Oscar Schmidt Floral Decalcomania DeLuxe

Oscar Schmidt Floral DeLuxe c 1932 | $775 | vbg #1844 | This guitar was a top of the line 'Stella' in the 1930s. By this time, the venerable Schmidt factory was heavy into the 'decalcomania' guitars, which were easier and cheaper to produce than guitars with spruce tops and inlaid marquetry. But to catch the public eye, bold decals, pearloid fingerboards and fancy purfling ruled the day.

This example is a concert-size, all birch body with applied decalcomania and a special gold sparkle inlay around the body and sound hole, finished off with white celluloid binding. The neck is likely poplar and the fingerboard veneered with gold-tinged celluloid to complement the gold-sparkle binding, with fancy engraving at the position markers.

The body measures 13 1/2" across the lower bout. Scale length is 24 5/8", and the neck measures 1 13/16" across at the nut and is carved in the typical Schmidt 'V' shape.

Most components appear original to the guitar, including the finish, tailpiece, tuners, and bridge. Some older repairs include side and back crack repair, and some braces reglued. Recently the neck has been reset and the frets leveled and dressed. The guitar shows overall wear and tear from age and use, still has a sparkle! The set up is good, and the guitar plays well. The sound produced is what you'd expect from an all birch Schmidt .. strong, boxy mids, and nice ringing highs with good bass .. a really fun blues box for ragtime picking or slide. This is a fancy and somewhat rare iteration of the Schmidt line, attractively priced. Comes with a soft case.