Frequently Asked Questions About Paul Beard Resophonic/Dobros

Date: Mon, 23 Feb 2004 10:00:37 -0500
Subject: Paul Beard Gold tone reso

Hi guys,
Have you any information regarding a mahogany roundneck dobro designed by Beard and built by Gold Tone?
Thanks
Bob

Greetings Bob,

I called Gold Tone on this...I was faxed the materials on the new Beard licensed dobro...they said that they will be available within two to three months...

Suggested Retail Price:

PBS Deluxe Squareneck Deluxe Retails: 999.00
PBS Squareneck Retails: 699.00
PBR-D Roundneck Deluxe Retails: 950.00
PBR Roundneck Retails: 679.00

Designed by legendary maker Paul Beard, these Signature model resonator guitars are handmade and provide unmatched tone in their price range. The soundwell body design utilizes genuine USA Beard cones and spiders. (this is all their literature states to date)

Hope something here helps...our price will be approximately 25% off retail list...Mickey

Date: Thu, 3 Oct 2002 17:15:57 EDT
Subject: Beard Resophonic and Gallagher G71

Hi Mickey,
I will need your input concerning the best sounding Beard. My Mckenna plays circles around Gibson
Dobros; my Jasper blows away any Sheerhorn ( they are too harsh and lack
tonal qualities to play with other instruments) --personal opinion.
Will look forward to hearing from you.
Best regards,
John Hamner

Greetings John,

I'd be glad to personally assist you with this...

I love the Beards...in fact, my most recent Dobro instructional videos, Intro I and Intro II, have Beards throughout...and man do they project...lots of presence.

My ultimate Dobro will be an R Mahogany...if you like a full bodied, warm tone, with an amazing punch, the R Mahogany will not disappoint you. We currently have the Vintage models in stock; however, in my opinion, I'd have to say the R Mahogany is the best sounding one to my ears. As much as I love the darkness of tone that the Cherry offers, I truly love the warmth of the R Mahogany...

I haven't heard a McKenna in person...and, cannot give you my personal opinion on how the Beard will compare...however, I'd be interested in getting your report back once you receive the Beard. Mickey

Date: Sun, 26 May 2002 11:28:19 -0600
Subject: Sound of the Wood

Hi Mickey

Greetings Michael,

I'd be glad to assist you further in getting into your first banjo.

As you know, I won't paint a picture that doesn't exist...I truly want you to get into the most optimal banjo possible at the best value...

I *love* the Beard R Standard Mahogany! I have one of those Summit Guitar
Packs, and I loaded up the Beard into that thing and rode my bicycle out to
the wharf this morning here in SF. It's a beautiful day, and I sat there
for a couple hours pickin' on the Beard. What a nice way to spend a
morning! (Yeah, I'd rather do it in the woods, but I live in San Francisco
and what woods we have are pretty crowded with people this Memorial Day
Weekend, so I have to find my solitude where I can!).

I would have loved to come along and sit on the Bay for a jam...nature is nature and playing an acoustic instrument in any natural environment brings us all closer to where we should be as acoustic artists...we are bringing the "sound of the wood" back to its origins...Mickey

Date: Thu, 23 May 2002 12:18:33 -0600
Subject: Re: Beard Dobro Exchange

On Wed, May 22, 2002 at 10:40:13PM -0600, Mickey Cochran wrote:

Hopefully, you find the Dobro does meet your expectations.

It's here, and it's gorgeous! It's a heck of a lot prettier than the
Vintage Birch, and seems to have a little "sweeter" tone than the Vintage
Birch too. I'm delighted with it!

I can hardly wait to show it to my dobro teacher... she has a Scheerhorn,
and she really liked the Vintage Birch, I bet she'll like this more... and
personally, when I played her 'horn, I liked the VB better (although the
strings on the 'horn were pretty dead... I gave her a set of Beard Special
29s, which she has installed and really likes).

Thanks again
Michael

PS: I'm going to write something up about FotW's great service and policies
and post it to several of the acoustic newsgroups.
Michael Nelson

Greetings Michael,

Thanks for the positive update...

The all solid mahogany body would most definitely contribute to a sweeter tone...it should add quite a bit a warmth. I'm still waiting for my Paul Beard to be built...

Thanks so much for any future promotional efforts on your part. That's very generous of you to offer such enthusiasm.

A recent story for you:
Recently, we sent out a Paul Beard R Mahogany to a customer, in Nashville, who was upgrading from a Regal. His teacher happens to be Clint Black's dobro player. Upon his teacher hearing the Beard, he informed his student (the customer) that it had to be the finest dobro he's heard in years!

Keep on Pickin', Mickey

Date: Fri, 26 Apr 2002 08:35:31 -0700

Hi ... you had asked that I forward you anything Paul sent in response to my
query, here it is. Seeing Buddy Emmons on the Owner's List gets me excited!
I played pedal steel for about five years, and had an Emmmons D10, and Buddy
is probably my favorite musician of all time.

I'll be calling at 9AM my time which is when you guys open, right (10AM your
time) to give you another $1000.

Michael

Greetings Michael,

Thanks so much for forwarding Vanessa's letter from Beard Guitars. It was enlightening to say the least...I had no idea so many notable players own or have owned a Beard. Just so you know, it's my Dobro of choice and I'm having Paul build me a custom one even now...

Mickey

Date: Fri, 26 Apr 2002 09:21:17 -0700

BTW, here is the list of "notable" Beard owners they sent me:

Junior Barber "Gibson Brothers"
Cindy Cashdollar "Asleep At The Wheel"
Buddy Emmons Nashville Session Great
John Fogerty "Creedence Clearwater Revival"
Josh Graves "Flatt & Scruggs"
Tim Graves "Cherokee", and "The Osborne Brothers"
Sid Cox "Cox Family"
Phil Leadbetter "J.D. Crowe", and "WildFire"
Leroy Mack McNees "Kentucky Colonels"
Kevin Maul "Mandala Hand" label recording artist
Bob Minner "Tim McGraw Band"
Gary Morse "Dwight Yoakam Band"
Steve Toth Author of "Dobro Classics Plus"
Fred Travers "Seldom Scene"

They were careful to note at the bottom: "This list does not imply any
endorsement by the owner."

From Michael

Date: Fri, 26 Apr 2002 08:35:31 -0700
Subject: Your Instruments vs OMI's]

Hi ... you had asked that I forward you anything Paul sent in response to my
query, here it is. Seeing Buddy Emmons on the Owner's List gets me excited!
I played pedal steel for about five years, and had an Emmmons D10, and Buddy
is probably my favorite musician of all time.

I'll be calling at 9AM my time which is when you guys open, right (10AM your
time) to give you another $1000.

Michael

Michael,

I have forwarded your questions to our sales manager, Chet Hogue. I
think that he is best equipped to address your questions. I apologize for
not responding to you previously. We receive a large number of emails
daily; and so, it is often difficult to address each email in a timely
manner. Again, I apologize for neglecting your inquiry.

I would like to mention that Beard Guitars are made with the finest tone
woods and parts available. Sixteen years of experience in resophonic guitar
building have made Paul Beard a Master Luthier. Luthiers and large guitar
manufacturers all over the world seek his advice in building resophonic
guitars.

Beard Guitars also has a commitment to fine detailed craftsmanship,
which is poured into each guitar. Paul Beard personally inspects each
instrument before it leaves our shop. I think that you can hear the
difference between a Beard Guitar and a Gibson Dobro, as well as see the
difference in craftsmanship. Paul Beard puts his name on his instruments,
so in a sense he is putting his reputation on the line with every instrument
that leaves our shop.

I can also speak on a personal level about the sound and exquisite
beauty of a Beard because I own one. Trust me when I say how jealous my
fellow musician friends are when they hear and play my Beard Guitar.

Of course, don't just take my word for it. I strongly encourage you to
check us out on the internet to see how the Beard reputation speaks for
itself.

I have attached an owner's list of some notable musicians who all own
and play Beard Guitars.

If you have any questions, please let me know. Please expect to hear
from Chet in the next few days. He can probably answer any technical
question that you may have regarding Beard Guitars. Thank you.

Sincerely,
Vanessa Stone

Date: Wed, 13 Mar 2002 21:21:59 EST
Subject: Beard Dobro

Hi Mickey,
John Hamner here; I would be interested
in any of the models with emphasis on the mahogany, cherry, birch in that
order, however I would value your opinion as to the best sounding model.
Thanks for your time, John

Greetings John,

Glad to assist if I can...

We have all 3 models of Beard Dobros due in within 1-3 weeks...although every Beard I've played to date sounds phenomenal, I'd have to say that my two favorites are the R-Mahogany and the Cherry Vintage...If you're looking for a dark, throaty sound...the Cherry would be the choice...if you're looking for a warm resonant sound, I'd go with the Mahogany. Be aware, these differences are subtle...most every Beard model has similar tonal quality with subtle variances determined by choice of woods.

Since you already play banjo, Dobro should be a fairly easy transition for you.

Hope this helps...Mickey

Date: Fri, 20 Apr 2001 16:36:08 -0600
Subject: Re: Fwd: Dobro trade

Hi Mickey,
I've been reading your website and am very impressed with all the detail
and care that you have put into it. I am interested in getting the
Beard travel Dobro that you mention on the web. The size sounds ideal
and I am hoping that it still produces enough volume to be heard in an
acoustic setting.

I would like to trade a LIberty metal/wood Dobro with a pickup. It's
one that I got on ebay and it just isn't appropriate for bluegrass. I
thought at the time that I would get into blues, but it hasn't
happened. I am hoping that we can work something out.

Thanks in advance,

Brenda

Greetings Brenda,

We do our best to give current market value on all trade-ins, essentially what we ourselves would sell it for (minus the cost of reselling the instrument)

The Roadaphonic is a superb instrument with ease of portability along with a powerful tone. It is not a full-size dobro so don't expect a full-size dobro sound. It stands on its own as a unique sounding dobro with lots of character. It's also a versatile instrument that can be plugged in for all the volume you'll ever need.

Mickey