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Oscar Schmidt Kunow c. 1935 | Many tens of thousands of guitars were sold in the 20s and 30s through 'music conservatories', often a teacher or two with a small studio who signed up local youth for Spanish, Tenor or Hawaiian guitar lessons. Through this arrangement, these tens of thousands of guitars were sold to the enrolled students through a 'pay for lessons for a year, get the guitar...

We quest for the odd and unusual vintage guitar. This singular example is one of the more peculiar we've owned. At first blush, it appears to be a 12-fret slot-head catalog guitar made in the thirties in one of the large Chicago factories. Upon closer inspection, a few details emerge that make you go 'hmmmm'. First, the body ..top, back, sides.. is solid birch, not unusual for a catalog...

Vega C-46 Archtop Acoustic c. 1940 | A nice example of a fairly rare and well made guitar. Made in Boston, likely during WWII, based on the riveted tuners and wood on the tailpiece. Although much better known for their banjos, the Vega company produced a line of quality guitars, too. Back and sides are maple. Top is carved spruce. The neck is mahogany, with a Brazilian rosewood...

Weymann Banjo Ukulele No. 225 c.1929 |$775 | Weymann Banjo Ukulele No. 225 c. 1929 | $775 | Another instrument that will just tug at your heart strings is this c. 1929 Weymann banjo uke made in Philadelphia, PA. Originally costing $20 in this open-back form, the No. 225 was a plain but well-crafted instrument, as were all the Weymann products that left the factory. It features a 7" head...

Oscar Schmidt 'Jumbo' 6-String c. 1920s | $3250 | The twelve strings produced by the Oscar Schmidt company in the first quarter of the 20th century are coveted for their big sound, rarity, and association with the bluesmen who recorded on 78 rpm records in that time period. Perhaps rarer than the 'Leadbelly' jumbo 12-strings are the jumbo, or 'Auditorium' size, six-string Stellas. ...

Avalon Banjo Ukulele ca 1929 | Banjo uke of the type made by Wm. Lange in the 1920s and marketed by various jobbers. The rim is appears to be a walnut laminate with the inside and the stick painted black. The neck is likely three-piece walnut with the heel cap also painted black. The head stock face is painted black with 'Avalon' stenciled in white. What appears to be an inlay is...

OAHU Jumbo c. 1935 Style 68B (Kay) | $2250 | An argument can be made that The OAHU Publishing Co., Cleveland, Ohio, facilitated more acoustic guitars to be bought pre-WWII than any other company, and the company didn't even build guitars! With its origins in Michigan, and later moving to Cleveland, OAHU Publishing was essentially a music publishing company, selling sheet music, guitars and...

Collegiate 3/4 Size Acoustic Guitar, PMICo N.Y. | We have a soft spot for the odd and unusual and this little guitar sure fits the bill. It's labeled 'Genuine Santacilla Guitar P.M.I. Corp N.Y.' and sports the familiar 'Collegiate' decal on the headstock. Who made it is up for debate, although an argument could be made for the Oscar Schmidt Company in Jersey City, NJ. A few clues to support...

A Grand Concert-size Stella is automatically considered a pretty rare find; the addition of the deluxe fingerboard makes it rarer still. The Decalcomania ornamented instruments appeared in the 1920s, and were pretty typical on the Oscar Schmidt production line once the depression was in full swing. The ornamentation on cheaper birch was a more economical way to build a guitar than it was to use...

All original Vega Style N from the 20s with serial # 57771. The 'N' was the Vega entry-level tenor, but nonetheless, constructed to a very high Vega quality. There are 26 hooks around the laminate rim, and 17 frets on the fingerboard. The head measures 10 15/16" and the scale length is 19 1/2". There is a 'No Knot' tail piece and planet type tuners. The banjo is in excellent, unmolested...

In the throes of the Great Depression, many guitar makers altered their manufacturing to weather the hard times, some more radically than others. The Oscar Schmidt Company, in Jersey City, NJ, introduced a line of guitars produced from less expensive materials, but gave them a glitzy look to attract buyers in these grim times. These instruments were cataloged as 'Decalcomania', and the guitars...

In the throes of the Great Depression, many guitar makers altered their manufacturing to weather the hard times, some more radically than others. The Oscar Schmidt Company, in Jersey City, NJ, introduced a line of guitars produced from less expensive materials, but gave them a glitzy look to attract buyers in these grim times. These instruments were cataloged as 'Decalcomania', and the guitars...

Open back five-string banjo in the Buckbee style. The neck is nicely carved into a soft 'V' and is made from walnut with a thin veneer fingerboard. The rim is spun over with 38 brackets. The four head stock friction tuners appear original, and the fifth string friction tuner is a replacement. The rim measures about 10 3/4" and the scale length is ~ 25 1/2". The fingerboard measures ~1 1/4"...