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Philsweep - Posted - 04/14/2009: 22:48:29
I don't know what it is. I have and old regal from the '30s that I has a crack in the back similar to that one. It is being repaired by a friend of mine who does this as a hobby so I think it will cost me a bottle of brandy for repairs. I don't plan on playing it but just as a cool looking guitar sitting in the corner.Hope yours works out to be something better.
Phil
Jimmie - Posted - 04/15/2009: 09:57:12
Looks to be a Del Oro, something of that sort. It's a faux resonator: there's a coverplate, but only wood or a thin piece of metal beneath, no resonator. You see many of these unlabelled, others labelled Stella, Del Oro and such.
Edited by - Jimmie on 04/15/2009 09:59:58
GutPicker - Posted - 04/15/2009: 21:13:27
Thanks Jimmie. That's a good lead. I'll post back when I find out more.
Have you any idea of years of production? Are we looking at late 30's 40's 50's??
Thanks.
Jimmie - Posted - 04/15/2009: 22:22:03
I'd take a stab at late 40s. The headstock looks very Kay-like from that period into the early 50s. I've seen a neck like that on low-end Regals. Probably a Chicago-made guitar, most likely by Kay, I'm thinking.
GutPicker - Posted - 04/15/2009: 23:26:42
My thoughts are pretty much the same, but I just found this:
If you have a look at the one on the far left (SS Maxwell Granada?), it has exactly the same cover pattern.
Also, the Kay Kraftsman headstock below is also slightly asymmetrical - all made by Kay.
Although in Guitar Stories By Michael Wright, he states that National pulled the contract and Kay made no more of them. The contract was given to Harmony instead. Shireson Bros. supplied the resonators.
That's some evidence, and I think it has to be properly appraised. There's a big difference in a '33-34 reso or a 50's remake!
Jimmie - Posted - 04/16/2009: 10:06:10
Yes, but again, looking at the pictures, and from personal experience, the guitar here is almost certainly not a reso but a faux reso, with cover plate, metal or painted wood beneath, no resonator at all.
GutPicker - Posted - 04/16/2009: 16:34:16
It does look like a faux. It's not mine and I only have email contact with the owner. I've sent them what I know so far and have asked them to remove the cover. Hopefully they'll get back to me and I'll post back here.
Jimmie - Posted - 04/16/2009: 22:20:47
You're very welcome. That's what these hangouts are all about.
Slideman1939 - Posted - 04/19/2009: 14:49:25
I suggest (but cannot firmly document) that the faux reso (any label-several licensees) was PRE-war--the product of the Chicago factories cranking out the student guitar bodies to sell at popular price. The electric guitar was being developed in the mid thirties (national,dobo, Rickenbacker,etc.) but didn't sell big at first.Then the war years took all the metal (both reso and electric guitar metal) into wartime needs--little or no guitar production. In 1947 to 1960 all the returning G.I.'s wanted that "new" electric thing. There was NO DEMAND /no sales for a faux resophonic anything/ any brand. Recall that pre-war the Dopyera family did some business with Kay and Harmony (buying bodies) EARLY thirties. In LATE thirties the Dopyeras gave all the (purchasing bodies business to REGAL as EXCLUSIVE licensee--no more bodies purchased from Kay & Harmony beyond a certain date.Regal in turn had to buy Dobro HARDWARE exclusively in return for the sole licensees business. So a faux resonator was an instrument where a former supplier (Kay or Harmony) could make a cheap "imitation" resofonic and not have to buy patented authorized cones, coverplates,spiders and hardware from someone (the Dopyeras) who had taken wood body purchases away from them and given the business to their rival Regal Co. After the war nobody cared about faux resonators because they had the $$money to 'buy electric'. that's why I believe the item pictured and ALL faux resonators were a small business, pre-war, and Chicago centered where 5 wood body makers did whatever it took to try and outwit the big sellers--National- Dobro- and Regal.I do not believe there was ever a post war faux resophonic by any maker.By 1947 they couldn't get buyers interested in reso's with real cones and spiders in them.,much less a $20 faux reso. The BIG reso sales died Dec.7,1941---and the future was elecric Gibson, Fender, Rickenbacker, and VALCO (the post war surviving company of the original National Co). Of course someone could document me wrong--it was a long time to remember back.
Slideman1939 - Posted - 04/19/2009: 15:03:50
If you want to see similar to the above go to artifact.com (an auction website).Look up lot 3007 and observe a picture of "Melofonic" brand faux resonator soon to be auctioned in the Phila area at Alderfer Auction of Hatfield, Pa.ALL of the Faux reso collectors will be there (both of them) and the hammer will probably drop at $65 to $85.I believe this picture will show that this Melofonic also had the same parent manufacturer--PRE war/ Chicago.
GutPicker - Posted - 04/19/2009: 16:02:15
You Sir should be enshrined! There's nothing better than first hand accounts and I appreciate the info. Mind you, many forget that the war and reparations after that affected every industry.
That would also explain the Art Deco 'f' holes.
artifact.com seems to be a recording website and there doesn't seem to be a link for sales/auctions. Did you get that right?
EDIT: I think I found it here: alderferauction.com/contents/u...ntId=1073
Is this the one?
Edited by - GutPicker on 04/19/2009 16:15:22
Slideman1939 - Posted - 04/20/2009: 08:33:59
That's the one.If you are in Eastern Pa area the auction is Thurs. 4/23 and Hatfield is suburban north of Phila.It's a 7 AM country auction with typically less than perfect quality.That reso will probably go for $75-$100 (low). Instrument auctions are once a year here. Typically 95% bargain priced and just a few gems.One of their highest was a few years ago on a 1926 Gibson Mandolin that went $32,000.The reso will go cheap as a wall hanger because most people don't know about the private label resos and faux resos. Another (real) reso (pre-war) to watch for at auctions is NORWOOD. Norwood was one of the dopyera licensees so it is Dobro hardware inside Norwood's big deep body. The peghead says "Norwood CHIMES".. Very rare and usually sound great. Norwood Chimes is a great pre-war collector dobro and sometimes goes at good prices because the public is not familiar with the brand name.It is usually on a par with the best of the pre-war Regals--but very few Norwood 's appear lately.Good luck finding one.
GutPicker - Posted - 04/20/2009: 18:29:38
quote:
If you are in Eastern Pa area the auction is Thurs. 4/23
I just worked out that they allow online bidding... Are you going Slideman? GutPicker (Australia)
Edited by - GutPicker on 04/20/2009 18:38:52
Slideman1939 - Posted - 04/22/2009: 14:40:14
Slideman NOT going, due to non interest in faux reso. I would be going if it was a Norwood Chimes or a dobro carved model 66.Everybody has their special interest niche.Good luck with your phone bid.
jonesrocket - Posted - 06/20/2009: 00:41:43
I believe I have seen a Vega faux Reso just like that??
GutPicker - Posted - 06/20/2009: 06:28:08
Hmm.. Do you know much about Vega faux resos?
phil dean - Posted - 06/20/2009: 07:58:43
All that sounds good except for the strange fingerboard on the picture that Gutpicker sent originally isnt on any of the other examples. It looks home made to me.
masteresoguitars.com
Edited by - phil dean on 06/20/2009 08:00:30
GutPicker - Posted - 06/20/2009: 21:12:53
I thought someone got to it with sandpaper, but I've seen pics of this style before somewhere. It's not a piece of folk art if that's what you mean, just dressy and cheap.
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