In the mid 1920’s when John Dopyera invented the first resonator guitar, it was the beginning of a long history of personal and company feuding, wrangling over patents and court battles with pretenders to the throne. Despite all of these troubles, it is widely agreed that all the best instruments were built in the ‘golden years’ up to 1942. Fifty years later, most of us have only seen poor attempts at recreating the classic metal or wood bodied Nationals and Dobros. But right here in England is a small company dedicated to making just a couple of guitars a month to the standards which the inventor would have demanded. Bill Johnson and Steve Evans of the Beltona company will make just about any resonator instrument you could imagine: ukuleles, mandolins, single and tricone guitars, electro-acoustics in fact, they are positively committed to producing unique instruments, tailored to the specific needs (and dare I say, whims) of the individual customer. My sample for review is a Triplate – this name derives from the three speaker shaped cones (hence tricone) which are mounted in a one piece pressed ‘resonator well’ within the guitar body. A bridge on a T shaped bar transmits the string vibration to the top centre of each cone. These cones act like speakers on a baffle and project sound into the body which works like a normal acoustic guitar in further amplifying, developing and colouring the sound. The triplate body is made of brass which is heavily nickel plated. Nickel plating is not as brash in appearance as chrome but is prone to corrosion from sweat. Regularly wiping the instrument with a cotton or chamois cloth will minimise the ‘cloudy’ effect that builds up over the years. This cloudiness should be regarded like the patina on antique furniture – there is no need to remove it as it adds to the charm of the instrument. Construction is remarkably similar to wooden bodied instruments in that the top, back and sides are separate pieces. The marvel of well made metal bodies is that the joins are so well soldered, finished and plated that it is hard to believe that these three components ever existed separately – the Beltona is of the ‘absolutely incredible to believe’ type. Styling is close to the original and the characteristic ‘waffle grating’ on the sound-holes maintains the Art Deco appearance. After some dissatisfaction with their original cone supplies, Beltona decided to design and make their own – you can take it from me this is a highly skilled operation! They worked out that by making a slightly domed shape cone they could keep the aluminium thinner than other manufacturers were currently using, while maintaining the strength. They have kept the stamped spiral pattern which also contributes to extra strength and vibration transmission and the result is a distinctive cone which is the very heart of the Beltona Triplate, pumping sound into the body. The mahogany neck is fitted with an ebony fingerboard which meets the body at the 12th fret. It is set in position using a banjo style neck pole which is mortised into the heel and runs through the body to the endpin. The fingerboard is bound with ivoroid and has mother-of-pearl dot markers. Frets are finished to an exemplary standard – they are level, well profiled, beautifully polished and the ends are individually rounded. The classic slotted headstock is faced with plastic mother-of-pearl which does not look at all tacky!

After all, it’s part of the tradition and looks just right in this application. It’s a shame that the Beltona decal on the headstock is a shade bubbly in appearance – it is probably a water slide transfer which has ‘reacted’ when the headstock was lacquered. A really trivial fault, but as it is about the only thing wrong on the whole guitar, I just thought I would mention it to prove that the instrument is not a divine creation! The engraved Schaller machine-heads have mother-of-pearl plastic buttons which ideally suit the headstock adornment, and work smoothly and accurately. The triplate has been set up for a sensible compromise between normal and slide playing. You should never expect a resonator guitar to be easy to play because it is essential to use medium or heavy gauge strings gauge strings in order to exert sufficient pressure on the cones to make them operate efficiently. Old resonator guitars had necks of substantial proportions as they only had a fixed steel reinforcing rod. Sometimes the necks were just a square slab because they were designed purely for slide. Beltona have introduced an adjustable truss rod and have therefore been able to use a thinner neck profile which is more acceptable for current requirements. The old V profile and wide fingerboard are still evident but the change definitely makes the triplate more user – and repairer – friendly. The sound is full and surprisingly warm when finger picking. I have often commented that poor resonator guitars are quieter than normal guitars – pretty damning of a guitar specifically built to be loud! But the Beltona really does deliver a big, loud sound. What’s more it projects so well that I honestly thought it sounded louder 12 feet away than close up! For lap and bottle neck styles it is simply sensational – the tone is clear and liquid with long almost reverb-like sustain. You can hear harmonics bursting out all over the place and the body picks up any external noise and converts it to a mellifluous resonance. If you even cough near the guitar it sings cough mixture back at you! This is truly a very high quality guitar. Many improvements have been made to the original John Dopyera design and the result is a credit to Steve Evans and Bill Johnson. Because Beltona are a small and flexible company, they encourage customers to choose individual specs and requirements; they have even made one for Eric Clapton. Finally, make sure you learn how to care for your guitar. The cones and bridge system are very delicate and can be damaged by shock even when the guitar is in it’s case. Also, never exert heavy pressure on the resonator cover as compression could deform the cones. Any repair work should be carried out by repairers who are familiar with the quirks and vagaries of this type of guitar. As there are not many about it is best to refer to the manufacturer for guidance. Steve Evans also specialises in repairs to all resonator guitars, so if you are in doubt, give him a call. Beltona kindly thanks Guitarist Magazine for allowing the reproduction of this review.

About two years ago, in an effort to find a way to compete in volume with my various musical performing partners, I thought of buying a resonator ukulele and decided to check out Beltona. I figured that any company with enough chutzpah to locate its shop so far away from North America in a country as gorgeous as New Zealand ought to be investigated.

After reading some on-line reviews and visiting their nicely-designed web site, over the course of a few weeks time, I decided to get a Beltona. I contacted Steve Evans about a purchase. Steve was gracious and helpful, and he answered my many questions promptly, considering the baffling time-zone difference (it’s always tomorrow over there). I placed a deposit on a soprano model with a mahogany neck, ebony fingerboard, and diamond-dot pearl inlays. (all of Beltona’s instruments are custom-made, so one is able to request different inlays, engravings, etc.) I received the instrument on September 11, 2002, the one-year anniversary of the infamous terrorist attacks. The gloom I experienced at the start of that memorial day was tempered by the arrival of the Beltona.

The ukulele is solidly constructed of nickel-plated bell brass. The wide fingerboard allows for comfortable chord formation. (I had a chance to strum Pops Bayless’s National uke at last year’s UHoF Expo, and while I was very pleased with his uke’s tone and attributes, I found the National’s narrower fingerboard to be, well, noticeably narrower than the Beltona’s.)

All of the fittings of the Beltona are tight, and the finish of the wood and metal parts is clean and smooth. The instrument is hefty, as one would expect of an instrument made chiefly of heavy metal. Because of its weight, I’ve made adjustments to my playing method whenever I use it (I sit down). I am looking at non-marring methods for attaching a strap.

The tone of this ukulele is surprisingly mellow and warm, despite its metallic construction. There is no hint of a tinny sound. And, as expected, the Beltona is loud. I no longer worry about being drowned out by other instrumentalists. In fact, I have used my Beltona with a friend who plays a concert grand piano, and he is impressed with the little soprano’s ability to compete with that gigantic, voluminous monstrosity. The ukulele stays perfectly in tune up the neck, which attests to the close tolerances applied to its construction. The Beltona ukulele is a fine, high-quality instrument of stunning beauty, indubitably residing in a class of its own. It has a wonderful, pleasing tone. Finally, it is an attention-getter and a conversation piece; I have never played it in public without provoking stares of disbelief and comments suggesting surprise and awe.

“Beltona Steel” by Paul D.Moore

“Keeping the Ukulele Alive in the Middle East”

The one thing I have that has real dollar value is my Beltona Tenor Ukulele. It is worth more than my 14 year old Ford that lovingly gets me from Gig to Gig. I joke with my family that as a working musician, their only inheritance will be my Ukulele’s. The ones that will rise in value (if I live long enough) are my Deveky long scale, and the Beltona (a few other ukes should pay for my funeral, well the drinks at the wakelele). I own no property, have no pension plan, and the rest of my instruments are made from junk. Ok you get the picture.

First, it was a pleasure doing business with Steve who is joint maker of the Beltona instruments. I was tempted to opt for the cheaper Blue fiberglass uke, but decided that for once in my life I would own a ROLLS ROYCE UKE. It arrived in a black soft case. I have since built a wooden case for it (it also serves as an instrument) as I succeeded to put a small dent in the side of the Beltona shortly after it arrived .

Well, most of my instruments are junk so it was too shiny and new!! I play it with my Band “The Amazing Washboard Wizards”, sit in with it in other bands, and I play it in my One Man Vaudeville Band Show.

I have it tuned GCEA. It gives a nice rich tone which suits my voice. It’s great for my repertoire of Jazz, Blues, and Novelty Music as it has a lot of guts and drive to it, and when I pick a Ragtime tune, it’s sweet too. I use it as a rhythm ukulele inside the band, and as a solo performer I finger pick, and strum. I am not a lead player.

I have a lot of other instruments on board to play, and so never developed that side of the art. However, at home I mess about playing lead runs and it responds very well for me. Nice clear notes with a lot of bendability (my word). The Solo work I do without amplification, and it sure is loud enough to cut through any background noise. It seems to match my vocal volume too. When I amplify it I use a Sure 58, or condenser.

I got the instrument made with 2 strap pegs at each end of the body so it hangs around my neck. I used this Ukulele on recording several songs on the 2nd CD of the Amazing Washboard Wizards “Musical Medicine Show”. So you can listen to it in action there. I plan on using it in my One Man Band recordings, too. The action is a dream. If I had been sitting with the maker I would have not asked for more. Of course, everyone has their own thing there, but needless to say its low and does not buzz when playing anywhere on the fingerboard. As you would expect for the price, its finger board is beautifully crafted, frets all smooth and the lovely. I can fully recommend this instrument.” if I ever get my hand on some $$ again” I will get a Beltona Soprano. I have played one and that was a joy too.

One point never play this instrument with a Jean Jacket on. It scared me to death as it rattled away on the metal buttons, which took me 10 nervous minutes to find out that was causing the problem!

———

To Listen to the Beltona tenor ukulele in action, get Paul Moore’s Amazing Washboard Wizards Novelty Orchestra 2nd CD “The Musical Medicine Show” by sending an email to paulmoore@aquanet.co.il.

By Paul D Moore, June 2005

This is the second instrument I own from the Beltona Range of Resonator Ukuleles. The first one I got and reviewed is the Tenor Steel (here on the site). I am even happier at having again gone for another member of the Beltona Family.

While I was in New Zealand this year playing at a festival I decided to pick it up myself. Unfortunately I never got to the North Island, but as luck would have it my daughter who was traveling at the same time picked it up for me. (as a result I’ve now turned her into a Uke player!).

With the crazy prices ukuleles seem to demand these days one should be very wise in choosing the right ukulele for the right job. Vintage Ukes have gone sky high but there are some good cheap wooden ukes out there for around the $200 mark. In my opinion they out weigh the $200 plastic ones. A Beginner may find even a playable uke for $25 but I digress lets talk Resonator Ukuleles.

There are a few Resonator models about. These by nature command higher prices but the difference in quality and sound is vast and once you start thinking of buying an instrument unseen then you better look out as we are going in way over the $500 range and that is serious money. So if you need a ukulele that projects well like I do (I play a lot of solo One Man band gigs without amplification) or battle to be heard inside a band you cannot beat a resonator Uke!!

I have tried Johnson’s, and Nationals* both old and new (the older* ones are better) these are at each end of the scale re price. The Johnson for its price is not worth the bother unless you want to strip it down change the cone and try and rebuild the whole thing. The National (for me) has a narrow neck and thus is not user friendly and tends to use its name to command higher prices. So why an instrument with a body molded from glass reinforced resin instead of steel? Well first it’s cheaper and second it sounds beautiful!

The other delights this Uke has is it looks like steel that has been painted and the paint job is tough resilient and perfect. Another great asset this Ukulele has is its weight. (As stated in the blurb on the site its 35% lighter than a metal Instrument.)

For anyone who travels this is a fantastic advantage. There are no problems when getting on a plane with this seemingly weightless Uke, and if you travel with a few instruments then you know what a hassle that can be. Another thing about the paintwork it makes the uke resistant to sweat. I live in the Middle East (Israel) and sweat is a major problem with wood and steel instruments as the salt eats into both materials. Not so with this baby it whips of clean without a mark. Finally the Rose wood fingerboard is beautiful and its color is rich and blends nicely with the instrument, which like all Beltonas are beautifully crafted.

OK down to its playing: I have been working on more finger picking of late to supplement my chord playing rhythm style. This is the best instrument I have for its action and fingerboard response as I run up and down finger picking its fantastic. I am blown away at the sound I get as I play down to the last fret!!! Its response is better than any of my other expensive Ukes. The sound projection is grand. Its seems to have a mellowness that carries weight which is an unusual trait in a resophonic instrument however this is most likely due to nylon strings together with a quality cone and non metallic body.

The Hilo Black strings work fine (I am a big fan of these strings) but i will experiment with some Aquilla ones in the future. I have this tuned at GCEA , but will use ADF#B and other tunings in due course. I have also (like the Tenor) had put in 2 strap pegs so it hangs round my neck a must for a one man band. I recommend this instrument fully especially if you never had the chance to play one. In future I would like “A Steel” but dreams are fun and this will be more than enough for my needs right now.

One last note I run a voluntary project here in Israel (I work with Jewish and Arab Children teaching them Ukulele and Kazoo its called Ukuleles for Peace) when the kids tried the Beltona Blue uke they where captivated by it. but right now they make do with cheap $25 Mahalos with better strings on. More dreams 20 kids with Beltona Blue Ukes!!! Aloha Paul Moore.

Hi Steve,

Here my thoughts about your mandolin compared to the National and some general statements:

The Beltona has much more warmth and smoothness to the sound than the National which can be very edgy and sharp. The National is louder than your mandolin which actually is more a problem than an advantage; the Beltona is still very, very powerful if needed (more than enough indeed) but can be really sweet. That makes it much easier to control the dynamics than with the National M1 which sometimes is more a weapon than a stringed instrument. The Beltona sound is very balanced and full. Love it!

When amplified I get a very good tone on my BOSE L1 system (an awesome amplification system esp. for vocals and acoustic instruments). I didn’t have to tweak very much to dial in “my” tone. I am happy to have installed the active Fishman pickup with the battery box. I get a very good signal and no additional preamp is needed. I strongly recommend the active over the passive pickup. (BTW the price you took for the pickup is very good, much cheaper than over here).

The overall handling of the mandolin is very comfortable: the light weight and the dimension of the body – I love the fact that it is thicker than I expected, that makes it feel bigger and looks great too. In general the look of the instrument is simply awesome – the coolest little thing with strings I played so far: Surely it will be the hero of the night when we play our next gigs. I am happy to have the black version (I recommend you show the black version on your website too).

The fret size seems to be just a little smaller than the National. Since I have big hands I will have get used to that but I think it will be no problem. I will put on my favourite phosphor bronze strings soon and then I will have to see how the action reacts. On those smaller instruments I prefer a lower action for better playability. If it feels too high I will let my luthier over here make a little correction on the bisquit.

I was very pleased to get such a good case with your mandolin – I didn’t expect a case anyway; I thought I’d get a cheap bag. Did you mention that on your website? You definitely should! Thanks again for that!

Summary
The Beltona mandolin is a completely professional, killer-looking and sounding resonator mandolin that stands out among the other resonator mandolins players can get. It has all the power, projection and brilliance of a resonator instrument expected but also delivers the beautiful warmth and smoothness only the best wooden mandolins can offer. This makes it easy and simply fun to control the dynamic range and to sound the depth of the tone. From soft ballads to funky chopping to powerful and smashing chords you can get it all. This thing really rocks! The Beltona Koru mandolin can be used for any style of music. The overall appearance is extremely unique and individualistic but in the same time the shape is influenced by the classic F-type mandolins. When it comes to designing new instruments then it is exactly that which I love: New approaches, new shapes, new materials while still being rooted in the history of the instrument. Congrats Steve! This baby is a real winner and surely will be a Beltona bestseller. It will be my companion on stage and in the studio!

Thanks!
Ralph Skuban

Today’s Ukulele Builders: An Interview with Steve Evans by Dave Wasser of “Uke Said It”, the journal of the Ukulele Hall Of Fame Museum. Spring 2000. The UHoFM is pleased to present the following interview as part of our continuing series focusing on contemporary uke builders.

Q: What led you to start building instruments? And why ukes, specifically? Is this a full time occupation?
A: Beltona is a partnership that started in 1990. Myself and Bill Johnson met through a common friend and shared a common interest in resonator instruments. Bill is an engineer and was intrigued by the idea of making musical instruments out of metal. I had been a maker and repairer of stringed instruments for some years and had developed a speciality in resonator instrument repair and restoration, so had access to originals. Bill showed me the first tricone that he had made from a photograph alone and I thought it was good enough to make a deal that he would make two bodies and I would make the necks and fit them together. It grew from that into a business that has sustained us both for the last 10 years.

After tricones (constructionally the most difficult instrument) we moved on to my pet instrument , the uke. Original National ukes were rather rare to see and even rare to get your hands on at that time. I wanted to make a bigger bodied instrument than the soprano that National made in the 30’s, but not as big as their biggest model which didn’t seem to fit into any category. We aimed somewhere in the middle with our first ukes; a scale length of 14.3/4″, the same as the Martin Concert model. Somewhile after, we did build sopranos, but lengthened that scale to 14″.

Q: Do you have a guiding philosophy that motivates you?
A: Our guiding principle is “tone first, volume second. It’s no use having loads of volume if the tone is horrible. “Our sound” is a mellow sound. When people ask me about the volume of resonator ukes, I say that they fall between wooden ukes and banjo ukes.

Q: So aside from finding the right balance between volume and tone, what has been the most challenging aspect of ukulele building?
A: Knowing from previous instruments how crucial the cone was to the sound, we spent a lot of time designing a robust, but light cone especially for the uke. So our uke cones – although the same size as one tricone cone – are completely different in shape and design, and work in a different way. Resonator cones need greater tension of strings than wooden ukes to get the best out of them, so the longer the scale you can comfortably manage, the better the load on the cone and the better the volume and tone produced. There are compromises to be made though, too much load stifles the cone. Cone weight and thickness are crucial; too thick is a dull sound and too thin the sound is shrill and won’t take the load.

Q: You mentioned strings: do you find a certain type of string more suited for resonator ukes?
A: As for strings, I find Bob Gleason’s Hilo strings very well suited to our instruments. They have good tension and density and a nice plunky sound.

Q: What has been your greatest success/satisfaction with uke building?
A: I would have to say that the biggest thrill for me in terms of uke building was getting a phone call from Tiny Tim wanting to buy one of our ukes. He had played one belonging to Peter Brooke-Turner in a concert in London, and loved it. So we made him one of our standard ones strung left-handed of course. Later he asked us to make the smallest resonator uke we could for him. It looked a bit like a zither banjo, just a round body big enough for a resonator and the shortest possible scale. Unfortunately he died before we completed it, But it was sold to a good home. Building and repairing instruments in general, and ukes in particular, has put me in the company of some wonderfully and eccentric people and I thank them all wherever they are, for their continued support and encouragement.

Q: How were you first introduced to the uke?
A: When I was at school here in New Zealand, the first instrument a child learned was uke. Imagine a class of 25 or so 7 year olds all strumming out of tune ukes! If you showed promise on the uke, you graduated to the guitar. So guitar it was until the 80’s in England, and my interest (in the uke) was rekindled partially by homesickness, but also by seeing people performing in the George Formby style. Apart from Tiny Tim who was a big hit here in the 70’s my exposure to uke had been mainly Polynesian and Maori music both here and on trips to the islands of Fiji, Vanuatu and New Caledonia.

Q: What does the future hold for Beltona and for the uke in general?
A: Now I’m back in my native New Zealand after 17 years in England and carrying on the Beltona business. Uke is a popular instrument here; the indigenous Maori culture took to the uke and guitar as accompaniment to their harmony singing as readily as all other Polynesian cultures. Apart from one notable exception in Sione Aleki, a Tongan instrumental player who lives here, it is very rare for the uke to be played as a solo instrument, but perhaps with the growing popularity of the uke world wide, we can build on our solid base and produce some virtuosi.

We have as long a history of ukes as guitars in Beltona, and second to tricone guitars ukes are our most popular instrument. We are working on a tenor instrument at present to make up a full trio of models in our line.