1900s “The Regal” Gut-Strung Parlor Guitar

Overview: This bears a "The Regal" label in the soundhole, but I'm pretty sure that this is not for the builder, Regal, but simply a model name from the catalog company that sold it. This guitar is, overall, not built in the style of Regal instruments at the time (1890s/early 1900s) but it does have features that remind me of Bauer or higher-end guitars made for Sears and the like. I wish I could place it more closely than that.

Anyhow, it's a quality instrument -- solid spruce in the top, solid Brazilian rosewood in the back and sides, a mahogany neck, and ebony board and bridge. It's lightly-built in the bracing and has a substantial but comfortable neck profile. I had previously repaired this for its owner and had it setup for extra-light steel strings, but he brought it back for resale and so I asked Ancel to re-do the bridge for me and set it up as a classical/nylon-strung guitar instead, as it was definitely intended for gut strings when it was made.

The result is an instrument that is warm, sweet, clean-sounding, and lovely to hang-out with on the couch and brew songs with. As a steel-stringer, it sounded alright but a little boxy -- but it's amazing how much these guys improve when you take off the excess tension and let the warmth of the classical strings let their low-end bloom.

Repairs included: I'd previously given it a neck reset, cleated and repaired a number of top cracks, repaired seams, given it a level/dress of the frets, and setup work. This time around Ancel modified the bridge -- a light shave of the top, fill and recut of the saddle slot and bridge pinholes, and new bone saddle (for classical strings), as well as a fresh setup. It's playing spot-on and ready to serve.

• Weight: 3 lbs 0 oz
• Scale length: 24 1/16"
• Nut width: 1 13/16"
• Neck shape: medium soft V
• Board radius: flat
• Depth at first fret: 57/64
• Depth at seventh fret: 1 1/64"
• Body width: 12 3/4"
• Body depth: 3 5/8"
• Top wood: solid spruce
• Back & sides wood: solid Brazilian rosewood
• Bracing type: ladder
• Bridge: ebony
• Fretboard: ebony
• Neck wood: mahogany
• Action height at 12th fret: 3/32” bass to hair-over 1/16" treble (fast, spot-on)
• String gauges: medium-tension nylon
• Neck relief: straight
• Fret style: lower/narrower

Condition notes: The top has a number of repaired hairline cracks. There's weather-check throughout the finish and the finish on the back and sides, in particular, is quite rough but has a lot of character. It is original except for the saddle and bridge pins.

It comes with: It has a good hard case.

Consignor tag: DDMK