Regal Style O 1928-35 / A Taste of Old Chicago

Here is a very nice Regal O style parlor guitar, in Very Good Condition, made somewhere between 1928 and 1935, in Chicago.  It features a Spruce top over Birch back and sides, and a transverse ladder bracing that really opens it up tonally, despite the small size of the instrument.

This Regal guitar model dates from the early 1900s to the 1930s.  The orange Regal label narrows that down to 1928-1935 and indicates that it was from their “Custom Built” line, the upper end Regals of the era.  The Transverse Ladder Bracing is an approach to shaping the guitar’[s tonal response where the primary ladder, located just behind the soundhole, is installed on a diagonal. This changes how the top is allowed to vibrate and increases the response on the low end while preserving the clarity of the high end.  In some ways, it can be thought of as an intermediary stage between ladder and X-bracing.

Here are the important specs:

Scale: 24 5/8”

Top: Spruce

Back and Sides: Birch

Neck: Poplar / V Profile

Fretboard: Dyed Maple

Bridge: Unknown

Lower Bout: 13”

Upper Bout: 9 1/4”

Body Depth: 3 7/8”

Nut Width: 1 15/16”

String Spacing at Bridge: 2 1/4”

Bracing: Ladder

Action at 12th fret: Low E 3/32nds”, High E 1/16th”

The guitar came into the shop in need of substantial repair.  We glued an open back seam, cleated and glued the center seam of the top, between the bridge and tailblock, reset the neck, made a new bone saddle, seated, leveled and crowned the frets, made a heel cap adjusted the nut slot depths, cleaned and lubricated the tuners and replaced a small section of missing binding.  While the guitar lacks a truss rod, it does have a deep V profile neck which makes for a fairly stable neck.  To minimize stress on that neck, we have strung the guitar with a set of GHS Thincore Extra Light Gauge strings (.010-.046), which are designed to have a very low string tension (125lbs).  The neck does have a slight bow in it, but it is completely stable and the low tension strings afford it an easy playability.

Aside from the new saddle, everything about this Regal is original and in great shape.  There are a lot of little marks, nicks and dings, as you’d expect on a guitar that is almost 100 years old, but all damage is entirely cosmetic.  This will make for a delightful travel guitar, parlor player or recording guitar, especially for old-time music.  The nut width is 1 15/16”, so string spacing is ideal for finger style players.  It will ship in a worn chipboard case that will get it to you safely, but which should be replaced.

Please be sure to check the photos carefully, and zoom in for detail, as we have tried to capture this Regal from all sides.

This Regal Style O guitar is sold AS IS and is not returnable, unless it arrives in a condition other than as described or photographed, here.

Price:  $825.00 plus $125 shipping (Lower 48 USA, only)