This is a very great sounding Jazzbox/ Bluesbox made in Eastern Germany (probably in the 1960ies or 70ies). There is no label, so it might be a "Musima" or "Marma" or "Migma" or nothing at all - but it has some unique features to it and I rather think it was some kind of apprentice showpiece that ended up in sale.
It has a pressed solid spruce top, back and sides are maple (might be solid too, but I am not 100% sure). The neck is beech and has a strong D-profile. The original pickguard and the triangle headsstock inlay are celluloid.
Everything is original, except the tuning machines - they were really rotten, so I replaced them with original Klusons which work just fine. Also I added some bushings (from StewMacs Golden Age Tuners) to hold the axes better in place.
If you're looking for a collectors grade vintage guitar this one is defenitely not for you! It's really battered up and roadworn and the finish is not exactly A- grade. There are a lot of cracks, marks and repairs. But it plays and sounds great - and beside all its flaws it is still a looker!
There are two visible cracks (from dry environment, I think) at the bottom of the top. They have been repaired and stabilized - so no worry, there is only a cosmetic issue. The big crack on the back seems to be stable and causes no problems - so I left it alone. Some messy binding repair was made in the past - but it's a cosmetic issue as well, so I guess one can live with that. The original finish is NC - some parts are still great, some others not so much and some slight repairs have been done with shellac.
The neck is straight ( has been leveled and refretted), scale lenght is about 640 mm, nut with is 46 mm, the fretboard is walnut with mostly intact inlays, frets are medium dunlops, the binding is celluloid. The neck is bolted on (Staufer style), so you can easily adjust the neck angle (which is perfectly set).
There is a third soundhole in the soundboard (hidden under the fretboard extension) - that gives an additional boost to the overall loud sound of the guitar. The other feature that boosts the sound is the extended height of sides at the waist of the body - a spec I have never seen anywhere else - so there is more bass than usual. The guitar is very loud and surprisingly responsive - she is only strung with 11-53 gauge D'addario roundwounds (a rather light choice for most acoustic archtops), but she rocks just fine.
Great for old time stuff, blues, ragtime - but also a good strummer.
Comes with a sturdy, lightweight and almost new foam/canvas case from rocktile with backpack function.
I made a short video, so you can get a first hand impression of what I'm talking about - if you have any further questions, please ask them away - I am happy to answer!
If you buy more than one item, I will ship them together (as long as it´s possible) or otherwise I will offer you a special bulk shipping rate to reduce your costs. Feel free to contact me in advance!
