Noah Miller
From:
Rocky Hill, CT
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Posted 9 May 2011 2:28 pm |
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For the last few years I've been trying to acquire one or two of everything, just in case I felt like laying down a banjo or resonator line on a recording. I went to shops, guitar shows and the four corners of the internet world seeking out instruments that played great, sounded great, and didn't break the bank. I've decided to switch tactics, however, and concentrate on mastering my favorite few instruments. Consequently, I'm putting a bunch of my collection up for sale. Prices include Paypal and shipping to the continental US. You're best off sending me a PM, since they block my email at work.
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First up is a 1940-1941 National Collegian. This guitar started life with a square neck, but someone re-carved it into a soft V-shape and now it's great for fingerpicking as well as slide. There is plenty of finish wear, but the guitar plays wonderfully thanks to a new fretboard. The tuners, cone, and tailpiece are all original. This is one of the minority of Collegians that never had a pickguard. It comes with a newer hard case.
Price: Sold!. Click here for additional photos.
Next is a 1924 Gibson TB-4; I bought this banjo from David Grisman. It's in excellent condition - plays like a dream and sounds fantastic. It has Gibson's early "trap door" resonator that hinges open, allowing the player to alter the instrument's volume and tone. There's a clip inside that holds the door open or closed. The instrument is all original except for the bridge and probably the head. There is honest wear around the instrument, including the back of the neck, but no gouges, cracks or signs of abuse. The silver plating has tarnished a bit, but it has a great vintage appearance as a result. Interestingly, this banjo has gold-plated tuners, which were usually only found on the TB-5 model. The frets are worn but there's no hint of buzzing. The original case is similarly worn and missing the handle.
Price: $1150. Click here for additional photos.
Last is a Regal Ultra Grand mandolin, from the pre-Harmony days when Regal made some high-end instruments. I was informed by a Regal aficionado that it has a late pre-war body married to a late '40s neck, so it was probably a way for Regal to use up some old parts shortly after the war. The instrument has a solid carved top and back and sounds fantastic. The instrument needed a neck reset when I got it, and during the course of the repair the luthier realized that the neck joint was too poorly constructed to prevent further movement. We decided to convert it to a bolt-on arrangement, which is invisible from the outside but can be easily adjusted if the need arises. There is also one very short crack in the top from the soundhole underneath the floating fingerboard; the luthier and I decided that it was short and stable enough not to cleat. I played the mandolin before and after the repair, and the tone was not significantly affected. The mandolin comes with a very old F-style case that fits it well. Aside from the neck joint, the instrument is 100% original.
Price: $1050. Click here for additional photos.
Last edited by Noah Miller on 9 Aug 2011 4:51 pm; edited 1 time in total |
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