1960s Japanese-made Decca Hawaiian Parlor Guitar





3/4-size (23" scale) Hawaiian guitars are not without precedent, but this was clearly supposed to be a "normal" guitar when it was made in all its student-market, all-ply build, glory. I would've returned it to regular stringing, too, as I have kids and student-folk in town that could make use of this, but the fretting and neck was just too messed-up and doing a refret on something like this is just silly.

So -- after gluing a couple seams, tightening the bolts on the bridge, and adding a new bone saddle (in a new saddle slot), I popped-on an extender nut and strung it up to open G tuning -- GDGBDG -- like "regular" guitar's open D but at the 5th fret. It actually sounds quite respectable strung like this, so I suppose it'll hang around getting some porch-play until I find some victim to hand it to.



The nut extender is aluminum and probably from the 30s.





The ply-spruce top is chased by ply-mahogany back and sides.




Comments

Oscar Stern said…
Yeah it's the same tuning as the Keith Richards 5 string Open G Tuning plus a High G on the Top which adds a bit more top end. So basically it's like taking your Open E Tuned Guitar & putting a capo on the 3rd Fret so it does add a bit more high end. I call it Open G Terz Tuning.