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Topic: 30's Regal resonator - round (V) neck |
Eric Philippsen
From:
Central Florida USA
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Posted 16 Feb 2016 11:48 am |
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First, up front, I have to say that my knowledge about resonator guitars is pretty limited.
I got this at a local music store and was told it was brought in by a lady who's husband had passed away. I think it is a Regal. However, there are no labels or markings on it other than a "Pat Pend" stamp on the front plate.
It is in excellent condition and 100% original. Original tuners, everything as far as I can see. No cracks or repairs. The finish has some wear but it certainly hasn't been sprayed or refinished. It has a "V" neck. It is bound on the front, back and the neck. It has a laminated circular wood soundwell underneath the cone and spider.
I put new strings on it which it definitely had not had in decades. It has, in my opinion, a slight neck neck bow but it is certainly playable. The strings aren't way off the board. The "resonator tone" isn't pronounced (again, I'm not a judge of that by any means) but I'm guessing it probably needs to be set up by someone who knows how to do that.
It has the original (I think) softshell case, complete with very old "Purdue" decals.
Anyway, I'm asking $700 + shipping. Or best offer. Thanks.
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Hugh Roche
From:
Florida, USA
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Posted 17 Feb 2016 5:21 am dobro
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| PM sent |
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Eric Philippsen
From:
Central Florida USA
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Posted 22 Feb 2016 6:07 pm
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TTT
Open to trades. A Champ or Vibrochamp + a little cash. Or what have you?
Otherwise, it's off to a guitar show. |
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Ben Elder
From:
La Crescenta, California, USA
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Posted 22 Feb 2016 6:59 pm
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F-holes and round slots suggest Regal. Date is ca. 1933 because that's when the screw holes on the coverplate moved a few degrees from straight-up 12:00, 6:00 etc. (With them offset slightly from how you see these, you could remove the coverplate without removing the tailpiece.) The Pat. Pend. stamp is credible at this time. Regal production started ca. late 1932 or 1933. That said, it's a little unusual as f-hole bodies usually (not always) indicate no soundwell. Spiffy poinsettia coverplate.
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"Gopher, Everett?" |
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Hugh Roche
From:
Florida, USA
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Posted 23 Feb 2016 5:22 am dobro
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eric
i will buy it, per our conversations.
hugh |
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Mark Eaton
From:
Sonoma County in The Great State Of Northern California
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Posted 23 Feb 2016 10:50 am
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| Ben Elder wrote: |
| F-holes and round slots suggest Regal. Date is ca. 1933 because that's when the screw holes on the coverplate moved a few degrees from straight-up 12:00, 6:00 etc. (With them offset slightly from how you see these, you could remove the coverplate without removing the tailpiece.) The Pat. Pend. stamp is credible at this time. Regal production started ca. late 1932 or 1933. That said, it's a little unusual as f-hole bodies usually (not always) indicate no soundwell. Spiffy poinsettia coverplate. |
This is an interesting critter. On page 84 of Steve Toth's Dobro Roots he shows what was likely the earliest version of this Regal-built guitar, the Model 19. If that's the case, Ben is on the money as well as anyone can be on the timing, it's circa late 1933 or early 1934 considering the convoluted history of the Dobro. Toth writes that these Model 19 guitars would come with either Dobro or Regal headstock logos, or often nothing at all as is the case here.
No soundwell on this model, and the guitar usually shipped with a coverplate with a series of round holes close to the perimeter. But it also came with the offset screw holes on the plate on the side facing the fretboard rather than the straight up screw at 12 o'clock.
That coverplate looks awfully shiny and I wonder if it is not original? At one point a number of years ago when Crafters of Tennessee was still in business I contacted Mark Taylor about a replacement coverplate for my early 1930s California built Dobro because it has the classic sort of smashed down palm rest that one often encounters with some of the old Dobros.
On the other hand (remember: "convoluted history"), perhaps this is a latter 1930s Model 19 Angelus?The Angelus apparently had F-holes that were smooth with no cut outs, and though the photos on my screen are kind of dark, the F-holes look to be mostly smooth. According to Tom Gray in an article in Vintage Guitar from a number of years ago he wrote that some of these budget Angelus models built later in the '30s used up old parts that were lying around - like the 12 o'clock screw poinsettia coverplate. This could be an extremely well preserved coverplate that is still quite shiny, though it does appear to have the somewhat collapsed thing going on with the palm rest.
I brought up Crafters of Tennessee because along with building their own instruments they used to supply parts to other builders. Taylor told me that since my old Dobro has the early 12 o'clock screw configuration he could make one for me with that same setup so that I wouldn't have to drill new holes around the rim and go the offset route. I never went for it, I think since it was out of the norm for him it might have cost more than I was willing to spend at the time. Probably needed the cash after making the mortgage payment that month to buy things like groceries. Oh those pesky details that get in the way of GAS! 
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Mark |
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