1938 Gibson Roy Smeck Stage Deluxe Sunburst, Excellent, Hard, $8,500.00

FON: UNREADABLE. Here is a Roy Smeck Stage Deluxe converted from Hawaiian to standard play. The conversion was carefully done with two objectives in mind – keep the guitar as original as possible, and tune the top to deliver as much power as possible. It’s a success. First, it’s a very clean example. There are scratches here and there and typical checking but the finish is fresh and shiny. The red spruce top is crack free, typical dark sunburst (which the camera turns reddish in the sunshine). The firestripe pickguard has lots of see-thru and is gorgeous. The bridge seems to be recarved and compensated from the original and the guitar set up using the original saddle and nut material. The neck has been reset and fretted with T-frets. The original neck profile was not changed and it is considerable -- 2” at the nut with a classic 30’s V-profile. The action is low and it is easy to fret. The stenciled logo is distinct and intact (better pictures to come). Nothing to report on the back and sides – mahogany stained dark, crack-free, a few scratches, very shiny and clean. The insides show the original small maple bridge plate in the proper position. It is very clean in there. As is sometimes done, the third tone bar has been removed. The two remaining tone bars have their factory taper much like a J-45. The net effect is a responsive player with a powerful tone. The tone is classic Gibson – tight bass, rifle-shot mids, clear trebles, and great volume. A terrific guitar. Comes with a grade B newer hardshell case.