Today, some of the DMV Local Looths were treated to a really special day. We met up at Rockwell Brewery in Frederick (rockwellbrewery.com) and got a tour of the facility.
Rockwell Brewery tour guide in a kilt
From there we headed to historical Hagerstown, Maryland to meet Paul and Ben Beard.
They were very gracious and gave us a very detailed tour of their company and answered all of our ridiculous questions.
I will say without hesitation that Paul Beard is a national treasure.
Beard Guitars, founded in 1985, was the first company to build premium quality resophonic guitars. If you're not familiar, resophonic guitars use a metal cone and metal brace (called the spider) — essentially a built-in loudspeaker. It was an ingenious attempt to make acoustic guitars louder back before amplification was common.
In the 1920s, the Dopyera Brothers — better known as DoBro — were the first to sell these guitars. Today, Beard incorporates some of those original 1920s design elements alongside innovations of their own.
These guitars are played by the most famous resophonic musicians in the world, including the legendary Jerry Douglas. So to say we were absolutely spoiled and humbled to have Paul and Ben give us an amazing tour of the company is really an understatement.
Paul and Ben Beard welcoming us in the front room
Ben Beard giving a tour of the workshop
Guitar bodies and backs being glued with clamps
Ben Beard demonstrating the Laguna Swift CNC machine
Ben Beard at the workbench with guitar body forms
Rack of Beard guitar bodies in various stages of completion
Ben Beard spinning a resonator cone on a vintage lathe
After the tour we got treated to an impromptu show by one of our fellow guests Jimmy Stewart — jimmyplaysguitar.com
Paul Beard making adjustments to a resophonic guitar
We heard Paul play as well — another amazing treat. Ever the perfectionist, he had to make some adjustments.
The day wrapped with lunch back at Rockwell Brewery, which included some live Irish music.
I even managed to procure one of the now famous Beard mugs!
What a day!
This DMV Local Looth get together is going to be very hard to beat! A great big thank you to Paul Tinney for organizing and to Paul and Ben Beard for being so open and gracious with their time.
If you're not already familiar with Beard Guitars, do yourself a favor and check them out. Since 1985, Paul Beard has been hand-crafting what many consider the finest resophonic guitars in the world — right here in Hagerstown, Maryland. 14-time Grammy Award winner Jerry Douglas has been playing Beard guitars for years, and together they've developed an exclusive line of signature models built around their shared drive for sonic perfection. Whether you play bluegrass, blues, or anything in between, these instruments are the real deal.