with Spruce. What we ended up with were
braces that have the same or higher stiffness
than traditional Spruce braces, with noticeably
reduced weight. The entire set of mahogany
braces for a Sidecar model can weigh as little
as 15 grams. This noticeably impacts the
volume and projection of the guitar, as well as
the responsiveness and touch sensitivity of the
strings.”
The Sidecar is the flagship model of the Deco
line and is the one I am reviewing here. The
classic and compact Beard “R” body shape is
comfortable and appealing. The solid Spruce
top with Mahogany Aero bracing provides a
rich, balanced sound with slightly pronounced
midrange response. The Sidecar is great for
fingerstyle and blues and I even put it through
its paces with some jazz chords. It sounded
great both with a pick and with your downhome
finger pickin’.
$2,199.00 includes the versatile LR Baggs
Anthem acoustic guitar pickup and microphone
system. A lot of guitar here for the money!
Deco Phonic Sidecar Specs
• Body: Beard Guitars R-Model shape.
Finnish Birch laminate back and sides.
Solid Engelmann Spruce Top. Lightweight
Mahogany
• AeroX ™ bracing.
• Dimensions: - Upper bout - 10.5”
• - Lower bout - 14.25”
• - Depth - 3.75”
• 25” Scale Length
• Neck: Solid Mahogany
• Neck joint at 14th fret
• Vintage inspired satin finish.
• Tobacco Burst top
• R-127 Ivoriod bound top.
• 1 3/4” at nut
• Fretboard radius 16”
• Fretboard: Morado w/ dot inlays
• Bone nut and saddle
• Golden Age restoration tuners
• Deluxe Hardshell Case
$2,199.00
www.BeardGuitars.com
You can’t help but notice the subtle soft V-shape
mahogany neck – it is super comfortable, and
the 14 fret range provides plenty of access.
The satin finish feels nice to the touch and the
throwback Tobacco sunburst color rounds out
that special vintage vibe. Add to that a nice
wide nut (1&3/4”) and a bone nut and saddle
and you are ready to go.
But the most important aspect you need to
know about this Sidecar guitar is the sound.
The tone is spot on. I played it next to two
different old Gibson acoustics and the Sidecar
not only held its own but was even a bit more
articulate in the midrange.
A testament to the body shape and the Aero
bracing. I am impressed with this guitar – it
rings true with a handcrafted blend of the best
of both worlds - vintage and modern build
techniques. Paul and his small band of luthiers
have a hit on their hands.
All Deco guitars are handmade in small batches
in Hagerstown Maryland.
July 2020
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