Any Guitar Experts?

[cjm]

I am wondering if anyone out there knows the exact name or class of this type of Guitar. I have restored a few instruments before but this one I picked up at a garage sale I have no idea what its official name is. Also if possible can you point me to complated ones. I know this is sort of a strange request but after googling so many different searches I have come up empty and I am hoping that someone might know. Thanks.

[cjm]

I know, its pug ugly now but when I am done with it this guitar will look like it is a expensive one instead of a $14 garage sale camera.

[Thelonius]

Not sure if this answers your question but its an "archtop" guitar.

Some beautiful examples can be seen at:

http://www.mandoweb.com/2_Archtop.htm
http://www.americanarchtop.com/

[PacAce]

You should be able to tell what the make and model of the guitar is by looking into the hollow body for a tag. In any event, you guitar looks like an acoustic arch-top guitar. Gibson used to make a lot of those and, of course, there were lots of other guitar makers that copied the Gibson style. You can usually identify the maker of the guitar by the shape of the guitar head although the head used to be copied along with the rests of the body, too, until they started trade marking the head designs (although that stil didn't stop the cheap copies).

http://www.provide.net/~cfh/gibson2.html

Here's a site that shows a guitar very similar to yours although I'm not 100% positive that it is. Take a look at the last guitar in the following link.

http://www.philsguitars.com/acarch.html

[cjm]

This one looks very like it, looks like I will have to buy the tail piece and a bridge. I thought this guitar looked like a violin but wow, I didnt realize how right I was. Thanks you for your help. When I am done with this guitar it will look like a violin with an incredible paint job! :)

Actually am very excited. Wood working is another passion of mine so finding this piece of crap at a Garage sale is about the same as me finding a Canon 20D at a garage sale for $20. As a garage sale-er these finds are probably once every 1000 garage sales.

[VegasGeorge]

The f holes and head shape look like Gibson to me. Check out the photos on http://home.alltel.net/vintage/gibson.htm, and see if you don't agree.

[exposingmyself]

I know, its pug ugly

:(

[cjm]

VegasGeorge, that picture in that link of the Gibson ES125 looks identical to the hardwear I have, from the tailpiece to the bridge, even to the white trim. I think you might be on to something. Right now I am studing up on restoring "antiques" from stripping the paint to restaining them.

I do know that I wont be making it look like the Gibson ES125 in that link though, thats paint job is very dated looking. Thanks a lot. :)

[VegasGeorge]

No problem! When I saw your photo of the old guitar, "Gibson" just jumped out at me. So, I ran a google search for some Gibson pictures. It looked right, so I posted. Actually, I'm a ukulele player, but that has taken me to a lot of places where old guitars hang out (literally).

[cjm]

Here is the "serial" number I got from inside,

http://members.shaw.ca/cmonline/Guitar1.jpg

I looked at several gibson serial number sites, and besides being confused it sort of looks like it isn't a gibson. Not that it matters that much what it is, it would just be nice to figure out the maker. When I am done with it though, it will be a Martin Guitar ;)

[PacAce]

Here is the "serial" number I got from inside,

I looked at several gibson serial number sites, and besides being confused it sort of looks like it isn't a gibson. Not that it matters that much what it is, it would just be nice to figure out the maker. When I am done with it though, it will be a Martin Guitar ;)
I could have told you it wasn't a Gibson just by looking at the headstock but I didn't want to crush your hopes.

BTW, don't forget to research the headstock of a Martin guitar so that you can reshape it properly. ;)

But, no matter what guitar make it is, I'm sure it'll come out beautifully. I, for one, will be very eager to see the finished work. Good luck with it. :)

[Steve Parr]

Sorry for just seeing this. I know a lot about very few things. Guitars just happens to be one of them.

If I had a dollar left to my name, I'd be willing to bet it that the guitar pictured above is a Silvertone or a Harmony; probably the latter. Both had far too many models to be able to identify it just by appearance, and serial numbers on these brands do not point to a particular model.

Both brands were built for and sold through stores like Montgomery Wards, Sears & Roebuck, and JC Penney.

A tell-tale sign that this is not a high dollar guitar is the fingerboard. Higher end companies (Gibson, Stromberg, Hohner) never painted their fingerboards, and the one in this picture has clearly been painted and sanded. Fingerboards on the higher end guitars would be Rosewood (Brazilian or East Indian), Pao Ferro, or Ebony. On rare occasions, you might come across one of Bubinga.

The guitar's not worth a lot of money, but there's a certain cool factor...

Steve

[cjm]

Thanks Leo and Steve

I never thought it was really a Gibson after looking into them because of a few things like the neck. But to be honest less then a week ago I didn't even know what an Archtop was so I am learning. And I thank you all for your help and input.

I basically bought it for the fun of taking an absolute worthless guitar and making it beautiful. $14 is a pretty good price no matter what it is as (from what I can see on the oodles of Google searches) Archtops are one of the least common guitars that I have ever seen. Probably because they are so labor intensive to build one like this with all the curves.

Leo, I'm not going to make it a Martin & Co. Guitar, when I am done it will be a Christopher Martin guitar :) Which will include a small lable, "Restored by Christopher Martin".

I will be sure to create another thread in a few month with pictures and a link to this old thread. And if anyone else has any info, I'd appreciate your imput also. Thanks everyone, what a great board this place is. :)

[PacAce]

Thanks Leo and Steve

I never thought it was really a Gibson after looking into them because of a few things like the neck. But to be honest less then a week ago I didn't even know what an Archtop was so I am learning. And I thank you all for your help and input.

I basically bought it for the fun of taking an absolute worthless guitar and making it beautiful. $14 is a pretty good price no matter what it is as (from what I can see on the oodles of Google searches) Archtops are one of the least common guitars that I have ever seen. Probably because they are so labor intensive to build one like this with all the curves.

Leo, I'm not going to make it a Martin & Co. Guitar, when I am done it will be a Christopher Martin guitar :) Which will include a small lable, "Restored by Christopher Martin".

I will be sure to create another thread in a few month with pictures and a link to this old thread. And if anyone else has any info, I'd appreciate your imput also. Thanks everyone, what a great board this place is. :)
Ha-ha. :lol: I get it now. ;)

Don't forget to take pictures throughout your restoration process so we can see it's progress from "junk" to masterpiece. :)

[CyberDyneSystems]

It's an "L" Guitar ?? ;)

[cjm]

Will do, got all the stuff, will be stripping it soon so I'll take may pictures and document the journy from crap to Very nice looking. Unless I trip and crash on top of the guitar, thus destroying it ;)

[Viking Joe]

There are more "knock-off" brands of guitars than real brands. Steve is definitely on the right track. It is probably a catalog guitar. The f-holes are definitely Gibson stylings but most signature stylings of popular guitars are imitated by other manufacturers. Can't wait to see the restored version.