Bacon Senorita Special Arch Top Acoustic Guitar (1932)
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Item #5776
Bacon Senorita Special Model Arch Top Acoustic Guitar, c. 1932, made in Chicago, sunburst lacquer finish, mahogany back, sides and neck, spruce top, rosewood fingerboard, original black hard shell case.
This very unusual Bacon "Senorita Special" roundhole archtop guitar was built in the early 1930's when the celebrated Bacon Banjo Company was struggling with the effects of the depression and a rapidly declining market for expensive tenor and plectrum banjos. The guitar itself was almost certainly made by Regal in Chicago, to a fairly unusual design. Although the Bacon company built many of the finest (and most expensive) banjos of the 1920's they had no experience, or apparent interest, in building guitars. They had dabbled with ukuleles and mandolins in the early 1920's and had even sold a few Martin guitars with a Bacon stamp, but had been able to prosper for a decade with a banjo-only line.
When the high-end banjo market collapsed Fred Bacon and David Day, both older men with lifetimes of experience in the music business, took the expedient route and contracted outside makers to supply them with guitars. While similar to other Regal-built instruments including the Tonk Bros. Washburn line these "B&D" guitars are always distinctively appointed, and also the best that could be had.
This "Senorita Special" is almost certainly one of the earliest Bacon/Regal collaborations, and while it does not carry the traditional Bacon & Day rhinestone-and-pearloid livery it is unique in other ways. The dramatically arched spruce top is X-braced and triple bound, with multiple binding on the soundhole edge, along with inlaid rings that Regal inexplicably finished over! The mahogany back is also very deeply arched, with the shape formed by heavy curved braces. The floating bridge is adjustable with an offset saddle, somewhat daintier than the 1930's Gibson style, while the tailpiece is typical for the era. The pickguard is heavy single-layer phenolic, cut away to avoid blocking the soundhole. The neck is fairly small with a noticeable "V" profile, topped off with a plain wood-faced peghead adorned only with a "Senorita" stencil. The tuners are the very earliest Grover Sta-Tite single units with the "patent applied for" marking on the base which date to 1931-3.
The most interesting feature is a hand-typewritten label reading " SENORITA SPECIAL Made By The Bacon Banjo Company Groton Ct." which indicates either a prototype or a very early model; the "Special" may refer to the arch-top construction; most guitars with that name are flat tops. This is a very interesting piece of both Bacon 7 Day and Regal history, and a very fine (if eccentric) guitar as well.
Overall length is 39 3/8 in. (100 cm.), 15 in. (38.1 cm.) wide at lower bout, and 4 1/4 in. (10.8 cm.) in depth, measured at side of rim. Scale length is 24 1/2 in. (622 mm.). Width of nut is 1 3/4 in. (44 mm.). Very clean original condition; there is one old (and very well restored) crack repair to the top over the soundhole but overall there is only minimal wear-small dings and scratches-for a guitar this old. An excellent player with a fairly bright but chunky tone, complete with an excellent OHSC. Excellent Condition.
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This very unusual Bacon "Senorita Special" roundhole archtop guitar was built in the early 1930's when the celebrated Bacon Banjo Company was struggling with the effects of the depression and a rapidly declining market for expensive tenor and plectrum banjos. The guitar itself was almost certainly made by Regal in Chicago, to a fairly unusual design. Although the Bacon company built many of the finest (and most expensive) banjos of the 1920's they had no experience, or apparent interest, in building guitars. They had dabbled with ukuleles and mandolins in the early 1920's and had even sold a few Martin guitars with a Bacon stamp, but had been able to prosper for a decade with a banjo-only line.
When the high-end banjo market collapsed Fred Bacon and David Day, both older men with lifetimes of experience in the music business, took the expedient route and contracted outside makers to supply them with guitars. While similar to other Regal-built instruments including the Tonk Bros. Washburn line these "B&D" guitars are always distinctively appointed, and also the best that could be had.
This "Senorita Special" is almost certainly one of the earliest Bacon/Regal collaborations, and while it does not carry the traditional Bacon & Day rhinestone-and-pearloid livery it is unique in other ways. The dramatically arched spruce top is X-braced and triple bound, with multiple binding on the soundhole edge, along with inlaid rings that Regal inexplicably finished over! The mahogany back is also very deeply arched, with the shape formed by heavy curved braces. The floating bridge is adjustable with an offset saddle, somewhat daintier than the 1930's Gibson style, while the tailpiece is typical for the era. The pickguard is heavy single-layer phenolic, cut away to avoid blocking the soundhole. The neck is fairly small with a noticeable "V" profile, topped off with a plain wood-faced peghead adorned only with a "Senorita" stencil. The tuners are the very earliest Grover Sta-Tite single units with the "patent applied for" marking on the base which date to 1931-3.
The most interesting feature is a hand-typewritten label reading " SENORITA SPECIAL Made By The Bacon Banjo Company Groton Ct." which indicates either a prototype or a very early model; the "Special" may refer to the arch-top construction; most guitars with that name are flat tops. This is a very interesting piece of both Bacon 7 Day and Regal history, and a very fine (if eccentric) guitar as well.
Overall length is 39 3/8 in. (100 cm.), 15 in. (38.1 cm.) wide at lower bout, and 4 1/4 in. (10.8 cm.) in depth, measured at side of rim. Scale length is 24 1/2 in. (622 mm.). Width of nut is 1 3/4 in. (44 mm.). Very clean original condition; there is one old (and very well restored) crack repair to the top over the soundhole but overall there is only minimal wear-small dings and scratches-for a guitar this old. An excellent player with a fairly bright but chunky tone, complete with an excellent OHSC. Excellent Condition.
