Official Luthiers Forum!

As some of you know I apprentice in Ann Arbor for David Collins. As such I get to see some pretty cool stuff from time to time and since I absolutely love all things guitar what I find interesting can at times be no big deal to others....

Here are some not-so-good Isanding block pics (Iphone) that I took yesterday in anticipation of posting them today.

First - even Waverley can miss out on proper QC once in a while.....



This guitar is David's and he brought it back to life. We believe it to be originally manufactured by Regal in Chicago around the 1930s. There is something very unusual about this guitar when it comes to seeing it on the OLF. What is unusual was not all that unusual but IIRC had never been posted here or discussed here. The first one to identify the unusual thing that I am referring too wins my next Festool vac bag change when that happens....

Hint it is NOT the mother of toilet seat head stock overlay.

Here are some pics:









The next photo is of my work bench..... And you guys thought that I was a neat freak....



Thanks for looking AND let's hear some ideas about what unusual thing I am referring too about the guitar pictured above?

Thanks

Hesh, I'm guessing that's faux BRW back and sides there. Quite a bit of "creative" painting was done back then, might be time to bring it back. At least that's probably the closest I'll come to building with it.

Joe

Hesh,
Interesting guitar.

By the way... neat freak and clean freak... similar but different.

I zoomed in and still, no sawdust, etc. on that bench.. hmm.. and what are those breaker boxes in the background connected to ... a huge dust collection system?

Keep 'em coming.. love seeing the old repairs too.

_________________
Chris Oliver
Infinity Luthiers
...in the shop.

live every minute...

The image of the dog on the pickguard

_________________
Bobby Masten

I didn't notice that Bobby until you mentioned it! Very cool but that's not what I was looking for... I see the pooch too though - right side lower pickg*ard.

Chris buddy so what does that make me? Fortunately I was always able to fit in regardless of my own insanity.....

Joe you are the wiener!!!! Yes the BRW is fake and painted to look like BRW. This was not all that an uncommon practice at least at the Regal fact*ry in the 30's I am told. Interestingly they used a template of sorts too because you will see this exact same BRW... on other guitars of this period as well. They only used one template for the sides so both sides look identical except that one is upside down from the other.

Someone had the job of painting fake BRW sides back then.....

As mentioned David restored this guitar, fixed the issues and tuned it up and it is a VERY nice little guitar. It probably plays and sounds way better than it ever did too.

Thanks everyone!

So since I caught something you didn't...does that mean I get 2 bags?

_________________
Bobby Masten

Wow, I finally won something!

What is the underlying wood?
And I would appreciate it if you could do some experimenting and maybe do a tute on how to make your own BRW.

Thanks,
Joe

Hey Joe (one of my favorite tunes...)

We don't know what the wood really is but it's pretty white and junky looking......

Hey Bobby! No prize for you this time my friend but keep trying and you are bound to win.