Stella 12 String Flat Top Acoustic Guitar , c. 1935
LOADING IMAGES
This item has been sold.
Item # 6506
Prices subject to change without notice.
Stella 12 String Flat Top Acoustic Guitar, c. 1935, made in Jersey City, NJ, natural finish, birch body, poplar neck, ebonized fingerboard, chipboard case.
This is an extremely rare and very playable example of a small-body, pre-war Stella 12-string, the instrument of choice for some of the best regarded early blues masters. This guitar was made soon after 1935, when the Oscar Schmidt company had recently been reorganized following its namesake's death. The guitar is branded internally on a paper label with the traditional script "STELLA" logo; beneath that is "Fretted Instrument M'F'rs Inc., Formerly Oscar Schmidt, Inc. manufactured since 1879 Jersey City USA". The label also notes "Exclusively for …New York"; unfortunately the wholesaler's name is missing. This instrument was made at the same time at the same factory as the legendary "Leadbelly" 12-string (also labeled by FIM) but is not as high-grade a guitar. The "binding", soundhole ring and top decoration are all decals but the Stella logo is impressed in the headstock in the Schmidt style. The tailpiece is the original old Stella style with posts to guide the strings, as seen on the 1910's and '20's 12-string guitars. This guitar has a cool midrangey sound, and while far from top-of-the-line is certainly an authentic instrument for pre-war blues styles-in fact it looks to have seen quite a history already!
Overall length is 38 1/2 in. (97.8 cm.), 13 3/8 in. (34 cm.) wide at lower bout, and 3 1/2 in. (8.9 cm.) in depth at side, taken at the end block. Scale length is 24 3/4 in. (629 mm.). Width of nut is 2 in. (51 mm.). This 12-srting has seen an epic amount of playing time-it is a WELL worn guitar, but recently rebuilt to an excellent standard of playability, and with a mojo second to none. Everything is original except the bridge saddle, including the tuners, tailpiece and dyed-wood bridge. A number of seams have been resealed, and there are several repaired back cracks and one top crack that is sealed but still quite visible on the lower bass bout. Overall there is fairly heavy finish wear just about everywhere, including wear through the painted-on "binding" and the decal decorations to the top. The dyed-wood fingerboard shows wear all the way up to the 12th fret-whoever owned this guitar was not just a "cowboy chord" player but a serious fretboard manipulator. The guitar is completely solid and speaks for itself-in a somewhat compressed but authoratative pre-war ladder braced tone-as an ultimate "Blues Approved" 12 string. Overall Very Good Condition.
This is an extremely rare and very playable example of a small-body, pre-war Stella 12-string, the instrument of choice for some of the best regarded early blues masters. This guitar was made soon after 1935, when the Oscar Schmidt company had recently been reorganized following its namesake's death. The guitar is branded internally on a paper label with the traditional script "STELLA" logo; beneath that is "Fretted Instrument M'F'rs Inc., Formerly Oscar Schmidt, Inc. manufactured since 1879 Jersey City USA". The label also notes "Exclusively for …New York"; unfortunately the wholesaler's name is missing. This instrument was made at the same time at the same factory as the legendary "Leadbelly" 12-string (also labeled by FIM) but is not as high-grade a guitar. The "binding", soundhole ring and top decoration are all decals but the Stella logo is impressed in the headstock in the Schmidt style. The tailpiece is the original old Stella style with posts to guide the strings, as seen on the 1910's and '20's 12-string guitars. This guitar has a cool midrangey sound, and while far from top-of-the-line is certainly an authentic instrument for pre-war blues styles-in fact it looks to have seen quite a history already!
Overall length is 38 1/2 in. (97.8 cm.), 13 3/8 in. (34 cm.) wide at lower bout, and 3 1/2 in. (8.9 cm.) in depth at side, taken at the end block. Scale length is 24 3/4 in. (629 mm.). Width of nut is 2 in. (51 mm.). This 12-srting has seen an epic amount of playing time-it is a WELL worn guitar, but recently rebuilt to an excellent standard of playability, and with a mojo second to none. Everything is original except the bridge saddle, including the tuners, tailpiece and dyed-wood bridge. A number of seams have been resealed, and there are several repaired back cracks and one top crack that is sealed but still quite visible on the lower bass bout. Overall there is fairly heavy finish wear just about everywhere, including wear through the painted-on "binding" and the decal decorations to the top. The dyed-wood fingerboard shows wear all the way up to the 12th fret-whoever owned this guitar was not just a "cowboy chord" player but a serious fretboard manipulator. The guitar is completely solid and speaks for itself-in a somewhat compressed but authoratative pre-war ladder braced tone-as an ultimate "Blues Approved" 12 string. Overall Very Good Condition.