c.1935 Regal Radio Tone Guitar

Hot dog! This is a super-cool guitar, with a fresh neck set, cleaning, and setup. Plays like a breeze and sounds like a battleship! And the best part? It feels like a 0-size in your lap. The neck joint is just like an archtop with a floating fretboard extension and the tailpiece and floating bridge setup gives loads of punch. The catch? This guitar is a flat top! So you get the best of both worlds: loads of chop and punch and ease of play up the neck (14 fret join) with the sweet sustain and warmth of a ladder-braced flat top. Perfect for blues, old time, gypsy jazz, what have you. Love it.

Original nut, stenciled "Radio Tone" logo.

Bound rosewood fretboard with nickel-silver frets and inlaid MOP.

Front and back are bound in cream celluloid, as well as the soundhole. No cracks in the top or sides... and super-sweet sunburst top. It has some playwear and "use wear" throughout but the finish, despite these scuffs and old scratches, is in pretty darn good shape. Not dul at all where it hasn't been marred. And very thin.

Original rosewood bridge foot -- the adjustable top was destroyed -- but with a new bone topper.

Super cool "Radio Tone" tailpiece.

Regal also built for the Tonk Brothers-owned Washburn brand name of the time and this model, albeit with a normal flat top style neck and pin bridge, was in their line. I think the body is birch but it may be something nicer (misc. South American hardwood?) than that -- it's really hard to tell as the wood is quite a rich dark red seen through the soundhole and it's finished nearly black on the back and sides. All solid, nevertheless.

Regal label.



Tuners are in good shape. One replaced (from my parts bin) tightening screw.

Fresh neck set gives this a nice and sturdy join with an accurate angle.

New ebony end pin.