1920s Stromberg-Voisinet (Kay) Rubber-Bridge Electrified Parlor Guitar

This old guitar is unmarked but as I've worked on dozens and dozens of them, I know that it's a Stromberg-Voisinet (later Kay) instrument built in the '20s. It's had some hard travel in its times but between Ancel and myself, we've repaired all that needed work and then converted it into a rubber-bridge, electrified instrument via a lipstick pickup in the soundhole and rubber saddle.

This gives that "indie rock damped bridge" sound that's all the rage these days. I find it a completely useful studio (and at-home, hanging-out) sound. The rubber we use is fairly soft and, interestingly, lets you compensate/intonate the strings along a straight line at the bridge. The tone we chase for with these is sort-of a "damped marimba" quality. If you mix that with a brighter-sounding pickup you definitely get into that territory and it's a fun, percussive, interesting sound to enjoy as "another paintbrush." If you fingerpick it, it gets more of that marimba-like sound and if you flatpick or strum it or nails-brush it like a flamenco guitar it can sound almost like a classical guitar or ukulele with really dead strings.

In any case, it's fun!

Repairs included: a neck reset, fret level/dress, crack repairs, seam and brace reglues, side dots install, rubber bridge mod, pickup fitting, wiring, setup, etc.

Weight: 3 lbs 4 oz

Scale length: 24 3/8"

Nut width: 1 3/4"

Neck shape: medium-bigger V

Board radius: flat

Body width: 13 1/8"

Body depth: 3 1/2"

Top wood: solid spruce

Back & sides wood: solid birch

Bracing type: ladder

Bridge: rosewood (1960s Harmony bridge, modded)

Fretboard: ebonized maple or similar

Neck wood: poplar

Action height at 12th fret: hair over 1/16" bass 1/16” treble (fast, spot-on)
String gauges: 46w, 36w, 26w, 20w, 13, 10

Neck relief: straight

Fret style: medium/narrow

Condition notes: while overall it looks good, it does have some condition issues. There's a big repair/re-repair to a hairline crack on the treble side running from the endblock to the waist. The finish has also either been damaged and/or sanded/removed in the same area on the back/near the side edge. There are a couple of small filled holes on the top near the volume control pot. The center seam on the top was a little open and has been cleated/glued/filled and is good to go. There's a repaired hairline crack running below the soundhole and to the bridge. The finish around the neck joint area is a little mucked-up and the fretboard extension has some muck-up under it where it was shimmed-up. Still, don't get me wrong -- all of this stuff is minor. Oh, and then of course there's the usual "average wear and tear" to the finish throughout. The tuners (1960s) are later and the tailpiece (1930s) is as well. The bridge (1960s) is off a Harmony 12-string.

It comes with: sorry, no case.

Consignor tag: A26