1930s Regal-made Slingerland MayBell No. 7 Parlor Guitar

Update 2023: this has been out in the world for a few years but is now back here for resale. I've updated the photos, description, and added a video.

I've worked on this same-model MayBell Style #7 in a number of different configurations over the years. This one is the most-seen color scheme with its grey-pearloid fretboard veneer and tobacco-sunburst finish on the body. Compared to the average "catalog MayBell parlor" guitar, this is almost the same thing -- Regal-made, transverse-ladder-braced, and spruce over birch -- but has a ton of extra trim.

The customer who owns this wanted it done-up nice and then electrified with a P90 pickup in the soundhole. I picked-out a Korean-import Alnico-magnet P90 and it really does suit the vibe of the guitar as it makes you want to fingerpick it -- just like it does acoustically.

I'm really happy with the way it turned-out -- it sounds, looks, and plays swell. It has to be strung lighter due to the unreinforced poplar neck (I have 50w, 36w, 26w, 20w, 15, 11nickel-wound strings on it), but the overall lightness of the build means it's still satisfying to play.

This guitar is just a hair under "Martin 0 size" with a 13" lower bout and 24" scale length. It's very fortunate not to have any cracks on it, too. The new, rosewood bridge is a boring Martin belly-bridge shape, but it does help reinforce the light bracing. I added new ebony pins and cut a new compensated bone saddle for it, too. The original bridge was long-gone when this came in.

Repairs included: a neck reset, brace reglues and minor seam repairs, a refret and level/dress job to remove effective warp in the neck, new bridge install, a new bone saddle, pins, and wiring. All the wiring is shielded and I have a patch of grounding copper tape under the bridge that catches the ball-ends of the strings. It also got a fresh set of StewMac repro tuners, too.

Weight: 3 lbs 5 oz

Scale length: 24"

Nut width: 1 3/4"

Neck shape: medium-full C/D

Board radius: flat

Body width: 13 1/8"

Body depth: 4"

Top wood: solid spruce

Back & sides wood: solid birch

Bracing type: transverse ladder-braced

Bridge: rosewood

Fretboard: maple with pearloid veneer

Neck wood: poplar

Action height at 12th fret: 3/32” bass 1/16” treble (fast, spot-on)
String gauges: 50w, 36w, 26w, 20w, 15, 11

Truss rod: none

Neck relief: straight

Fret style: medium-wide

Condition notes: it has no cracks and is in good order save the usual weather-checking and generous small scratches/nicks to the finish throughout. The neck was a bit warped when it came in but due to a pearloid board, planing/refretting the board to ameliorate that was not a logical choice. I did for it what I do on pearloid-board guitars of this style -- I refretted with jumbo frets and then leveled any warp or twist out of the frets to get the neck "straight" in effect, for playing. This means that the frets nearest the nut and body join are lower than the frets in the middle of the neck, but if you play the guitar and don't think about it, you will not notice. It plays nice and quick and is ready to go.

It comes with: no case, sorry!