duane v Posted September 4, 2010 Share Posted September 4, 2010 I was diggin through the old storage shed outside looking for a spare guitar case, (I need to ship a guitar to a friend).... And I came across this old Del Oro I forgot I had... Anywhoo, I brought her into my man cave and I'm thinking of having her restored. She has no cracks or structural issues. The fretboard is friggin wide, so I'm thinking this may have been a nylon string instrument, but you don't see many f-hole, floating bridge , trapeze nylon string guitars. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tman5293 Posted September 4, 2010 Share Posted September 4, 2010 It's definitely a nylon string! It's got the wide fretboard plus the classical guitar style headstock. EDIT: I looked it up. It appears that Del Oro ( no longer in business) only made classical guitars. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jantha Posted September 4, 2010 Share Posted September 4, 2010 Hey that would be cool to see restored. I dig the fretboard! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Silenced Fred Posted September 4, 2010 Share Posted September 4, 2010 It's definitely a nylon string! It's got the wide fretboard plus the classical guitar style headstock. Might have been, but there are steel string guitars with that headstock Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tman5293 Posted September 4, 2010 Share Posted September 4, 2010 Might have been, but there are steel string guitars with that headstock True......but you don't see many of them......... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dub-T-123 Posted September 4, 2010 Share Posted September 4, 2010 I've always wanted a steel string Martin with a headstock like that. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pippy Posted September 4, 2010 Share Posted September 4, 2010 Could it have been a 'Silk and steel'? Here's my 1940's f-hole archtop for a comparison... Wrong strings and threading in the snap, however! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
duane v Posted September 4, 2010 Author Share Posted September 4, 2010 Might have been, but there are steel string guitars with that headstock Yeppers The neck on my del oro doesn't appear it can handle the tension of steel strings, but I'll let my Luthier make that call... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tman5293 Posted September 4, 2010 Share Posted September 4, 2010 You should just restore it and put each type of string on there and see which one sounds the best. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
duane v Posted September 4, 2010 Author Share Posted September 4, 2010 You should just restore it and put each type of string on there and see which one sounds the best. I don't know The top is pretty thin, and I'm not sure it can handle the down-force of steel strings... Plus I need a nylon string guitar anyhow to play Ricky Ricardo songs Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
milod Posted September 4, 2010 Share Posted September 4, 2010 It does look like the kinda thing that would have used silk and steels. In the pre-war era such were kinda common as parlor types of playing. I'm not certain, but I think the tension on such would not be much more than some nylons. With a trapeze and such there's not all that much pressure on the top anyway compared to a pin bridge. Someplace when I was googling such things I found a site that had actual tensions of various strings... that might be an interesting part of the project too. m Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WahKeen Posted September 4, 2010 Share Posted September 4, 2010 Duane, keep the nylon strings!!... Man, my friend would have a mild heart attack if he had that guitar. He's a classical guitar only player and not very, um, rich? Don't mess it up if it's meant to have nylon. Some Virtuoso polish should make it look increadible. Nice find! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DeVeeWee Posted September 4, 2010 Share Posted September 4, 2010 Could it have been a 'Silk and steel'? Here's my 1940's f-hole archtop for a comparison... Wrong strings and threading in the snap, however! Yep, seems to me it was made for both... look at the tailpiece( seems more for steel strings with ball end) and the headstock is more close to the manouche guitar than the classic guitar. BTW duane, nice shed you have Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
swleary Posted September 4, 2010 Share Posted September 4, 2010 Nice !!! What next to find laying around, a 59 LP that just happens to be in your shed but you forgot about it lmao Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
G McBride Posted September 5, 2010 Share Posted September 5, 2010 I am going out to my shed and see if I can find a guitar I forgot I had. Maybe I'll find that Guild Thunderbird that I can not remember what I did with it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jeff-7 Posted September 5, 2010 Share Posted September 5, 2010 All I found were shovels and bags of concrete that had set, wish I had a shed similar to yours Duane. Edit: And that is pretty nifty, I'd have it restored for sure. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shnate McDuanus Posted September 5, 2010 Share Posted September 5, 2010 What a neat guitar! I love it. I'd bet it would look real purdy all restored and what-not. It does look like it could take "silk and steel" strings, but if I were you I wouldn't really want to risk it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kimbabig Posted September 5, 2010 Share Posted September 5, 2010 I wish I had a shed that whenever you looked in it had a guitar. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WahKeen Posted September 5, 2010 Share Posted September 5, 2010 I wish I had a shed that whenever you looked in it had a guitar. Look in neo's "shed"... not sure you'd find guitars only though... hehe Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Californiaman Posted September 5, 2010 Share Posted September 5, 2010 Yeah Duane, that'll look real cool when refinished. Good luck with that. Always nice to have a nylon stringed guitar around. Hey, you can learn "Spanish Fly" off Van Halen II. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BigKahune Posted September 5, 2010 Share Posted September 5, 2010 ... The fretboard is friggin wide, so I'm thinking this may have been a nylon string instrument, but you don't see many f-hole, floating bridge , trapeze nylon string guitars. Cool lookin' slot head. With the trapeze and floating bridge, I think Pippy hit it - silk and steel. BTW Pippy - Your slot head archtop really looks great. B) ... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DeVeeWee Posted September 5, 2010 Share Posted September 5, 2010 I am going out to my shed and see if I can find a guitar I forgot I had. Maybe I'll find that Guild Thunderbird that I can not remember what I did with it. LOL! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pete c Posted September 5, 2010 Share Posted September 5, 2010 all i found in my barn was an old hondo with a missing output jack. i need a shed like yours Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TommyK Posted September 6, 2010 Share Posted September 6, 2010 "Del Oro" A Harmony make? Harmony "f" hole guitars have that same type of 3 piece hole. The tail piece looks like Harmony issue. The tuner spindle could be the key to string selection. The take up spindles appear to be small like a steel string, un-slotted, head, approx 1/4" - 3/16". "Real" nylon slot heads have bigger spindles / spools close to 1/2" diameter for two reasons: 1 more take-up per revolution, because nylons stretch and stretch and stretch. You need that take-up line capacity to avoid filling up the spool to where it starts to wrap a second layer. 2. A steel strung guitar's take-up spindles need more leverage against the greater pull of the steel strings, therefore they are smaller. I'm guessing this was originally strung with steel. At one time conventional wisdom was: greater break angle above the nut meant louder. This arrangement makes for greater break angle, and true to Harmony philosophy, sell the folks what they want. However, given the age, string at your own risk. I'd go ultra lights to lights. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
deflepfan Posted September 9, 2010 Share Posted September 9, 2010 I was diggin through the old storage shed outside looking for a spare guitar case, (I need to ship a guitar to a friend).... And I came across this old Del Oro I forgot I had... Anywhoo, I brought her into my man cave and I'm thinking of having her restored. She has no cracks or structural issues. The fretboard is friggin wide, so I'm thinking this may have been a nylon string instrument, but you don't see many f-hole, floating bridge , trapeze nylon string guitars. Another "I didn't know I had this", Duane?!?!? Seriously? We so need to talk! So, are you shipping me a Gibson? This latest one is beautiful! I don't know how you could have packed her away!! Sheila Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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