Oscar Schmidt Sterling Grand Concert Acoustic Guitar c 1915

Sterling (Oscar Schmidt) Grand Concert c 1915 | $1595 | The Schmidt factory in Jersey City, NJ, produced a lot of guitars branded 'Stella', but also made a lot that were rebranded by jobbers. This example is labeled 'Sterling', and is the brand of Hafner & Sutphin in Philadelphia, a music store that opened in 1911. Based on the tuners, braces and label, this guitar likely dates to the first few decades of the twentieth century, we'd guess 1915 or so.

The guitar is well made with quality materials. The back and sides are birch, and finished in a faux rosewood grain effect. The ladder-braced top looks like red spruce, and is inlaid with colorful marquetry around the edge and sound hole. The back has a strip of the same material; the sound hole, top and back are bound with white celluloid. The neck is likely poplar, and is stained in a reddish finish. The carve is 'C'-shaped in the first position, and gradually evolves into a soft 'V', very comfortabe and modern feeling. The fingerboard is ebonized maple. There is an inlaid decorative strip at the end pin. Tuners are original, and a prior owner had a monogram painted in gold script on the head stock. For some reason, and we've never seen this before, the inside of the body is painted black. It's original because the original Sterling label is pasted over the paint. The bridge is a period replacement. The bridge pins are appropriate for the period and may be original to the guitar.

This is a grand concert-size guitar which measures 14 15/16" across the lower bout. The scale length is 26 1/2" (long scale). The finger board measures 1 13/16" at the nut, and string spacing is 2 1/4" at the saddle. The body is 3 11/16" deep at the end pin.

The neck was recently reset. The bridge is a period replacement, and has a crack filled between some of the pin holes. One plastic tuner button was replaced. There are a couple of minor cracks along the bends of the sides.

Action is set at 5 & 6/64" and the guitar plays easily. The long scale GC guitars are usually tuned down a half or whole step, and produce a deep, dark tone, and fit well with blues and slide. Capo it up and you have a great finger-picking folk, blues or old-timey guitar.

Comes with a soft case.

Check the video and mp3 demos.