The Encore and Stage One are excellent guitars. I have owned an Encore and played many shows with it. It is lightweight yet solid. Playability is as good as any guitar on the market. Tuning is very stable as well and tone is superb. I highly recommend it.
The Stage One sounds and plays as good as any pro level instrument. I used one for about a year on a Conway Twitty tribute show in Branson, Missouri and it performed well. The tone was amazing.
You will not find a better guitar or a nicer man than Doug Earnest to deal with.
Johnny Cox
Nashville Pro player for over 50 years
Stage One Artists
Stage One Artists & Testimonials
" While these artists are well known and highly respected, please know that not one of them is any more important to us than the person who will never play outside of their home. " - Doug
Gary Carter - Encore - Connie Smith, Marty Stuart and the Fabulous Superlatives
Bob "Boo" Bernstein - Encore - various artists
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Chris Scruggs - Stage One - BR549, Marty Stuart and the Fabulous Superlatives
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Lee Warren - Encore - Chely Wright
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Leo Grasl - Joshua Hedley
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Tommy Hannum - Wynonna
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Lilly Winwood - songwriter and performer
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Al "Boo" Miller - Encore - Lisa Layne, Terri Clark, Branson Shows
Keith Hilton - Encore
Founder of Hilton Volume Pedals.
Johnny Cox, legend - Stage One & Encore - Ernest Tubb, Connie Smith, Jim Ed Brown, Mel Tillis, Cal Smith, Johnny Bush and Bonnie Raitt, Jody Nix
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Matt Beck - Matchbox 20
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Craig Bartock - Heart
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Bruce Hoffman - The Buck Trent Show
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Roger Rettig - The Madeira Musical, various theater pit groups
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Katie Jacoby - NYC violinist touring with the Who, learning steel
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Mike "Cookie" Jones - Nashville, of Barbara Mandrell band. RIP
Stage One Testimonials
Stage One
The Encore and Stage One are excellent guitars. I have owned an Encore and played many shows with it. It is lightweight yet solid. Playability is as good as any guitar on the market. Tuning is very stable as well and tone is superb. I highly recommend it.
The Stage One sounds and plays as good as any pro level instrument. I used one for about a year on a Conway Twitty tribute show in Branson, Missouri and it performed well. The tone was amazing.
You will not find a better guitar or a nicer man than Doug Earnest to deal with.
Johnny Cox
Nashville Pro player for over 50 years
IMHO, there is no finer "student guitar" out there. And it out shines a lot of "pro guitars." I had a gig on lower Broad a while back, filling in for Randy Hess. My buddy Doug Jernigan was there for the 2pm gig playing when I got there. Another steel player was hanging, as well. I started building mine, and that steel player looked at it, and said, rather disdainfully, "Why would you want THAT?" I replied, "Because it's one of the best sounding guitars I've ever played." He just shook his head and left.
When Doug finished, I asked him if he was in a hurry, or could he hang a few minutes; "I'd really like you to hear this." He sat and listened to me play a few things, and the look on his face... that startled, surprised look. He asked if he could try it. He sat down and played. He looked at me, and said, "Mike, this sounds as good as my Zum! And it plays great!"
You can't go wrong with a Stage One. It'll handle any gig. "
Michael Douchette
Encore
I've been playing pedal steel guitar since 1988 , and I played literally hundreds of steel guitars since … the best deal I’ve ever seen are Encore guitars built by Doug… professional, well built , high quality, instruments at super affordable price … they play great, and sound awesome, I can’t recommend Doug and his guitars enough”
Damir Besic
Nashville, TN.
I bought one for my son Jacob for Christmas this year. He has a couple Zum pro models, yet loves his Encore. He says it plays great and feels very much like the others. I love the sound and its the stock pickup that Doug puts in. Here is a short video of him playing it Christmas morning. He is playing it through a 78 twin.
His guitar is a 4x5 and has a few changes non standard. Doug is a great guy to deal with. "
Jason King
I’ve played the Encore on three gigs so far and it’s been great. It stays in tune well and the pedals and levers feel very accurate. Great work on that guitar! My bandmates really dig it... the sound and the look of the red/black mica. I’m playing it through a Quilter TT-15."
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Doug Beaumier
Volume Pedals
Best Pedal Ever"
Tommy White
Grand Ole Opry House Steel Player
