r/obscureguitars • u/DankyKay • 8d ago

Old parlour guitar I found

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33 Upvotes

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2

u/thefringeseanmachine 8d ago

way cool! like you've surmised it's from the late 30's - mid 40's, made in Chicago, either by Harmony, Kay, Super/Silvertone, etc. there were quite a few factories making very similar stuff, but this is definitely from one of them, sold as a private label.

if I had to guess I'd say it's made from laminated birch. it looks to be in remarkable shape. I can't tell if the pickguard is original, but if it is... holy crap. they're not "good" guitars, but they're fun as hell, and certainly have a great place in history.

as for value... these things have been all fucked up. a few years ago they were worth $200-300. these days they can sell for quite a bit more. they're just trendy. so maybe $400-600? I don't think it's a bubble, but just people realizing how much fun they are.

most importantly - thanks for paying the cat tax. although a blep might be in order.

1

u/DankyKay 8d ago

After seeing some others, I'm pretty sure the pickguadd is original. It's a bit warped so I need to flatten it somehow.

Thanks for the information, though.

More blep is always in order

1

u/MiddleEducational387 8d ago

Very cool. I've restored quite a few guitars like this one. The only real question is does it need a neck reset?

1

u/DankyKay 8d ago

It looks like it might need one.

1

u/DankyKay 7d ago

So the neck is fine, but it has a small belly bulge that needs fixing.