Instruments currently in stock:

Regal "Le Domino" tenor, c1930s

A mean and moody tenor from one of America's best known early guitar manufacturers. All solid woods - Spruce top, Birch back and sides underneath the black finish - with a loud, chiming tone and comfortable setup. We've seen a few Regal tenors over the years, most of which are Martin size 5 copies with floating bridges. This fellow is a chunkier affair, closer to size 0 and with a fixed bridge. It's been well played and sadly most of the domino decals have worn though, but there are no repairs beyond a reglued back brace, and it's a great sounding vintage tenor for not a lot of money. We’ve replaced the original machine heads with Grovers, but will keep hold of the originals.

£299

1950's Gretsch New Yorker Tenor banjo 

Although not a name you immediately associate with banjos, Gretsch first entered the music industry as a drum manufacturer, and occasionally made forays into the wierd world of drums with necks and bits of wire stuck on them. 

The New Yorker range was manufactured throughout the 50s comprised arch top acoustics, mandolins and banjos. This example is a lovely bit of American kitsch; a little unusual in design, with a cast aluminium shell forming the bulk of the body with a wooden back plate acting as a resonator. The sound is bright and metallic with plenty of volume.

Generally good condition, the only notable repair being replacement binding to the neck.   

£249

1930's Keech banjolele  

Another banjo ukulele for you. Keech are probably our favourite of the British uke manufacturers, cosmetically very pretty and with a tone that manages to sound clear and bright without ever teetering into brashness. This one is all original with a birds-eye maple back plate forming the resonator, and a usable hard case.

£225

Unbranded banjo uke, c1930s

A solidly made, large sized banjo uke with a big sound. A few of the lugs are not original but otherwise in excellent condition. 

£189

A classical mandolin made in Naples, we would guess from the 1910s. 22 Brazilian Rosewood staves make up the bowl, a Rosewood neck and fingerboard with what looks like Pearwood headstock. Fancy pearl inlays to the binding, rosette and in the tortoiseshell pick guard. Good quality inset machine heads which still work smoothly.

There's a repaired table crack which won't cause any problems. The action is reasonable but there is a misalignment of the neck that the instrument has had since birth that is the main reason we've priced this one lower than usual. 

£175

Instruments, now sold,  that have previously graced our walls:

Gibson TG-1 c1928

First up in a series of new and old tenors we have on their way to us is a gorgeous little Gibson from the dawn of the company's illustrious flat- top making career. Although the TG-1 is essentially a 3/4 size version of the same year's L-1 design, Gibson chose to upgrade the tenor version by adding their mid-line mother-of-pearl banjo headstock facia and, more importantly, a feather-light X brace supporting the Adirondack spruce top. Condition is excellent - a little pick wear to the top but all original and no cracks to be found anywhere. 

Tonally these little Gibsons could well be the best there is: sweet and warm with a harpsichord like chime when playing chords. A rare and beautiful thing that shows perfectly why modern players are rediscovering these elegant little instruments.

The original Gibson case is supplied.

SOLD

A cute and cuddly mandolin from one of Germany's most prolific guitar manufacturers. The back and sides are maple laminated onto mahogany; it's difficult to tell if the top is solid from the grain but it's very thin for a carved top, so we're guessing laminate. Judging by the size we reckon this fella had a couple of Gibson A-styles for breakfast, but that enormous sound chamber lends the instrument a fantastically jangly tone, perfect for strumming but with a nice clear picking tone. 

These Cat's Eye models are not common, and this one's immaculate without a scratch on it and even the original 50s hanging tags! A great looking and sounding mandolin, and we love it.  

 SOLD

1930's Keech banjolele  £195 SOLD