2017 Gold Tone Paul Beard PBS Squareneck Resonator Guitar

A friend of mine bought this spider-bridge squareneck resonator for his father -- who didn't learn to play it. It's basically as-new or, at the very worst, slightly shopworn. It even has the Gold Tone-branded TKL hard case. Yes -- and it also sounds the biz. There's not much else on the market in the same price range as these to get a full-on, quality, Dobro sound. The quite-cheaper Hound Dog and Regal-branded modern stuff get you spider-bridge resonators... but they're not quite up to the task of competing with true-blue vintage or newer American-made Dobros. This one compares a lot more favorably with "the real stuff" as it's got plenty of volume and handles well.

All I did was take it out of the case, tune it up, and snap some pictures. My only gripe with Gold Tone gear is my usual gripe with most modern, factory-built stuff -- thick, glossy finishes that reach out and flash you. Mind you, it hardly matters tone-wise as these are ply boxes -- just like the gods intended a Dobro to be. These also come equipped with US-made Beard cones and some Beard design elements. I'm guesstimating a little on the year -- it may be +/- 2017 by a little bit.

Specs are: 25" scale, 1 15/16" nut width, 1 3/4" string spacing at the nut, 2 1/4" spacing at the bridge, 14 1/8" lower bout width, 10 1/2" upper bout, and 3 7/8" side depth. The strings are off the board enough to suit most Dobro capos, too.