1930s Oahu (Regal) 000-Size 12-Fret Mahogany Guitar

This guitar was originally a mid-late '30s Oahu 66K model with a squareneck and intended for lap slide/Hawaiian-style playing. By '37 or '38 the brand had changed suppliers from Regal to Kay, so this is the earlier Regal version and -- frankly -- I think it's much better. I've had maybe a half a dozen of these (in their squareneck form) through the shop, but this is the first one I've done-up that's been converted to "normal" Spanish-neck playing. And...? I like it!

It came to me via consignment as a parts-box -- a body missing a bridge and with mucked-up finish but in otherwise good shape -- and the original neck which had been roughly sanded to shape as it is now. I didn't put a lot of effort into cleaning-up the reprofiling job on the neck because the guy who did it managed to sand up into the headstock and botched the heel shape... gahhh... but I did fine-sand it where it mattered and then stained it a little and hit it with some coats of nitro finish. It buffed-out to a comfy sheen and is a lot better than leaving it bright-"white" poplar on the back.

It then got the usual "old guitar repairs" and now that they're done it's playing beautifully and has a sweet, relaxed, full, and open sound. It sounds great as a flatpicker but it's got oodles of mwah as a fingerpicker. It's ladder-braced inside but these old, bigger Regals just have this interesting, airy, woody tone to them. It's just good.

The neck has a big, hefty C-shape to it with a wide nut, so it may not be to everyone's taste.

Repairs included: neck reset (bolted and glued), fret level/dress, side dots install, neck finishing/fudging work, new StewMac '30s repro tuners, new rosewood belly bridge install, new bone nut and saddle, new ebony pins, cleaning, and setup.

Top wood: solid mahogany

Back & sides wood: solid mahogany

Bracing type: ladder

Bridge: rosewood

Fretboard: ebonized maple

Neck wood: poplar

Action height at 12th fret: 3/32” bass 1/16” treble (fast, spot-on)
String gauges: 52w, 38w, 28w, 22w, 16, 12 custom set

Neck shape: big C

Board radius: flat

Neck relief: straight

Fret style: narrow/taller (not a good match for "neck stranglers")

Scale length: 25 3/8"

Nut width: 1 13/16"

Body width: 15 1/4"

Body depth: 4 1/8"

Weight: 3 lbs 5 oz

Condition notes: obviously, it's been beat-up in its lifetime. It has no cracks, however, save the tiniest (repaired) hairline crack at the side-treble-shoulder. The finish has scratches, nicks, and dings all over but -- dang! -- that checker binding more than makes up for it. The top had two sections (pictured) where green felt from the original case (long since missing) had basically melted into the finish. I did my best to remove it, and without glare on the finish, it's hard to spot it from a few feet away. The back also had some of this muck, too, and it's pictured as well. The neck was also obviously modified and the bridge, bridge pins, saddle, nut, and tuners are all replacements.