them. Hopefully it won't destroy the guitar.
Components Rating: not rated
Good for practice use or to jam and record some quick parts in your song.
Overall Rating: 4