From dobro-curious to devotee - new Beard

nostatic · #1 10-08-2022, 10:12 AM

I am mostly a bassist these days but started doing solo acoustic gigs again earlier this year (after a long layoff) with the eventual winner from the guitar-go-round (beautiful OM-28e MD). The main band I'm gigging with added a dobro player for some of the dates and I got curious never having played one. Did study banjo in my teens so thumb/finger picks and rolling styles are a known technique. I ended up buying an inexpensive Gretsch (Bobtail with a pickup) and sat down to figure out the instrument. Took a bit to wrap my head around the tuning, but eventually found the notes and chords, and actually took it out for a solo gig after about 2 weeks and used it on a few tunes. I really like it - very fun to play and a totally different voice than guitar or bass or banjo.

I've been battling elbow tendonitis for a couple of years, and strumming a guitar is probably the hardest on my right elbow. I play bass fingerstyle and that isn't too bad on the elbow. And of course doing a 3 hour show on acoustic guitar ends up being tough on the left fingertips and also the elbow. With dobro - pretty much little/no pain anywhere.

Since I've been spoiled by nice instruments for a long time (and gigged them all along the way) and while the Gretsch was serviceable, I'm not a fan of China-made instruments for various reasons, so I started a search for a step up. Beard is one of the main players, and they have models with a Hipshot bridge that gives you two tunings available at the flip of a lever. Ordered one from Guitar Sanctuary and began the wait. Got the email a few days before my b-day, and right when it was promised. Got it a few days later and it exceeded my expectations. Sounds awesome, looks awesome, and the Hipshot setup is magic. Of course now I have to learn another tuning (I'm set up G and D, but tuned half step flat) but that is going well. And who doesn't love a drop-D?

In fact, next solo show I'll be doing dobro and singing for pretty much the whole 3 hours. I went through my solo book and figured out about 75 tunes that work fairly well. Now it is just time in the saddle.

Anywho, pics or it didn't happen:

columbia · #2 10-09-2022, 01:41 PM

Sweet looking guitar! Beard makes some amazing instruments.

SpruceTop · #3 10-15-2022, 02:54 PM

That's a good-looking Beard and I'm sure it'll play and sound great for you--Enjoy!

Mycroft · #4 10-16-2022, 10:20 AM

Very nice. Beard makes great dobros.

rsmillbern · #5 10-24-2022, 06:17 AM

Very nice Beard!
I was looking hard for one a while back, but did not find anything local and didn't want to wait/pay for one from the US...

The hipshot is cool as well. If they were just a wee bit less dear I'd have already upgraded to one :-)

nostatic · #6 10-24-2022, 10:15 AM

I had my first dobro-centric-with-vocals gig on Saturday. I have worked up about 200+ acoustic covers ("yacht-coustic"), mix of re-arranged classic rock, some newer stuff, country, and other bits (lot's of one-hit wonders). Over the past few weeks I've been going through the book figuring out which work for dobro, ended up with about 80 on the list. Of course I'm still wrapping my head around where all the chords and notes are but playing out is always the best motivator and test.

I took my electric as a "just in case" and ended up using that on about 6 songs over the 3 hour gig. All the rest on dobro and it ended up as probably the best solo gig I've had in quite some time. Which is crazy because I almost cancelled as I was fried from dealing with a very sick cat for the last week plus.

A couple of fun moments. Chatting up one couple after they complimented a tune. I have a version of Wish You Were Here, play it in open D. They said they really liked it which is odd because they didn't like Pink Floyd. Then they requested some hair metal (specifically Def Leppard) and I said I couldn't do that, but would try and get close - played Nothing Else Matters by Metallica. Works great on dobro.

Then another couple requested Soundgarden, and I said I didn't have one of those but could get adjacent - played Come As You Are by Nirvana. They dug it. He also requested Zep which I have one on acoustic but he mentioned When the Levee Breaks. I said I'd work that up and when I got home went through it and it kills on dobro.

Next solo gig I'll take the Martin for backup and those tunes that I just can't really pull off comping on dobro. Some progressions just aren't nearly as easy/full. But I love this thing, and the Hipshot makes a huge difference as I'm finding that out of my 80 tunes so far, about half are played in G tuning, the other half in D, with a few requiring capo.