For resonator guitar players

One of the people your editor was glad to have met in Nashville in March is Howard L. Parker, business manager of Beard Guitars. (If you want to know more about the company than is on the website, the March 2005 issue of Bluegrass Unlimited magazine carried a good illustrated interview with Paul Beard by Lisa Kay Howard. Nice picture of Paul's cat, too.)

As well as making beautiful and innovative instruments, Beard Guitars make almost all their own parts. Howard told me they also supply parts to other companies and do special set-up jobs on the Gold Tone licensed versions of Beard instruments.

Colin Henry of Belfast comments: 'The dobro world is perforce a small one - I have known (in cyberspace terms) Howard for nearly ten years. He is in charge of the first and best resophonic guitar list on the internet. His site and list is a must for all resophonic lap-style players. The list has most of the reso players that there are across the globe. It also has well known luthiers and such greats as Mike Auldridge and Phil Leadbetter and Rob Ickes's mother, I think. The information on it for players or builders is invaluable. Howard runs a great ship, and though I have never met him in the real world he comes across as a good guy.'

Contact Howard by post - Howard L. Parker, PO Box 314, Clarksburg, Maryland 20871, USA - or via this link.