D'Angelico Deluxe Bob Weir Bedford - Overview and Best Prices

D'Angelico Deluxe Bob Weir Bedford Review
Add to Compare
FIND IT ON:
Sweetwater logoMusician's Friend logo
  • 1 Prices - New from $1,999.99 >
  • From D'Angelico's 2021 Deluxe series
  • Bob Weir Signature
  • Made in South Korea
  • 6 strings
  • 24.75"'' scale
  • 14" Fretboard Radius
  • Basswood body
  • Maple neck
  • Pau Ferro fretboard
  • Bridge pickup: Seymour Duncan STK P-90 (Single Coil/Passive)
  • 1 volume and 2 tone Speed knobs
  • 5-way Switch
  • 6-point Wilkinson Tremolo (Gold) bridge
  • C-Shape Set neck
  • 22 Medium Jumbo frets
  • Grover 509 Super Rotomatic, Locking tuners
  • Side-By-Side Comparison
Show Specs
D'Angelico Deluxe Bob Weir Bedford Specifications
D'Angelico Deluxe Bob Weir Bedford
General
Brand: D'Angelico
Year: 2021
Configuration: P90SP90
Strings: 6
Made in: South Korea
Series: Deluxe
Colors: Blue Matte
Left-Handed Version: No
Body
Type: Solid Body
Body Material: Basswood
Bridge: 6-point Wilkinson Tremolo (Gold)
Neck
Neck Joint: Set
Tuners: Grover 509 Super Rotomatic, Locking
Fretboard: Pau Ferro
Neck Material: Maple
Decoration: Mother of Pearl/Abalone Split Block
Scale Size: 24.75"
Shape: C-Shape
Frets: 22 Medium Jumbo
Fretboard Radius: 14"
Nut: Ivory Tusq
Nut Width: 42.9mm (1.688'')
Electronics
Bridge Pickups: Seymour Duncan STK P-90 (Single Coil / Passive)
Middle Pickup: Lollar Blonde Single Coil (Single Coil / Passive)
Neck Pickup: Seymour Duncan STK P-90 (Single Coil / Passive)
Switch: 5
Knobs: Speed
Volume Controls: 1
Tone Controls: 2
Hardware
Strap Lock: Yes
Hardware Color: Gold
Show Diagram
D'Angelico Deluxe Bob Weir Bedford pickups switch selector and push knobs diagram
D'Angelico Deluxe Bob Weir Bedford's switch options

Our Scores and Tone Evaluation

Playability 72
Sound 74
Build quality 72
Value for money 68
Overall Score 73
Tone Evaluation
  • Heavy Metal
  • Hard Rock
  • Jazz
  • Blues
  • Funk
  • Country
Strengths & Weaknesses
D'Angelico Deluxe Bob Weir Bedford
  • Locking Tuners
  • Ivory Tusq Nut
  • Top Brand Pickups
  • Tremolo
  • Strap Lock
  • Cheap Fret Wire (NS)
  • Made in South Korea
  • No Expensive Woods
  • No Neck-Through Build
  • No Push Knob or Extra Switch Option
  • No Weight Relief
  • No Luminescent Inlay
  • No Compound Radius Fretboard
  • No 21:1 Tuner Ratio

Price Overview

Its average competitor's price is $1300, which means that the D'Angelico Deluxe Bob Weir Bedford costs around 54% more than the competition. It might be due to it having additional features, but know that you can find cheaper similar alternatives. This takes into account all instruments of the same category in our database with 6 strings and Tremolo bridge that are made in South Korea.

SET PRICE ALERT

These are affiliate links. We may earn a fee if you purchase after clicking. These prices are prone to error. Make sure you're buying the right product after clicking on a link from our site. We are not liable if you buy the wrong product after following these links. As an Amazon Associate site we earn from qualifying purchases.

User Reviews & Feedback

Not all instruments are created equally. That's why it's important to have different opinions. Here's what our users who have played this instrument say. If you've played it before, help others by voting below!

Weight

Vote

Tuning stability

Vote

Neck speed (thickness)

Vote

Neck access to high frets

Vote

Neck profile shape

Vote

Fret edges

Vote

Pickups noise

Vote

Pickups power

Vote
1 user reviews:
lerival profile picture
lerival
24/08/24 17:36:24

Note: A standard five-way blade makes tone control easy, with an added blender pot allowing players to mix in the "odd-man-out", whichever pickup isn't selected, guaranteeing maximum versatility. Further tonal variation is available via push/pull knobs on the master volume and tone, with which the player can drop out the "dummy coil" that helps establish noiselessness on the stacked P90s and achieve a more open, airy tone.

Often Compared With

Explore All From D'Angelico >

Hand Size Comfortability

After taking into account the neck profile, scale size, fretboard radius, and nut width, we can conclude that the D'Angelico Deluxe Bob Weir Bedford's construction favors people with relatively small hands.

Nevertheless, this comes down in the end to personal preference. Make sure you test this guitar—or another one with similar characteristics—before buying.

Big Hands
Small Hands

Beginner Friendliness

The D'Angelico Deluxe Bob Weir Bedford meets 4 out of our 8 criteria items for beginner friendliness, which means that it's not bad for beginners, but it could be better. This takes into account the type of frets, scale length, nut width, bridge type, fretboard radius, and neck profile to determine the easiest combination for new players to get used to.

New Player Friendliness

D'Angelico Deluxe Bob Weir Bedford
  • Easy-to-use bridge
  • Locking tuners
  • Tall frets
  • Comfortable neck
  • Comfortable shape
  • Comfortable fretboard
  • Narrow nut
  • Short scale

Videos

Deluxe Bob Weir Bedford® Demo with Nir Felder | D'Angelico Guitars
The Story Behind the D'Angelico Bob Weir Bedford Signature Guitar
Bob Weir x Premier Bob Weir Bedford | Artist Sessions | D'Angelico Guitars
The Most Versatile Guitar I've Ever Played!! - D'Angelico Bob Weir!
Daniel Donato Breaks Down the Premier Bob Weir Bedford | D'Angelico Guitars

Playability

Scale Length

Scale length is the distance the strings will span between the bridge and the nut. It can tell you a lot about the overall playability and tone of the instrument. A longer scale length means longer distance between frets, brighter tone and more string tension—which means lower action, but more difficult bending of the strings.

Here's the D'Angelico Deluxe Bob Weir Bedford's 24.75" scale length compared to other common sizes:

D'Angelico Deluxe Bob Weir Bedford Scale Length Comparison
D'Angelico Deluxe Bob Weir Bedford's scale length (at the top) compared to other popular sizes

This is the scale length used in most Gibson guitars. If you like the playability of a Gibson, this guitar will feel pretty similar. It's a lot shorter than the typical Stratocaster (25.5'')

As you can see from the picture above, a shorter scale length also means shorter separation between frets. If you got really small hands, you probably will feel more comfortable playing this guitar than a Fender Stratocaster.

This scale length also allows for easier bends and vibratos because the strings will have lower tension due to the shorter scale.

Finally, another thing affected by scale length is tone. A shorter scale will give less room for the harmonics, thus resulting in a warmer, more 'bassy' tone.

Still, remember that you string gauge plays an important part in all of this. A lighter gauge will make it easier to perform bends, vibratos and will also give you a brighter tone.

More with the same scale length:

Neck Profile

D'Angelico Deluxe Bob Weir Bedford Neck Profile
D'Angelico Deluxe Bob Weir Bedford's neck profile

The neck profile tells you the thickness (neck depth) and shape in cross section. Every difference will completely change the feeling and comfortability of the neck. This is a highly subjective thing, but most players indeed prefer certain types of necks (like Cs and Ds) because they feel nice in most hands.

It has a C type neck. C-shaped necks like this have been the most popular for the last years. The reason is that they feel good in most hands. It's generally a thin neck that doesn't get in your way when playing fast, but that also has enough mass to give your hands a comfortable grip for chords if they aren't too big.

Thin necks like this make it easier to move your hand across the neck and it helps when playing fast solos, especially if you like to leave your thumb free while playing high on the fretboard. However, thinner necks are also weaker and will need adjustment more often than a thicker neck.

More for different hand sizes

Fretboard Radius

When it comes to fingerboard radius, personal preference will dictate which one is better for you. However, most people seem to agree that a more curved (lower) radius will make it easier to play chords while a less curved (higher) radius is better for soloing and bending.

The D'Angelico Deluxe Bob Weir Bedford has a 14" fingerboard radius.

Here's an image comparing this fretboard radius to other popular choices:

D'Angelico Deluxe Bob Weir Bedford Fretboard Radius Comparison with Fender Stratocaster and Gibson Les Paul
D'Angelico Deluxe Bob Weir Bedford's fretboard radius compared to others

This makes it more similar to Gibson guitars (12'') than Fender (9.5''). It's slightly flatter than most modern Gibson fretboards though, which makes it more comfortable for single notes, bendings and vibratos, but less comfortable for chords. If you like the playability of a Gibson, which can be described as ''balanced for chords and solos'', and don't care about having slightly less curve for more comfortable solos, you'll like this radius.

Compound radius fingerboards give the best of both worlds. Unfortunately, the D'Angelico Deluxe Bob Weir Bedford has the same radius across the board.

More with the same fretboard radius:

Playability compared to main competitors

24.75'' Scale Length
C Neck Profile
1.688'' Nut Width
14'' Fretboard Radius
25.5'' Scale Length
C Neck Profile
1.626'' Nut Width
14'' Fretboard Radius
25.5'' Scale Length
C Neck Profile
1.654'' Nut Width
Compound Fretboard Radius
Multiscale Scale Length
D Neck Profile
1.693'' Nut Width
16'' Fretboard Radius
25.5'' Scale Length
C Neck Profile
1.654'' Nut Width
14'' Fretboard Radius

Nut Width

D'Angelico Deluxe Bob Weir Bedford Nut Width
D'Angelico Deluxe Bob Weir Bedford Nut Width

The D'Angelico Deluxe Bob Weir Bedford has a nut width of 42.9mm (1.688''). This is within the most common range of nut widths for a 6-string guitar. It offers a good balance of string separation at the nut. It's the size that most guitarists prefer as it gives them just enough space to play open chords without muting the strings, but without spreading the strings too wide and making bar chords difficult to perform.

Frets

The D'Angelico Deluxe Bob Weir Bedford has 22 frets. Even though 24 frets has become really popular, there's still a good reason to get fewer frets; the pickup at the neck position will be further away from the bridge. This makes the neck pickup achieve a warmer tone. You might want this if you're playing Jazz or similar genres.

However, if you don't care about the warmer neck pickup, more frets will always be better. It's always nice to have the option to play higher notes if you want to.

It comes with nickel silver frets, so they won't last as long as stainless steel frets. If you use your instrument a lot, you might need to replace the frets after a few years. But this is unlikely as most people change instruments before this happens.

More with the same amount of frets:

Fret Size

D'Angelico Deluxe Bob Weir Bedford Fret Size Comparison
D'Angelico Deluxe Bob Weir Bedford's fret size (in orange) compared to other popular sizes

Finally, let's talk about fret size. Some people prefer tall frets because it's easier to press the strings and perform bends since there's less friction against the fretboard. On the other hand, some people like shorter frets because they like to touch the fretboard when playing, or because they got heavy hands and tend to press too much on the string and alter the of the note pitch accidently.

The D'Angelico Deluxe Bob Weir Bedford's frets are Medium Jumbo size. These sit somewhere between a Jumbo and a Medium fret. They're not quite as tall as a full Jumbo, so you'll still feel the fretboard, but you won't feel it as much as with medium frets. This is a good size if you want to make it easy to press the strings but would also like a little bit of ''feedback'' to know when to stop pressing so the notes don't go out of pitch.

More with the same type of frets:

Playability Score

Bending & Vibrato Ease 80
Chord Playability 65
Solo Playability 70
Playability 72

Tone

Wood will have little influence in the final tone of an electric guitar or bass. Instead, the hardware, especially the pickups, will be the most important thing to look at. Bur first, let's see the quality of the wood.

Wood

Basswood wood pattern used for guitar building
Basswood Body
Maple wood pattern used for guitar building
Maple Neck
Pau Ferro wood pattern used for guitar building
Pau Ferro Fretboard

Basswood Body: This is a soft type of wood that is very light and easy to work with. It's cheaper than many other kinds of wood used for guitar building, but it doesn't mean it's low quality. In terms of sound, it accentuates the mid-range, which matches the frequencies that a Humbucker produces.

Maple Neck: This is one of the most popular types of wood used in all kinds of guitars. It's heavy, strong and compact, which makes it great for necks. However, it's also used for fretboards, bodies and tops due to its light color, resistance and beautiful patterns. When it comes to tone, it highlights the mid and high frequencies.

Pau Ferro Fretboard: It's a beautiful wood used mainly for fretboards. It has a high density and looks very similar to Rosewood with its straight grains and dark brown color. According to Fender, it has a warm tone with a fast attack.

Pickups

This guitar comes with pickups from one of the top brands: Seymour Duncan. So you can expect well built pickups with great sound that shouldn't need an upgrade anytime soon.

These are passive pickups, so you can expect a rounder sound and a moderade level of output.

The D'Angelico Deluxe Bob Weir Bedford's configuration is P90SP90. Rare configuration for P90 lovers that want to achieve unique jazzy sounds. The advantage over having three P90s is that the middle pickup doesn't get in the way of your picking as easily since it's a small single coil.

More with the same pickups

22 Frets
Tremolo Bridge
Seymour Duncan STK P-90 Bridge Pickup
Lollar Blonde Single Coil Middle Pickup
Seymour Duncan STK P-90 Neck Pickup
22 Frets
Fixed Bridge
Seymour Duncan STK P-90 Bridge Pickup
Middle Pickup
Seymour Duncan STK P-90 Neck Pickup

Versatility

It gives you a good amount of tone options with its 5-way switch. You can use it to choose at least 5 different pickup combinations.

Unfortunately, it doesn't come with more options for coil split or coil tapping. This makes it less versatile than some competitors.

What music genre is it good for?

As a 6 strings, Solid Body guitar with P90SP90 configuration and Passive pickups, we'd recommend it for genres like Jazz or similar. However, you can use almost any guitar for any genre. This is just the typical type of music for this particular one.

Sound Score

Pickups 100
Sustain 60
Versatility 59
Tuning Stability 75
Sound 74

Build Quality

Country of Origin

Knowing where the instrument is produced is a good way to know how well it's built. Some manufacturing countries are known for having higher quality standards. For example, most expensive instruments are made in the US or Japan, but there are some exceptionally great countries—like South Korea—that are building a good reputation.

The D'Angelico Deluxe Bob Weir Bedford is made in South Korea. Guitars made here are well-built and tend to have good quality control, even though they focus on mass production. This used to be the most premium option just below Japan or the US, but other countries like Indonesia are becoming great competitors because of even cheaper labor without sacrificing quality.

Bridge

6-point Wilkinson Tremolo (Gold): This type of bridge allows you to change the pitch of the notes by pulling the bridge with the attached bar, which gives you better versatility. Also, since the bridge is not fixed to the guitar body, the bridge will move as you bend the strings. So you'll have to increase the distance of your bends to reach the same tension (note) compared to a fixed bridge. This allows you to perform smoother bends but will also make you slower. Finally, remember that this type of bridge requires a bit more maintenance than fixed ones, especially when changing strings.

More with the same type of bridge:

Tuners

The D'Angelico Deluxe Bob Weir Bedford comes with locking tuners, which helps with tuning stability and makes changing strings a lot faster and easier. As long as they're high quality, these are the best tuning machines you can have. The only disadvantage is that they are a bit heavier than normal tuners.

Nut Material

Another important thing to analyze is the nut material, as it's one of the most important aspects that can affect the sound and playability of your guitar. A well-cut nut will make sure it stays in tune and will make it more comfortable to play.

In this case, the D'Angelico Deluxe Bob Weir Bedford has a Ivory Tusq nut. This material is made to look, feel and sound like Ivory. It's made of organic polymers and doesn't contain oil or animal products. This is probably the highest quality nut you can get, so you can expect good tune stability and more clear tones when playing open strings. Most people seem to agree that it looks nicer than any plastic and even some bone nuts.

Neck Joint

The neck joint is the part where the neck of the guitar meets the body. There are three main techniques to attach both parts together: Set-In, Bolt-On and Neck-Through. The latter two provide different advantages, although neck-throughs are the most expensive.

This guitar has a Set neck joint. This type of neck joint consists of using different pieces of wood for the neck and the body of the guitar. Both pieces are then glued together. This is more expensive to make than a bolt-on neck, but it's cheaper than a neck-through guitar. Some people believe that this gives more sustain than a bolt-on neck due to both pieces having a 'better connection' than with bolts. Still, it's something difficult to prove.

However, this type of neck joint does have the disadvantage of not allowing you to easily swap the neck for another. This makes this type of neck joint less mod-friendly.

More with the same build:

Build Quality Score

Quality of materials 66
Features 70
Quality Control 80
Build Quality 72