Difference between E and R bodies

Lap steels, resonators, multi-neck consoles and acoustic steel guitars
Mike Harris
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Difference between E and R bodies

Post by Mike Harris »

Title says it all--I searched and could not find a discussion which details the difference between an E body resonator guitar and an R body. Can someone please enlighten me? Thanks.
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Jerry Overstreet
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Post by Jerry Overstreet »

I'll give it a shot until the experts come along.

The R body is a tradtional size instrument sort of like a OO body. Most of these use a constructed soundwell that sits in the opening. It's like the original Dobro and Regal brands of resonators. I'm guessing the R is meaning Regal size.

The E body is a larger body. I don't know what the letter E stands for specifically but it's Beard's designation for a large bodied instrument. I believe these are all open sound wells with sound post construction and can either have a proprietary baffle or not.

Scheerhorn uses the letter L to designate large body.

Typically, the R body has a traditional sound from the earlier era. Think Josh Graves from Flatt and Scruggs for example.

The E body, generally, has a bigger, fuller more powerful modern sound. Think recent Jerry Douglas, Rob Ickes, Josh Swift, Randy Kohrs et al.

They can be squarneck for lap style playing or round neck for spanish style. I don't know that there's another designation for neck style other than stating it.

Not part of your question, but Beard also builds an A body which is a jumbo style round neck fretted type fingerboard with a spider bridge resonator cone and a sound hole body.

I'll stop there and let the more knowledgeable clean things up!