1930s Orpheum Ideal (Harmony-made) Archtop Guitar

Overview: While the headstock reads Orpheum, this is an upper-mid-grade Harmony product from the late 1930s. It's got a press-arched, solid spruce top over a press-arched, solid maple back and solid maple sides. The tone is midsy and has nice cut and bite when given a heavy hand.

It also looks glorious, with big-block pearl inlay in the fretboard, a fiery-looking celluloid tortoise pickguard, and an over-the-top, deco-style, painted celluloid headstock veneer. It's mostly-original throughout and the sunburst top looks smart with the very-dark-brown sides and back.

Repairs included: I gave it a neck reset and may have done a little seam work, too, as I recall. Jacobi leveled and dressed the frets and set it up and it's ready to roll.

• Weight: 4 lbs 2 oz
• Scale length: 25 1/8"
• Nut width: 1 3/4"
• Neck shape: medium-big V
• Board radius: 10"
• Depth at first fret: 1.01"
• Depth at seventh fret: 1.17"
• Body width: 15 3/8"
• Body depth: 3 3/8"
• Top wood: solid spruce
• Back & sides wood: solid maple
• Bracing type: tonebar
• Bridge: adjustable rosewood
• Fretboard: rosewood
• Neck wood: maple
• Action height at 12th fret: 3/32” bass 1/16” treble (fast, spot-on)
• String gauges: 54w-12 lights
• Truss rod: non-adjustable steel
• Neck relief: straight
• Fret style: modern wide/medium height

Condition notes: The tuners ('50s) are replaced, the endpin is replaced, and the bridge is much more recent. It's otherwise original throughout. There's a tiny hairline crack at the bottom edge of the bass f-hole (filled). There's a hairline crack below the pickguard that's also repaired. There's weather-check and light wear throughout the finish. There's a tiny surface crack on the treble side of the heel near the bottom but when I had the neck off I was able to check it out and it's only cosmetic -- it doesn't even go in 1mm and I filled it, anyhow. The binding has shrunken away from the waist on the back just a little bit. I can fill the gap or leave it as desired -- it's not pulling-off -- the back wood has just shrunk a bit compared to the sides. The whole back on this guy was covered in glued-on fabric tape for strength (Harmony did this now and then) and, as it's dried-up, it's curled-up a bit at the seams -- nothing to worry about but if you look in there and see curled edges, I just want you to know why.

It comes with: I think this one has a chip case somewhere up in the case room.

Consignor tag: NILS