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Old 02-17-2021, 09:51 AM
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salsarev salsarev is offline
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Question What would be a good beginner/budget square neck resonator (Dobro)?

I'm entertaining the idea of buying a square neck resonator. My budget would be $500 max (preferably less). What do you have experience with that you can suggest? Thanks in advance!

David
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Last edited by salsarev; 02-17-2021 at 09:56 AM.
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Old 02-17-2021, 03:31 PM
rsmillbern rsmillbern is offline
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I can't say I have a lot of experience with square necks, I have a Gold Tone that I picked up used fairly cheap and I really like the sound, for the price. You might be able to score one in your price range.

I have played on a few Johnsons in shops (hear in Germany) and not been impressed.

If I was looking in the 500 range (new) I would try to check out the Recording King Squareneck. I have not heard one, but I have played a couple of their guitars and did not think them bad.

As with many instruments at this price range, a little tweaking with the setup can go a long way.

Best of luck! I'll be interested to hear what you find.
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Old 02-17-2021, 03:55 PM
Br1ck Br1ck is offline
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I scored a Gold Tone Beard model, the top of the line solid wood one for $750, quite a few years ago now, so a used ply model should be had for $500. They are quite good, akin to a solid Eastman for quality.
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Old 02-17-2021, 04:10 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by rsmillbern View Post
I can't say I have a lot of experience with square necks, I have a Gold Tone that I picked up used fairly cheap and I really like the sound, for the price. You might be able to score one in your price range.

I have played on a few Johnsons in shops (hear in Germany) and not been impressed.

If I was looking in the 500 range (new) I would try to check out the Recording King Squareneck. I have not heard one, but I have played a couple of their guitars and did not think them bad.

As with many instruments at this price range, a little tweaking with the setup can go a long way.

Best of luck! I'll be interested to hear what you find.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Br1ck View Post
I scored a Gold Tone Beard model, the top of the line solid wood one for $750, quite a few years ago now, so a used ply model should be had for $500. They are quite good, akin to a solid Eastman for quality.

Thanks for the suggestions!
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Old 02-17-2021, 04:37 PM
lfoo6952 lfoo6952 is offline
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I second the Recording King and the Gold Tone brands in your price range. If you go to www.resohangout.com, the experts there will likely give the same response.
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Old 02-18-2021, 09:11 AM
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Hot take. Well tepid take really...

Most of the issues surrounding budget resonators fall away with a squareneck. Intonation? Set-Up? As the Rock used to say "It doesn't matter!"

Sure you could have a sloppy cone/well fit. But even then it'll mostly be a volume issue. Extremely rarely sustain will suffer, which would be a "return it immediately" situation.

I wouldn't hesitate to pick up a used gretsch Boxcar for around $400 based on the roundneck Gretschs I've encountered.

But what I would really recommend is a Peavey Power Slide. Super useable sitting or standing. They are getting harder and harder to find. I just checked Ebay for you, you're welcome , and only two showed up! It has a killer feature in that the "tone knob" isn't... It rolls the pickup from a single coil to a humbucker. It's worth buying an affordable amp if you are ampless, to get one of these. They are pro-level quality and I would own one if you I didn't already have both acoustic and electric covered. they are currently going for about $700 for a used one.

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Old 02-18-2021, 03:39 PM
frankmcr frankmcr is offline
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I'm happy with my Gretsch Boxcar.
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Old 02-18-2021, 07:20 PM
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Thanks again for the suggestions!
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Old 02-20-2021, 07:34 AM
columbia columbia is offline
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There’s a used Recording King RR-60 at Guitar Center that might be worth checking out. Zephyr Surplus on eBay often has a RK resonator squareneck for sale.

I have a Regal RD-40 that was upgraded before I bought it. It’s a pretty nice guitar.
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Old 02-20-2021, 10:23 AM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by columbia View Post
There’s a used Recording King RR-60 at Guitar Center that might be worth checking out. Zephyr Surplus on eBay often has a RK resonator squareneck for sale.

I have a Regal RD-40 that was upgraded before I bought it. It’s a pretty nice guitar.
Thanks for the heads-up.
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