What can I say? The Beard company did it right! Tonewise, this $525 guitar easily beats instruments three times the price and it leaves the other under $600 resos in the dust (Regal, Johnson etc.)

The cone is a Beard design (not a Quarterman). I AB-ed this guitar against Quarterman equipped Dobros, Lebeadas, Nationals and Beards and prefered the Beard cone. A LOUD, clear and clean bell-like tone. Speaking of loud, I was playing the guitar this morning before work and my wife who was three rooms away, behind three walls, could hear it well enough to tell me to pipe down.

In the shop the guitar was setup for G tuning (GBDGBD) and had very heavy strings on it. I don't play this tuning but the guitar sounded very good with this setup. When I got home I put a C6 set on it (.42 - .18). The guitar sounds fantastic with this setup as well.

Beard really did it right with this one. This is the low priced reso to buy.
http://www.beardguitars.com/goldtone.html

------------------
Gerald Ross
'Northwest Ann Arbor, Michigan's King Of The Hawaiian Steel Guitar'

Gerald's Fingerstyle Guitar Website

[This message was edited by Gerald Ross on 18 August 2004 at 08:40 AM.]

Thanks for the heads up on the new Beard/Goldtone reso. Sounds like you got yourself a great guitar. I didn't think that they were going to be available until October. I'll be looking to replace my old Flinthill around the first of the year and I'm adding this one to my short list of guitars to check out. Thanks again and enjoy!

------------------
Gerald Ross
'Northwest Ann Arbor, Michigan's King Of The Hawaiian Steel Guitar'

Gerald's Fingerstyle Guitar Website

It looks great, and sounds great - and boy is it loud - with no buzzes or rattles!!!

I had them install a "lipstick" magnetic pickup at the neck, and a Fishman transducer on a stereo jack that I will be trying out tonight in my studio.

I can't believe how good this instrument is, and for the money (the deluxe is $999 list + the two pickups), I can't see how anyone can compete with it.

I thought I would get to be the first one singing this instrument's praises, but Gerald beat me to it!

One Happy Camper,

I played a $7k model Paul Beard in St. Louis last year, and I thought it was plugged into an amplifier - it was so loud!

I'm very impressed. These are designed to the "Vintage R" spec, but, use a lower grade laminate, tuners, and coverplate. The spider, cone and nut are U.S. made components which are shipped to China and assembled.

You can read my initial critique here. Just scroll up to Aug 11 and look for the subject "Goldtone Thoughts (longish)".

Beard has not bolted an 8 string neck to these bodies despite pleading from me. Could you imagine an 8 string for less than $1,000?

Hope this helps.

HowardP

------------------
Howard Parker
poobah@resoguit.com
www.resoguit.com
ListOwner RESOGUIT-L
77' MSA Classic D-10

[This message was edited by Howard Parker on 18 August 2004 at 04:28 PM.]

quote:

---

one thing I was wondering about was whether the Beard Goldtones have the "full sized" cover plate.

---

Yessir,

Full sized, however, it is not the same material as the American made coverplate. It looks to be directly interchangeable though.

I'll have this GoldTone through the end of the week. If something implodes I'll let y'all know, but, this looks to be a winner.

8/22/04... Looks like someone picked this one up. The pictured guitar has an expected arrival date of this fall.
http://www.elderly.com/new_instruments/items/BGT1S.htm

------------------
Gerald Ross
'Northwest Ann Arbor, Michigan's King Of The Hawaiian Steel Guitar'

Gerald's Fingerstyle Guitar Website

[This message was edited by Gerald Ross on 21 August 2004 at 08:24 AM.]

quote:

---

what's the finish like on these Goldtone/Beard guitars? The reason I'm asking this is because the lower-end asian-made guitars I've seen seem to have a finish that's so thick as to appear that the guitar was literally DIPPED in a vat of clear polyurethane. Are the Beards any better?

---

Yes..

I don't have a RD-45 to play with, but, my recollection is the finish is is much nicer. Sort of a medium gloss over sunburst.

I'm no luthier. I don't have a clue as to how the finish was applied.

Beard is supposed to be at the St Louis convention. I'm betting he'll have these guitars with him.