Yip, there's no prestige class that will continue to add to your caster levels unless you install PRC.
Bards are not great casters anyway, but make a perfect STR based melee warrior with RDD and FTR lvls.
B25/F5/RDD10 is still one of the best meleers around. (B8/F4/RDD8 at lvl 20 for maximum attacks per round.)
Ftr for heavy armour and (epic) weapo0n specialisation and 3 feats for a feat starved class.
Still spell, for casting in heavy armour during fights.
Curse song becasue it's unresistable.
weapon focus and improved crit for your chosen weapon.
Blind fight (cos all warriors need this)
Knockdown and Improved knockdown, the melee warriors mainstay feats.
Extend spell for (naked) pre fight buffing is also very nice, as is expertise.
14/16 INT to start, because you need those skillpoints, for tumble, discipline and perform at the very least.
14 CHA to start (cos RDD will give you the extra 2 you need for spell casting before you need them).
Heavy bard builds (16 (but better is 20)+) are also perfect for disarming characters with large weapons like greatswords as the AC from your song covers the loss of a shield. More ftr levels get you better BAB and extra feats to get improved disarm, and large weapon gives bonus to disarm chance.
have fun :)