1950s United-made Electrified 00-Size Guitar

I had a nice visit last week with Mr. Greg Freeman and Mr. Benny Yurco (they serenaded us while we worked which is always nice) and this guitar is owned by Greg. He bought it from Randolin a while back and has been using it extensively as, ya know, it sounds terrific. Randy had apparently rebraced it to x-style and sold it as a "modified Gibson" of some sort.

It's an all-mahogany, 00-size, L-00-shaped-ish, old guitar. Ok: update here: Mr. Lewis Thomas out of the UK suggested it as a United make. He's right! This is a '50s United build that's been stripped and confusing. I've added pics from a Reverb listing at the end of this post of the "same model but not goofed." It's clearly got all of the United features. Thanks Lewis!

Long story short, the guitar was playing nicely when it came in but Greg was after a different sound for use with his band and we settled on magnetic soundhole pickup idea. Benny actually suggested an old DeArmond soundhole pickup but I didn't have any that were for sale. After almost prepping a freebie Strat pickup to stick in there, I reached-around in my pickups box and found this cool new DynaSonic pickup that my friend John had given me in trade. Yes!

So, for my part, I electrified this guy for him -- making a backing plate for the pickup to sit on so it could be mounted, a quick wiring harness with ground to the bridge plate for the strings, volume control with repro Dakaware-style knob, and a jack out the (already-enlarged) endpin hole.

Now it sounds killer for electric use and as an acoustic and we all win.

Alright, here's the maker-proof -- no clear United markings or branding but dang if it doesn't have all the features associated with their nicer guitars from the time. I'd never seen that 3-line rosette on one before, though, so I was suspect when Benny mentioned it before (I think)? I like it even better now...