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Topic: Regal Resophonic Guitar |
Ernie Pollock
From:
Mt Savage, Md USA
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Posted 16 Jul 2014 10:22 am |
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We have an old Regal dobro style guitar, probably built in the 30's. The lady that owned it has recently passed away, & the family may be interested in selling the guitar. It is built do be a round neck, but could be converted to the square neck type with a 'Perfect Nut' (they might be still be made] or just a raised nut would do the job.
I am really just a steel guitar player [MSA's] & my knowledge of old resophonics leaves a lot to be desired. Any one with info could email this address, kmills@atlanticbb.net or you could call me
at 301-264-4172. I understand that National owned the Regal brand & quite a few others as well.
Any help would be appreciated.
Ernie Pollock |
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Mark Eaton
From:
Sonoma County in The Great State Of Northern California
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Posted 16 Jul 2014 10:49 am
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Ernie, there are a number of us here who really enjoy this subject, so unless you or the family that owns the guitar are adamantly against discussing the guitar and helping with information about it on the Forum, a picture or pictures would be worth a thousand words.
If that's the case then I'd be happy to call you or send an e-mail, but I'd still need some photos.
Here's the 20 second version of the companies and the connection: Dobro licensed Regal to build Dobro guitars in the early to mid and late 1930s, some had a Dobro decal on the headstock while others had a Regal logo.
Around 1934 National and Dobro merged to form The National-Dobro Corporation.
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Mark |
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Ernie Pollock
From:
Mt Savage, Md USA
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Posted 16 Jul 2014 10:49 am Serial # I forgot to add
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Regals ser # on the guitar, just in back of the bridge on the resonator is 1 896, 484 This may help in figuring the year it was built.
Ernie Pollock |
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Ernie Pollock
From:
Mt Savage, Md USA
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Posted 16 Jul 2014 10:52 am Pictures
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Mark, we will take some picture for you & post in a little while. so just check again later.
Ernie |
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Mark Eaton
From:
Sonoma County in The Great State Of Northern California
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Posted 16 Jul 2014 10:55 am
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That's not the serial number, that is the U.S. patent number for the dobro spider bridge and cone design, it doesn't tell you when the instrument was produced.
If there is a serial number, it would be stamped into the top of the headstock. However, Regal-built Dobros often did not have a serial number on the headstock.
Great Ernie, looking forward to seeing the photos.
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Mark |
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Ernie Pollock
From:
Mt Savage, Md USA
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Posted 16 Jul 2014 11:32 am
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Ernie Pollock
From:
Mt Savage, Md USA
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Posted 16 Jul 2014 11:36 am
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Ernie Pollock
From:
Mt Savage, Md USA
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Posted 16 Jul 2014 11:38 am
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Mark Eaton
From:
Sonoma County in The Great State Of Northern California
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Posted 16 Jul 2014 1:07 pm
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Ernie, I guess you really like that photo! 
The guitar is a very nice example of what appears to be a Regal-built Model R 25, could be made anywhere from ballpark 1935-1939. I see it has the classic Regal "trapeze" tailpiece.
Can't tell from the photo - does it actually read "Regal" on the headstock, and is there a serial number imprinted into the end of the headstock?
For the sake of comparison, check out this Model 25 from Folkway Music in Ontario, Canada:
http://www.folkwaymusic.com/museum/resonator-steel-guitars/1937-regal-dobro-no-25-resonator-guitar/
The one at Folkway might have a little more "squatty" body shape. In his excellent book Dobro Roots which came out earlier this year, Steve Toth pointed out that there were some slight variances in some of the models though they might have retained the same model number.
Nice case too! When I acquired my first Dobro in the mid '70s, an early 1930s California-built, I tossed the original chipboard case and ordered a modern (at the time) version from OMI Dobro in Southern California. I don't think mine was nearly as clean as this case, but I also didn't know back then you were supposed to keep the original!
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Mark |
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Ben Elder
From:
La Crescenta, California, USA
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Posted 16 Jul 2014 1:33 pm
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Good shape, a slightly lower-end model. This probably doesn't have a soundwell (more volume), as f-hole models tend not to. Screen-hole models mostly do have soundwells. Most crucial question is how does it sound? Assuming no soundwell, it's worth high hundreds, probably not a grand, in a private transaction. (Not that a dealer wouldn't tag it somewhere in the teens.)
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"Gopher, Everett?" |
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Ernie Pollock
From:
Mt Savage, Md USA
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Posted 23 Jul 2014 6:24 am Regal resophonic guitar
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Wow!! after going to the site in Canada & viewing the pictures of that Regal guitar, the one that we have here, is really in super nice condition in comparison. I really want to thank Mark & Ben for this great input. We tried to send more pictures but we could not get the computer to do our bidding!!
Thanks again
Ernie Pollock
13215 Yellow Row Rd Nw
Mt. Savage, Maryland 21545
phone me at 301-264-4172 if anyone on the Forum would bed interested in buying this guitar. I am not on the internet so you have to call me. |
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