1950s Regal Spruce/Mahogany Tiple

November 23, 2020

1950s Regal Spruce/Mahogany Tiple

This may very well be a '40s tiple, but the big/round, C-shaped neck profile and blue label suggest very early '50s manufacture to me -- right before Regal went belly-up and was sold-off. It's an interesting instrument because it represents lessons learned by Regal from their earlier tiples. It's much heavier-built overall and actually has bracing stiff-enough to support the pin-bridge/"tieblock" standard tiple bridges. The earlier instruments really need tailpieces added to keep the tops stable. It's also got a solid headstock which makes it much easier to restring.

I like that sunburst finish even if it doesn't have any binding. It's a quieter instrument than earlier tiples but it's also mellower and sweeter -- plus dang stable. I like stability. Hopefully its owner will appreciate that, too!

Post-work it plays fast and easy. I had to replace a missing original bridge and my new one is cut from Madagascar rosewood and uses a pin-style load. It always takes me a bit to suss-out the best way to align all those pins, but compared to the classical-style "tie block" bridges that are traditional on tiples, I think the pin layout has the advantage of decreasing direct "pull-off" tension on the bridge.

Repairs included: hidden neck joint reinforcement bolt added, fret level/dress, side dots, bridge replacement, custom bridge, fully-compensated bone saddle, and setup.

Made by: Regal

Made in: USA

Top wood: solid spruce

Back & sides wood: solid mahogany

Bracing type: ladder (two on lower bout)

Bridge: Madagascar rosewood, bone saddle

Fretboard: ebonized maple, bone nut

Neck wood: mahogany

Tone: clean, sweet, chimey, plunky, woody

Suitable for: folk, country-blues, world, etc.

Action height at 12th fret: 1/16" overal (fast, spot-on)
String gauges: 11/22w, 16/38w/16, 13/30w/13, 10/10 for GCEA

Neck shape: medium-big C