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Can Anyone Identify This Guitar?


SirNed

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I figured if anyone would know, it would be the folks on this forum. I've done a little research. I believe the bridge is ebony and came out of Oscar Schmidt in the 20s? I couldn't find an exact match on the whole package. Perhaps it was a custom build or frankenstein guitar?

 

 

Front:

 

ZNnFhDV.jpg

 

Back:

1h5BEBK.jpg

 

Thanks!

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Could be a Schmidt-made instrument. Many would base that alone on the position marker on the 10th instead of the 9th fret. But how common that was would depend on when the guitar was built. Schmidt guitars though are fairly easy to identify by other distinguishing features. If it is, it will only have three top braces and the bridge plate. It also might have some combination of features such as square top kerfing, an angled neck heel, and a domed back. Not saying all of these features appear on every guitar but you should see some of them.

 

My first guess would be it is a Harmony-built Supertone (the predecessor of Silvertone). Also possibly a Geo. Bauer. Both used stars on the headstock. That does not mean others did not slap the same doodad on a headstock though. As I noted, placing the position marker on the 10th instead of the 9th fret was common into the mid- to late 1890s. After that about the only two companies I can think of who continued the tradition were Oscar Schmidt and Harmony. Schmidt continued to do it into the 1930s while Harmony stopped much earlier. Photos of the tuners would help a bit but only to narrow the build date down.

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The problem is, of course, that the jobbers built guitars under a ton of different names. So both Oscar Schmidt and Antonio Cerrito, a member of the so-called "Italian Guild" in NYC, built Galianos. I own an early 1930s Schmidt-built version - the same guitar pictured in Neil Harpe's Stella book. These guitars often only had labels, which have a tendency to disappear, to identify them. The only way to know for sure is the build - matching features to known examples. A Cerrito Galiano will, as example, have a much finer build with lighter bracing and such while a Schmidt-built guitar can be easily identified by certain other distinguishing features. Confusing things further is you cannot rule out European-built guitars as the large distributors such as Bruno carried both those and US-made instruments.

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Confusing things further is you cannot rule out European-built guitars as the large distributors such as Bruno carried both those and US-made instruments.

Bruno is who came to my mind.

 

There were a lot of nice little no-name parlor guitars produced, making it tough to tell for sure.

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Maybe a Larson Bros Parlor or a Weymann Parlor?

 

 

I think you're on to something. I am looking more into Larson Bros/ Wm. Stahl.

 

Somebody that has touched that guitar is now dead.

 

 

That is quite true...I can confirm at least one. As Cowboy said, it's old enough.

 

The problem is, of course, that the jobbers built guitars under a ton of different names. So both Oscar Schmidt and Antonio Cerrito, a member of the so-called "Italian Guild" in NYC, built Galianos. I own an early 1930s Schmidt-built version - the same guitar pictured in Neil Harpe's Stella book. These guitars often only had labels, which have a tendency to disappear, to identify them. The only way to know for sure is the build - matching features to known examples. A Cerrito Galiano will, as example, have a much finer build with lighter bracing and such while a Schmidt-built guitar can be easily identified by certain other distinguishing features. Confusing things further is you cannot rule out European-built guitars as the large distributors such as Bruno carried both those and US-made instruments.

 

 

That's a lot of good info. I'm starting to realize that a lot of brands and makers get convoluted in that era.

 

Guessing geo Bauer- is that oak for back and sides? This fellow may have more info www.vintageparlorguitars.com

 

I am not sure what kind of wood it is. The sides looked like mahogany. I'll post a few more pics tonight.

 

 

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Guessing geo Bauer- is that oak for back and sides? This fellow may have more info www.vintageparlorguitars.com

 

Kudos for at least taking a shot at what the wood on the back might be- it does look a very coarse grain, like oak. Mysteries are one of the cool things that come along with old guitars.

 

Ned- the case might be a tad large for the guitar. . . it is an interesting looking case, though. Any chance of a side pic of it?

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Kudos for at least taking a shot at what the wood on the back might be- it does look a very coarse grain, like oak. Mysteries are one of the cool things that come along with old guitars.

 

Ned- the case might be a tad large for the guitar. . . it is an interesting looking case, though. Any chance of a side pic of it?

 

Burst: It might have been the right size before the guitar shrunk wink.gif. I know you're a big case fan, so next time I go to see it, I will get some pics.

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It sure look a lot like this 20s Oscar Schmidt Stella, few differences, but I will take it thanks.

 

 

BluesKing777.

 

Guitars made under the Schmidt name were stamped on the headstock. But again, Schmidt built guitars distributed under other brands. I do believe Schmidt-made Sovereigns though on occasion did have a star on the headstock. Probably built for a store or distributor which used it on their house brand. Again, if a Schmidt-made instrument, the OP should have no trouble identifying it. Here, as example, is a Schmidt neck heel. I have owned three Schmidt guitars and all had this feature.

 

Stella_heel.jpg

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Here, as example, is a Schmidt neck heel. I have owned three Schmidt guitars and all had this feature.

 

The neck heel is definitely different. It looks like it's had a few repairs, so it could be that some part that had an id stamp was replaced. Thanks again, ZW!

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BBG: Your video led to another video that shows a very close match:

See Daddy Stovepipe's second guitar (5 minutes in).

 

I took another look at the guitar yesterday, and it looks like some fret markers were added/replaced along with other repairs.

 

ZombyWoof: It does indeed look like a Supertone based on a comparison to the one in the video

 

Scriv58: It probably is oak on the back and sides. I never really considered it because I had never heard of oak used in guitars. I guess they were using it because it was plentiful and local.

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BBG: Your video led to another video that shows a very close match:

See Daddy Stovepipe's second guitar (5 minutes in).

 

I took another look at the guitar yesterday, and it looks like some fret markers were added/replaced along with other repairs.

 

ZombyWoof: It does indeed look like a Supertone based on a comparison to the one in the video

 

Scriv58: It probably is oak on the back and sides. I never really considered it because I had never heard of oak used in guitars. I guess they were using it because it was plentiful and local.

 

 

That is almost certainly oak, by the grain characteristics. I've worked with it a lot building both furniture and boats. Never thought of it as a tonewood, but in the mid-western US in the 19th and early 20th centuries, they used oak for almost anything.

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