Illinois

❌SOLD❌ Lyon & Healy Washburn Oak Parlor Guitar, 1920s

On April 7, 2020 /

Around the start of the twentieth century, Lyon & Healy were one of the larger musical instrument builders in the USA, with Washburn being one of their brands. This Lyon & Healy Washburn Oak parlor guitar, built in Chicago in the 1920s, is an example of the instruments available at that time. It features a ladder-braced Spruce top and Oak for the sides and back. The heavily V shaped neck with slotted peghead is likely Poplar, while the fingerboard is a dyed, hard and tight grained wood like Maple.

Vintage

Price: $999.99 CAD

This instrument has sold

Oahu Style 71K Hawaiian Squareneck Guitar, 1935

On April 6, 2020 /

Built during the mid 1930s, the Oahu Style 71K Hawaiian square neck guitar expressed the popularity of Hawaiian music and steel guitar. Oahu was perfectly placed as they were also a major music publisher. This Oahu Style 71K Hawaiian square neck was likely built by Kay around 1935, and features a solid Spruce top, X-braced, with laminate Maple for the sides and back. The neck is Mahogany, with Rosewood used for the bridge and the bound fingerboard. The finish is Sunburst, executed in nitrocellulose lacquer, and sports an elaborate gold-coloured, stencil design on the top.

Vintage

Price: $1,599.99 CAD

❌SOLD❌ Dobro Model 27 or 25 Sunburst, 1934

On March 18, 2020 /

The Dobro Model 27 and 25 were for a time one of Dobro’s most popular models, though it’s hard to tell which model is which – the designation was based on that year’s price!
Here we’re looking at a what’s likely a Dobro Model 27, though possibly a 25, built during 1934 for Dobro by the Regal company of Chicago, Illinois. The body construction is largely of Birch ply, bound top and back,with likely Poplar for the neck and Walnut for the fingerboard.

Vintage

Price: $1,999.99 CAD

This instrument has sold

❌SOLD❌ Maurer 551 by Larson Brothers. Steel String Guitar, late 1920s

On February 19, 2020 /

This Larson Brothers Maurer 551 dates to the late 1920s and uses an Auditorium sized body, 15 inches wide. As was often the case in the period, there is no serial number and records are scarce, so it is difficult to date exactly. The top is Spruce, the back and sides are Brazilian Rosewood, with a number of old repairs to both. The neck is mahogany, with Ebony used for the fingerboard and bridge. The scale length is a modern 25.6 inches, and the nut width a fairly wide 1.9 inches. The finish base is original but there are a number of touchups and some overspray.

Vintage

Price: $6,500.00 CAD

This instrument has sold

❌SOLD❌ National Style 97 Squareneck Tricone Surfer Girl Resophonic, 1938

On February 8, 2020 /

Here is a rarity – a National Style 97 Square neck Tricone with the Surfer Girl motif on a sandblasted and enameled nickel plated brass body. These were built in small numbers from 1936 to 1940. By 1941, the materiel demands for the burgeoning war brought production of resophonic guitars to a halt. The ‘B’ prefix in the serial of this guitar is said to first appear in 1938. This National Style 97 likely dates to 1938. This rare model uses a 12-fret square neck on nickel plated brass body, treated with sandblasting to create various scenes, mostly based on Hawaiian imagery. On this guitar, the scene is of woman surfing with a palm tree in the mid field and volcano in the distance.

Vintage

Price: $6,550.00 CAD

This instrument has sold

❌SOLD❌ Kay Old Kraftsman Red Devil K592 Thinline Electric Red, 1962

On January 23, 2020 /

Here is a very cool piece from 1962 – a Kay Old Kraftsman Red Devil model K592, the top of the Speed Demon line, built for the Spiegel catalog and direct mail company. This model was built between 1962 and 1965. Kay began in 1931 as the successor to the Stromberg-Voisinet, which was itself the 1921 successor to the Groeschel company, founded in 1890. Based in Chicago, Illinois, for a time Kay was one of the largest instrument builders in the USA, and supplied many catalog companies and department stores.

Vintage

Price: $850.00 CAD

This instrument has sold