Bartell of California 12-String Hollow Body Guitar with Case

This is an extremely rare Bartell of California 12-String, hollow body, guitar.  If you don't know about Paul Barth and the history of the electric guitar pickup, suffice it to say that he was the head of the design department at Rickenbacker in the 1930's when it was invented.  He is credited with helping Leo Fender set up the original assembly line when the Stratocaster was first being built, and he worked with Semi Mosley (Mosrite) as well as other notable guitar designers and companies including Magnatone and Hohner (designing and building the Black Widow for Hohner in the good ol' USA).  In the 1960's, he moved from the East Coast to the West Coast and set up a company called "Bartell of California".  His partner was Ted Peckles, a well respected music retailer.  And they build Bartell of California guitars, as well as building guitars for other companies who had difficulty covering their backlogged orders.  (Even Jimi Hendrix had been pictured playing a Bartell, as were some of the other top level guitarists back in the day.)  Check out the internet......Mr. Barth was an interesting figure in the industry.....and he definitely made his mark on guitar history.  Google "Bartell of California Guitars" to find the Bartell website and read more about these unique guitars.  Or, here's a link to a website that gives a lot more info on Bartell of California instruments.....



This guitar is the third of my three Bartell's which I am putting up for sale.  (This one is my personal favorite.)  Please check out my other listings for the other two.  The Bartell original hand-wound pickups both work great, but the pots and switches could do with a shot of spray de-oxidizing pot cleaner, as with the other two Bartell's I am selling.  (There is some noise when you adjust the pots and switches.)  Unfortunately, I just don't get to play these guitars often.....they just sit in the closet.  And probably from being neglected and not being used they tend to develop that "scratchy-pot syndrome".  

Original tuners (Kluson Deluxe slotted in-line) work fine.  Original electronics and pickups.....pickups sound amazing.  Original "dogbone-base" bridge, knobs, tailpiece, and pickguard.  Unfortunately, a former owner allowed it to dry out and a crack has developed next to the neck pickup (see pics).  crack appears stable and it wouldn't take much to fill, sand and refinish that small area.  neck is reasonably straight with a small amount of relief, truss rod works, and frets have tons of life in them.  There's some marks here and there, as you'd expect for a guitar that's close to 50 years old.  Action is low and fast, especially considering that this is a 12-string.  Neck on this guitar is really narrow and even players with extremely small hands would find this comfortable to play.  No case included, but guitar can ship in a high quality Breedlove premium semi-soft case for $25.00 extra.

Buy-It-Now-Price is dropped to $595.00 plus $69.95 shipping (FedEx Ground, fully insured, in a high quality guitar box) to any location in the continental USA, lower 48 states.  Anywhere else and you'd best contact me for an accurate shipping estimate.  This is a truly unique piece of guitar history.  Paul Barth was an innovator, a visionary and a highly talented engineer.  These guitars attest to his legacy.

Thanks for your interest.........and may God bless!