Stunning Stunning RARE Vintage 1930s/40s Lark Junior Acoustic Archtop Guitar Regal Kay Harmony NICE!

Stunning RARE Vintage 1940s Lark Junior Acoustic Archtop Guitar in Excellent Restored Condition, made in USA by Regal in the late 30’s/early 40’s!

Stunning RARE Vintage Lark Junior Acoustic Archtop Guitar, made in USA by Regal in the late 30’s or 40’s in USA in Excellent Restored Condition! This rare bird has some intriguing features, including the original Lark decal, eighth-note pearl inlaid fretboard markers, three F-holes, heavy tortoiseshell binding on neck and body, rosewood headstock overlay with pearl inlaid logo, large 4” thick body, mahogany shaded finish on a carved solid spruce top with mahogany back and sides, maple neck with rosewood reinforcing strip, original tortoiseshell pickguard and original tailpiece, bone nut and endpin, restored with a neck reset and new Wilkinson Deluxe Kluson style tuners and ferrules. It comes ready to tune up and play on arrival!
  This wonderful guitar was most likely made by Regal in the late 1930s or early 1940s. I’ve only seen a couple others and while many suggest that these were made by Kay, I believe they were made by Regal, due to the neck construction, elongated F holes, fretboard extension riser, heel cap shape, shorter scale length and other features that I’ve seen on many late 30s fancy Regal archtops. I have seen several Lark Juniors that had obvious Kay features, including a popular acoustic electric archtop model, also branded as a Sherwood Deluxe. What I can tell you for sure, is that you’ll be hard pressed to find another one of these, especially with great playability, no cracks and in nearly all original condition. This has received a pro neck reset to achieve optimum playability and the action is great, set at about 5/64” to 3/32” @ 12th fret with new D’Addario 11-52 80/20 bronze strings and plenty of room to adjust the bridge in either direction. The overbuilt neck is nice and chunky with a fat profile that fits nicely in my large hands. It’s got a 15-5/8” lower bout, 11-1/4” upper bout, almost 1-7/8” nut width and a 25-1/4" scale length and a thick body that measures a strong 4" at the rims. The neck has a large soft-V profile that is a handful of meaty awesomeness and appears to be made with hard rock maple with a rosewood reinforcing strip down the middle. The burly neck is nice and straight with just a hint of relief and a minor downturn at the extension after reset. It has a solid, most likely carved, spruce top and mahogany back and sides with tortoiseshell binding all the way around the body and neck with a Brazilian Rosewood fretboard and headstock overlay. The finish is all original and has been buffed up and conditioned and the original tortoiseshell pickguard is in great shape with no cracks or crystalizing. The eighth note position markers and “Lark Junior” headstock logo are inlaid with pearl and possibly the work of the famed inlay artist Joseph Phetteplace, as described in the fantastic Regal Guitars book by Bob Carlin. The Brazilian Rosewood bridge is in great shape and working fine. There are no cracks on the body and all bracing is intact. The beautiful tortoiseshell binding is in excellent condition and the small piece on the very tip of the fretboard was replaced and looks fantastic. There are plenty of scratches, dings and finish imperfections all over the guitar with a nice uniform finish crazing on the top, as well as some scrapes and marks near the bridge. There are some finish cracks on the bass side that doesn’t appear to be a crack in the wood. There were some very minor touch-ups on some of the nicks and scratches with a tiny wood chip repaired on the edge of the headstock near the D string tuner. The center seam on the top shows a finish line and didn't require repair. The original bone nut and tailpiece are working great and it has been fitted with a set of new Wilkinson Deluxe Kluson 3x3 style tuners and new ferrules. These are a great upgrade to the original style tuners and operate smoothly. There are several filled holes on the back of the headstock from different tuners and original tuner covers with some minor touch up. The frets are extra large for this era and in exceptional condition, nicely polished and slick to play. The tone is fantasic, snappy and loud with a lot of attack and great projection. It has that built-in reverb that’s so desirable with these old archtops. The thicker body adds another dimension to the tone and it really has a sound all it’s own. This is a wonderful conversation piece and a great playing antique, restored to sing again and spread joy for generations! Offered without a case, but we can work something out if you'd like to add one to the order. This beauty will be packed and shipped with experience you can trust, insured with signature required for delivery. Be sure to check out my other guitars for sale and thanks for looking!

All Vintage and used items are sold as-is with no returns or refunds. Please read entire description and review all pictures and be sure to ask any questions you may have before bidding or making an offer. I expect all buyers to honor their bids or offers and complete payment within 2 days of sale. Offered to the lower 48 USA only, no International shipping on guitars containing rosewood, due to CITES restrictions. I specialize in everything guitar from Stellas to Stratocasters, with a primary focus on the Harmony, Kay, Silvertone and Regal brands from the 30’s through the 60’s. I’m looking forward to making your vintage guitar buying experience awesome. Thanks for stopping by!