Deco Phonic Southside Acoustic Guitar

The Southside is the do-it-all guitar of the Deco Phonic lineup. Slightly larger than the Sidecar, the mid-size Beard “A” body shape is visually unique and comfortable to play. The distinctive design—featuring a solid spruce top with mahogany Aero X Bracing—provides a refined midrange response that complements all playing styles. If you are looking for a versatile instrument that can go anywhere and do anything, the Southside is it. All Deco Phonic guitars are handmade in small batches in Hagerstown, Maryland.

Aesthetically, Deco Phonic acoustic guitars by Beard are a shameless love letter to a time gone by. Inspired by the art deco period of the 1920s and 1930s, their classic colors and familiar details strike a natural chord. The soft C, almost V-shaped necks, aged tuners, and simplistic finish pay homage to the well-loved depression-era instruments. Yet the refined body shapes add a subtle and fresh stylistic perspective.

The Deco Phonic by Beard Southside acoustic guitar is a uniquely resonant, punchy instrument with a slightly extended low end and velvety midrange. It features Beard's comfortable, time-tested A body (mini jumbo) constructed of Finnish birch veneer back and sides with a solid Engelmann spruce top, unique Aero X Bracing, one-piece mahogany neck, and morado fingerboard and bridge. The vintage-inspired thin satin finish harkens back to the look and feel of the Art Deco period of guitars that provided the sonic backdrop to the resurgence of American prosperity. The hand-shaped bone nut and compensated saddle work in harmony with the vintage-inspired tuners to reveal a “best-in-class” depression-era vibe with a stable modern musical performance. Handcrafted in Maryland, The Deco Phonic line of acoustic instruments represents the latest level in the evolution of the historically styled acoustic instruments available. Vintage Re-imagined Aesthetically, Deco Phonic acoustic guitars by Beard are a shameless love letter to a time gone by. Their classic colors and familiar details strike a natural chord while the refined body shapes add a subtle, yet fresh stylistic perspective. The soft C, almost V-shaped necks and aged tuners pay homage to the well-loved instruments cherished by many. With so many traditional elements, it would be easy to write these classic instruments off as simple copies of the great guitars of yesterday. Aero X Bracing At the heart of every Deco Phonic acoustic guitar is Beard's innovative Aero X Bracing. When designing the bracing for Deco Phonic acoustic guitars, Beard had to think outside the box in order to achieve our goals of a lightweight, super responsive guitar. They selected mahogany as their material of choice for top bracing. It has very high stiffness and very even density, but, is naturally slightly heavier than traditionally used spruce. Beard took a cue from aircraft design and carved out the inside of the braces to maintain stiffness and reduce the weight even further. This type of complex shaping would never be possible with spruce. What they 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 Deco Phonic acoustic model can weigh very little. This noticeably impacts the volume and projection of the guitar, as well as the responsiveness and touch sensitivity of the strings. The Sound Ask anyone who has played one, and they will tell you the difference. The thin, flat-backed bodies are more compact and approachable for a wider number of players. The volume and projection is outstanding and noticeably disproportionate to a guitar of this size. The way each string comes alive with even the lightest touch is intoxicating and opens new sonic possibilities.