Bedell BDM-18-M (!!!)

[stephenT]

Stopped by my local music store, Atlanta Vintage Guitars (Hwy 92 , Woodstock, GA) and played several of their acoustics. Enjoyed a Recording King OOO and a Loar (like a L-00) and thought both of those great examples of the fine inexpensive guitars on the market these days. I've played L-00s that didn't sound as good as the Loar, in fact I owned one!

But the stand out was a Bedell BDM-18-M, sort of an OM sized guitar, spruce and mahogany,.. but it was exceptional, very playable and a fantastic sound. Clearly a professional grade instrument for UNDER $300 new!! Crazy good deal. I don't know if there's a consistency to Bedell guitars, this was my first experience and the only one I've played but I've been back and played it three times now and I was right, it is a great guitar.

If you're looking for an exceptional deal and a fine guitar, I suggest you talk to the folks at Atlanta Vintage Guitars (no affiliation), I'd snag this one up but I'm ok in the acoustic department.

[Rosewood99]

Congratulations. I've always been a Bedell fan.

[stephenT]

Originally Posted by paulzoom

Congratulations. I've always been a Bedell fan.

Discovered it, didn't buy it. This is more a public service announcement!

If they did a OO in this series with rosewood, I would be a buyer.

[mstuartev]

is that a Washburn parlor behind?

[stephenT]

Originally Posted by mstuartev

is that a Washburn parlor behind?

It is, one of the newer models.

[mmcgin55]

I just purchased the Bedell TB28G dreadnought at my local Guitar Center about a month ago. It was being sold as used but the asst. manager said that it was brand new!! Apparently Guitar Center acquired a large brand new lot of these and are selling them across the US as used guitars. This model is an all solid wood AAA Alaskan Sitka Spruce top and solid rosewood back and sides that appear to be select woods. It has maple binding around the entire top and bottom, a maple/rosewood rossette and peace sign inlay on the headstock. The headstock is polished ebony with ebony fretboard and bridge (including ebony bridge pins!). The craftmanship is excellent and the tone is amazing with a heavy bass response. The date of manufacture was August 2010 so it has had time for the wood to age gracefully! It comes with a high quality hardshell case which includes a hygrometer to monitor humidity. The guitar list is $1599.00 and street price is usually $1199.00. I compared it to an Eastman E20D and IMHO it is equal but with finer appointments. I would highly recommend checking one out as I'm sure they are selling fast!!!

[broknprism]

I saw a clip last night of Phil Keaggy playing a Bedell. He liked it, and of course it sounded amazing in his hands. But not everything would -- an instrument has to have a certain basic level of quality to sound good.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0vdW92n-qDM

The guitars coming out of China right now are not just incredible for price, they're incredible for tone. Nobody told these violin makers, archtop carvers, and skilled wood artists that for $300 they had to make firewood with strings, so they don't. Here's an excerpt (from a forum called 'Totally Guitars') about Bedells, discovered in a random Google search on the Bedell name.

"He had an entry level Martin which I compared side by side and the Bedell was head and shoulders better in my opinion in terms of sound, feel and ease of play..."

I hear sentiments like this more and more often, from a variety of places, but it's the same message. Give these guys in China better materials (not that they're failing with what they have) and watch them bury the American factory-built market. Why? Because they build by hand, the way it used to be done, the way something as organic and sensitive as a guitar should be built.

[Rosewood99]

What makes you think American guitars are from factories and not hand-built? Ever hear of Collings, Santa Cruz, Breedlove, Froggy Bottom?

Why agree that there are many fine Chinese guitars out there (Eastman comes to mind) I don't think American guitars have anything to worry about.

And for the record, I used to have a Bedell parlor and loved it. But I love my Martin and Breedlove too.

[broknprism]

Originally Posted by paulzoom

What makes you think American guitars are from factories and not hand-built? Ever hear of Collings, Santa Cruz, Breedlove, Froggy Bottom?

I know those companies are American, so I was careful to say factory-built. Mass produced. Anything you can offer in a Guitar Center catalog.

I have to stop banging the factory-built guitar gong. I know I'm steaming some member clams out there, and I don't mean to, honest to God. A guitar is a personal thing that we invest our identities in on some level, so it's hard to be objectively demanding of the object without sounding critical of its owner. I went too far.

[email4eric]

I hear what you're saying and it's a good observation.

I wouldn't be too worried about apologizing for other folk's over sensitivities. This can be a difficult forum on which to voice an opinion!

[stephenT]

Played it again today, very nice. Excellent fret work for the price range.

Same shop had a newer Loar (copy of a L-00) and I was amazed at the light build, looked great, nice rich deep sunburst, and sounded just fine with a price tag of $350.

I don't see these sub-$500 guitars as substitutes for American guitars, they are starter guitars, beach guitars, gig guitars and guitars one can buy on a budget. But it's proof of what I been saying, great guitars exist at every price range.

[Rosewood99]

Originally Posted by broknprism

I know those companies are American, so I was careful to say factory-built. Mass produced. Anything you can offer in a Guitar Center catalog.

I have to stop banging the factory-built guitar gong. I know I'm steaming some member clams out there, and I don't mean to, honest to God. A guitar is a personal thing that we invest our identities in on some level, so it's hard to be objectively demanding of the object without sounding critical of its owner. I went too far.

It's still as silly comparison. Of course a hand-built guitar is going to be better than a factory built guitar. There are Chinese factory built guitars also. You are comparing apples and oranges.

Your aren't steaming anyone here. It's just that you are stating the obvious. Whether it's Chinese or American is besides the point. Your rant would have been better if you had just said hand-built guitars are better than factory ones and had left out the country of origin.

[cugir321]

I have two of them....one is a monster....the other is so, so....They come to life if you add a zero glide - zero fret. I added the zero glide and refretted it in stainless. I had cut a hole in the top of the side to add a fishman Isys type piezio preamp.....just took it out today and the guitar came to life. It's now like it has a sound port. Leaving it out. The zero fret increased the sustain and focus....tons of volume....the hole in the top of the side of the guitar brought out the bass....I actually think it's coming through my transducers that I replaced the fishman piezio with...stick on transducers. I use a 10 band EQ to get rid of the 16k band and it sounds just like the guitar through a fishman loudbox mini.

The main difference between the two bedell's (BDD-18-M) is the top....one has a top that's 4.2mm. This one has the zero fret and also a new bone saddle I made. The other is 5.3 mm and sounds dark with a lot less volume (factory nut and saddle)....the thin top explodes with sound!

The other has the standard nut and saddle.

[cugir321]

Originally Posted by stephenT

Stopped by my local music store, Atlanta Vintage Guitars (Hwy 92 , Woodstock, GA) and played several of their acoustics. Enjoyed a Recording King OOO and a Loar (like a L-00) and thought both of those great examples of the fine inexpensive guitars on the market these days. I've played L-00s that didn't sound as good as the Loar, in fact I owned one!

But the stand out was a Bedell BDM-18-M, sort of an OM sized guitar, spruce and mahogany,.. but it was exceptional, very playable and a fantastic sound. Clearly a professional grade instrument for UNDER $300 new!! Crazy good deal. I don't know if there's a consistency to Bedell guitars, this was my first experience and the only one I've played but I've been back and played it three times now and I was right, it is a great guitar.

If you're looking for an exceptional deal and a fine guitar, I suggest you talk to the folks at Atlanta Vintage Guitars (no affiliation), I'd snag this one up but I'm ok in the acoustic department.

Before 2012 they were chinese made and laminate I believe....at least the BDD-18-M I have two of them and called the company to find out if they were laminate back and sides. If it was 300.00 there's a pretty good shot they were laminate...i doubt you got solid B/S for 300.00...

[birdsong]

Well that original post was 11 years ago so it’s hard to know what was purchased. But I agree that it was surely a laminate, for that price.