you got to play the one you are going to buy. i have played expensive ones that sounded cheap & brash. The one i ended up with has THE SOUND - TONE. You will know the one when you pick it up & play it. in general the National style - cone & biscuit bridge is though of as "cooler" but i find that it has less sustain. i much prefer the sound of the DOBRO style with the cast aluminum spyder bridge. play both types befor you decide. if you are not going to play "pure" slide with the strings raised up then you will need a very playable neck. i bought a high end Quarterman Cone for my Dobro & took it back out & put the original one back in - the quarterman was too tinny & brash sounding.