c.1935 Regal Radio Tone Hawaiian Guitar

This is a really cool old Regal "Radio Tone" Hawaiian guitar. I didn't know this before, but apparently these Regal-made (and sold) "Radio Tone" instruments were only for sale in a package with lessons. No wonder they are a bit scarcer than others...!

I did a neck reset on this fellow, reglued the top bracing, installed a new ebony pyramid-style bridge, new saddle, setup, cleaning, etc. etc. It's a nice player's Hawaiian lap guitar now (this one was sold as such -- it's a square neck) and has a nice, loud, and projecting tone with very open qualities (probably due to the "transverse" ladder bracing).

Top is solid spruce and the back, sides, and neck appear to be solid maple. There's a nice sunburst on the top and back with black-stained sides and neck.

Body is bound on the top, back, and soundhole.

Fun headstock stencil. Original bone nut (though I did have to recut it as it had a chip on one edge).

Misc. "ebonized" fretboard with nickel-silver frets.

New ebony pyramid bridge. The original bridge was savaged, but the original pins remained, which I've reused. The original bridge also had bolts underneath some MOP dots (original). I've used that again here along with the original dots to give it more of the original feel. Saddle is a new bone one.

Like most of these period Regals, this guitar is featherweight and very responsive.

What you don't see on these back photos is the nice luminescence of the grain coming through.

Fun original open-backed Kluson tuners w/original buttons. After oiling them up and a little cleaning of the shafts, they work perfectly.

Original end pin.