Regal B & J Serenader 00 c. 1935 burst

This little Regal made B & J Serenader is very cool and unusual. The body is the width and length of a 12 fret 00 (14 1/8” wide and 19 3/8” long) but it has a neck with 14 frets to the body and a slotted headstock. Odd combination of features. Add a cherry burst, amoeba shaped tortoise pickguard and colorful B & J headstock decal and label and you've got one attractive package. Back and sides are solid mahogany, top is solid spruce (red, most likely), fretboard is ebony and the bridge is rosewood. The guitar appears to be entirely original with the exception of a thin maple cap over the bridge plate that just covers the area of the pin holes. The back is crack free, the treble side has one crack repair that is old and very well done, almost undetectable. The top has an old center seam repair. There is also a hairline crack repair at the bass edge of the fret board and one at the edge of the pickguard. The pickguard crack repair and center seam repair both are reinforced with a small spruce cleat. The crack repairs are tight, level and stable. The top is ladder braced and flat under tension. The neck has a substantial V profile and nut width of 1 3/4”. The fretboard is radiused and has been refretted in the not too distant past, the frets are in great condition. The neck is straight under tension and the neck angle is good. The action is set at 8/64” and 6/64” to facilitate the chop-chord rhythm style play of the previous owner but there's a little saddle left to lower the action should the new owner wish. The guitar has a very strong voice and while it is well suited to finger picking the guitar really is at its best when it is being played with a pick. It comes alive when played aggressively. Hard case included...$1450