Bedell Guitars Blog

Introducing the Bass Guitar

admin — Mon, 19 Mar 2012 14:54:47 +0000

Bedell Guitars is proud to introduce a new signature series – the Bass Guitar, by Tom Bedell. Here’s a quick look at the custom inlay featured on the headstock of each instrument. The inlay was designed and installed in the Custom Shop in Bend, OR:

The Bass Guitar (TBCE-28-TB) is a Solid Alaskan Sitka Spruce Dreadnought, with Indian Rosewood back and sides. It also features a cutaway, one piece African Mahogany neck, dovetail neck joint and of course – finished off with the stunning custom bass inlay on the finger boards.

Bedell Guitars: The Inspection Process

admin — Fri, 16 Mar 2012 01:45:51 +0000

Bedell Guitars undergo an detailed inspection and set-up process in our Bend, OR custom shop. In this video, we walk you through part of this process:

From the Custom Shop: Bedell Limited Edition #8

admin — Fri, 16 Mar 2012 01:24:59 +0000

CRAFTED ONE AT A TIME IN AMERICA

A truly unique Bedell Limited Edition guitar will be born once a week throughout 2012. Exquisitely crafted from our collection of exotic woods – selected for beauty and tone. Housed in a genuine leather covered hard shell case.

A “Birth Certificate” is included with each instrument. Collectors will be asked to give a name to their Bedell Limited Edition guitar and share their story. The name will be registered and with permission, will be shared along with their story on our website. Once a guitar is registered, the collector will receive a deluxe gigbag, Bedell- Cooperstand, humidifier, and care kit.

The newest model (LEMB-34-8) is an OM Body made of select Portorford Cedar and Myrtlewood Back and Sides (the first Bedell Guitar made with Myrtlewood. It will be bound in Walnut and feature a Rope Rosette, all shining under a high gloss finish. Stay tuned for photos and video of this guitar in the build process.

From the Custom Shop: Bedell Limited Edition #7

admin — Fri, 16 Mar 2012 01:24:46 +0000

CRAFTED ONE AT A TIME IN AMERICA

The LEJB-58-7 features a Jumbo Body, Adirondack top and Quilted Maple Back and Sides. In the finish department it will be given a Toner Gloss Finish (to make the maple pop) and bound in Maple. More photos and video to come, so stay tuned!

Bedell Announces Skunk Baxter Limited Edition Guitar

admin — Fri, 16 Mar 2012 01:22:11 +0000

Starting in mid-March , we have a limited quantity of Skunk Baxter Guitars Available. MAP of $1949

Widely know for his membership in 2 of the most popular bands of the 70’s, Steely Dan and Doobie Brothers, Jeff “Skunk” Baxter has joined Bedell Guitars to design his own Signature model. The Dreadnought Guitar is built with a premium Englemann Spruce top and Madagascar Rosewood back and sides. The guitar is embellished with such fine details as a Mother-of-Pearl Rosette, Fingerboard and peghead purfling and Skunk Baxter’s engraved signature on the head stock. The guitar features Bedell Guitar’s Dovetail neck fastened into place with Hide Glue to create a vibrant and lively neck. The Fishman Matrix pickup compliments the acoustic tone of the guitar and makes it stage ready for “Takin’ it to the Streets!” Contact your Bedell Sales representative today to secure your Bedell Skunk Baxter Guitar.

Acoustic Guitar Covers Bedell Guitars at 2012 NAMM

admin — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 01:00:40 +0000

Colin Besancon of Breedlove Guitars talks about the Entry Level Bedell Discovery Series guitars.

Bedell Announces New Limited Edition Guitars – Made in the USA

admin — Thu, 29 Dec 2011 23:52:34 +0000

CRAFTED ONE AT A TIME IN AMERICA

Bedell Guitars Announces the Kenny Loggins Signature Series Parlor Guitar

admin — Thu, 29 Dec 2011 23:11:14 +0000

What happens when two masters of their craft come together? This year, Tom Bedell and the team at Bedell Guitars worked with legendary platinum selling recording artist Kenny Loggins to design an extraordinary signature series guitar.

Bedell’s OH-12-KL, the Kenny Loggins Signature Parlor Guitar, is amazing for performing and recording. The all solid wood AAA African Sapele body with Sitka Spruce sculpted tone bars is so well balanced it requires little EQ while recording. A one-piece African Mahogany neck is dovetailed into a Mahogany neck block with the same grain angle and paired with an African Ebony fingerboard and bridge to create a lively, resonant neck. The “C” shaped neck profile with a 1.7 inch bone nut width makes it a dream to play. Loggins designed the rosette and selected the Fishman Acoustic Matrix VT electronics and as he says, he wrote his new songs on an OH-12-G, recorded them on an OH-12-G and now performs them on his signature OH-12-KL.

According to Loggins, “This little parlor guitar has an incredibly balanced tone, capable of driving a recorded track yet not so big it eats up all the sound frequencies like a dreadnought can. ‘Plays well with others,’ I’d say, especially electric guitars.” Tom Bedell, owner of Bedell Guitars, thoroughly enjoyed working with Loggins and seeing this signature series instrument come to fruition. “Kenny is a legendary musician and songwriter and we were honored to create an instrument where the quality, craftsmanship and tone were worthy of the Loggins name. It shows great support and confidence in the team here at Bedell Guitars.”

Bedell Guitars are artfully handcrafted and the wood is individually selected and matched. Ebony fingerboards and one-piece Mahogany necks are carefully shaped and sanded by hand while meticulously crafted bindings hug every curve with perfection and strength. Each Bedell Guitar is an incredible creation which is why it delivers such incredible sound. Driven by the power of music and the pursuit of the perfect sound, Bedell Guitars delivers unparalleled craftsmanship and tone.

Bedell Guitars Sponsors “Right to Rock Celebration” in Support of Little Kid’s Rock

admin — Fri, 04 Nov 2011 17:58:41 +0000

Bedell Guitars Sponsors the “Right to Rock Celebration” in New York City to Support the Efforts of Little Kid’s Rock

New York City, NY – October 20, 2011 ¾ Steven Van Zandt, Billy Squier, Jake Clemons, Matt White and Lady Gaga were among the musical personalities who came out to support Little Kids Rock at the “Right to Rock Celebration” in New York City presented by Bedell Guitars. The event was a smashing success and raised enough funds for Little Kids Rock to provide free instrumental music lessons to more than 10,000 additional students. The event also honored the late Clarence Clemons, a key supporter of the organization, by presenting the annual “Big Man of the Year” award to Lady Gaga, whose hit song The Edge of Glory featured Clemons.

Little Kids Rock was started in 2002 by David Wish, an elementary school teacher who was frustrated by the lack of funding for musical education in his school. He started free after-school guitar classes for his students and following the classes’ wild success, decided to take the program nationwide. Today, Little Kids Rock brings free musical instruments and music instruction into under-served public schools across the country, with a focus on teaching children to perform, improvise and compose the musical styles that they love. Schools in more than 24 major cities throughout the US are served by the program with more cities added each year.

Motivated by a desire to support music education, Bedell Guitars and Two Old Hippies partnered up with Little Kids Rock in 2011 as the exclusive provider of guitars for Little Kids Rock. Tom Bedell, co-founder Two Old Hippies and Bedell Guitars considered the musical education and experiences that he had during his formative years in the 60s as some of the most important and influential of his life. In an effort to afford the same opportunities to the youth of today, Mr. Bedell sought out the relationship with Little Kids Rock.

“For most of us, a life of music began when we were young and has been forever a part of our lives,” said Tom Bedell. “I want to do whatever I can to help the young folks of today have this same blessing. Bedell Guitars is providing thousands of instruments through Little Kids Rock to enable disadvantaged kids to enjoy and to participate in the gift of music.”

The “Right to Rock Celebration” was presented by Bedell Guitars on October 20th and co-chaired by Steve Van Zandt (of the E-Street Band), Maureen Van Zandt (of The Sopranos) and entertainment executive Evan Harrison. The night included live and silent auctions, a tribute to the “Big Man” Clarence Clemons and performances by Van Zandt, Billy Squier, Matt White, Jake Clemons and Little Kids Rock students. “The Big Man of the Year” award, given annually to a “musical luminary who is passionate about helping Little Kids Rock…and who also inspires and motivates kids,” was presented to Lady Gaga, who also contributed goods to the live auction and also, won a dinner with the Van Zandts by placing the top bid of $13,000. The loudest applause of the evening was reserved for the student performers from Little Kids Rock who played along with rock legends and also performed original compositions.

Bedell Guitars was originally started in 1964 when, at the age of 14, Tom Bedell began selling his own line of Bedell acoustic guitars. He was fueled by a desire to provide a more accessible guitar to the community and by his love of music. Bedell Guitars was reintroduced to the music industry in 2009 as a new line of affordable, handcrafted acoustic guitars.

Additional coverage of the event:

TB-18-G Receives Guitar World Magazine’s Platinum Award

admin — Fri, 04 Nov 2011 17:45:15 +0000

The concept of a high- quality, low-cost acoustic guitar isn’t new to Bedell Guitars founder Tom Bedell, who started importing affordable acoustic guitars back in 1964 when he was 14. In 2010, Bedell formed the Two Old Hippies company and began to manufacture Bedell acoustic guitars, which feature upscale details like handcrafted construction and solid woods, and sell for surprisingly reasonable prices. The Bedell TB-18-G dreadnought resides in the middle of Bedell’s dreadnought model lineup, which has a price range from $399 to $2,599.

FEATURES

The first thing I noticedabout the TB-18-G was the quality of its wood. The solid AAA Alaskan Sitka spruce top has extremely tight grain and a flame- like cross-hatching pattern—it’s the kind of wood one normally sees on expensive custom acoustics. The back and sides are African sapele, an alternative to mahogany that produces similarly warm, rich tones. My review example’s sapele back had a stunning, subtle striped figuration enhanced by the book-matched halves. Other upscale construction details include the jet-black ebony fingerboard and bridge, classy wood pinstriping between the binding that surrounds the fretboard and headstock overlay, the wood Bedell peace sign logo inlay on the headstock, and gold-plated Grover tuners.

The TB-18-G’s one-piece African mahogany neck has a comfortable shallow C-shaped profile, a 25 1/2–inch scale, 20 frets and a 1.7-inch nut width. It’s attached to the body with a dovetail joint and hide glue, which means you don’t have to trash the entire instrument if you ever need to reset the neck in years ahead (many other acoustics in the Bedell’s price range have necks affixed with glues that aren’t easily softened). Another detail that shows Bedell cares about the instrument’s longevity is the hydrometer built into the deluxe sculpted hardshell case, which helps you monitor humidity to avoid conditions that can damage the guitar.

PERFORMANCE

The TB-18-G’s sapele back and sides mellow the bass and treble somewhat and enhance the midrange frequencies, resulting in tone that is exceptionally well- balanced for a dreadnought. Strummed chords don’t sound boomy and bassy, and picked single-note lines on the upper E and B strings cut through without being piercing. Even when the strings are driven aggressively, the stiff premium-grade spruce top refuses to overdrive. The neck is very comfortable to play, and the tall, medium-profile frets make it easy to fret notes cleanly.

(From Page 112 | Guitar World | December 2011)

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