1950s Unmarked Mystery 17" Archtop Guitar

This is the most confusing archtop I've had through the shop in a while. It's unmarked but shares features from a variety of makers from the time (we're talking late '40s, early '50s). It came in a period Epiphone case with the E on the inside and has an Epiphone-like 25 1/2" scale length, 1 5/8" nut width, and a fretboard extension mated to the normal part of the neck on a diagonal joint (that's very Epi).

Everything else is very much not Epiphone, though. The heel shape is wrong, the back of the neck is a medium-bigger full C, the body shape is vaguely like a Gibson 17" archtop but has Kalamazoo-like f-holes and shoulders that "slope down" in more of an Epi-style fashion, there is no truss rod in the neck, and the body is ply-all-over in construction. The top has two layers of spruce backed by birch while the back and sides are figured maple backed with birch.

Two other companies come to mind, though, when examining it. Its body style and construction remind me a lot of '50s Guild acoustic archtops and the body shape is even pretty close to the lines of the 16" archtops made by Guild that I've handled (take a close look at them and examine the shoulders, body outline, and headstock shape). However, I think more of the details resolve themselves as suggesting that this guitar was made by United in New Jersey. It has the headstock "stinger" of black paint on the back, flatter fretboard radius, correct heel shape, correct neck-shape, and binding style I expect from that maker. The lack of a truss rod and the smaller headstock shape are what make me leery of calling it a United "for sure," but the ply style for the top (2 thicker layers of spruce backed with thin birch) seems really close to United builds. I haven't handled a United with a 25 1/2" scale yet, though, as most have 25" across their production.

All that said -- it's a great guitar. It's loud, raucous, punchy, full in the mids and lower-mids, has lots of snap and zip in the high-end, and handles nicely. The neck is straight and "big" but comfortable... and it has larger-than-average frets for the time, which feel generous compared to something like a period Gibson. It also looks cool with its almost-Gibson body shape that's tweaked in the shoulders. It makes an excellent jazz-style chord-chopper and has the ability to slap some lead-work down, too.

Repairs included: fret level dress, replacement bridge, cleaning, setup.

Made by: possibly United

Made in: USA, probably New Jersey

Top wood: ply spruce

Back & sides wood: ply flamed maple

Bracing type: tonebar (asymmetrical -- bass-side straight, treble-side angled)

Bridge: rosewood

Fretboard: rosewood

Neck wood: maple

Tone: chunky, woody, full, punchy, projects well, saucy lower-mids/mids

Action height at 12th fret: 3/32” bass 1/16” treble (fast, spot-on)
String gauges: 54w-12 lights

Neck shape: medium-big C

Board radius: ~14"

Truss rod: non-adjustable but must have a steel rod in there

Neck relief: straight

Fret style: medium-bigger

Scale length: 25 1/2"

Nut width: 1 5/8"

Body length: 20 1/2"

Body width: 17 1/8"

Body depth: 3 1/4"

Weight: 5 lb 2 oz

Condition notes: it's worn and played throughout but has a nice, vintage, "glow" to it. The neck was reset previously at a good angle but I did have to clean-up a messy reglue job at the joint. It's stable. The bridge is a new replacement, the endpin is an older replacement, and the tuners might be newer than the guitar but are older Klusons. I had to move the tailpiece over a little as it was not aligned with the neck or centerline of the guitar as-installed. The binding on the body has rotted a bit and has lots of little cracks throughout. There's a replacement section of binding about 4" long near the tailpiece on the top edge. The nut is worn but repaired/works well.

It comes with: a 1940s/1950s Epiphone 17" jumbo hard case.