Regal Deluxe Model Octofone, c. 1928, made in Chicago, natural lacquer finish, mahogany body and neck, spruce top, original black hard shell case.
One of the more interesting creations to come out of the Chicago-based Regal Company, the Octofone was advertised as "Eight instruments in One". What it really seems to be is a small body double-strung tenor guitar, but Regal claimed "The owner of the Octophone has the advantage of combining eight different instruments in one, namely Tenor Banjo, Tenor Guitar, Mandolin, Mandola, Mandocello, Ukulele, Tiple and Taropatch. These changes are brought about by variations in tuning". This instrument is the much rarer deluxe model, the better of two Octofone styles Regal offered in the late 1920's.
The body is high grade mahogany, double bound on the back and bordered around the top and soundhole with red, green, and yellow wood marquetry and black and white binding. The body itself has a fine-grained spruce top and a distinctive shape rather like an elongated guitar with both upper bouts cutaway. The bridge has pearl endpieces and a bone saddle, and the tailpiece a clever fluted hinged cover.
The mahogany neck is narrow and has a slim slightly tapered headstock stamped "PAT. APLD. FOR." -- the application was actually filed on July 2, 1928. An oval decal on the face reads "OCTOFONE - reg. US pat. Off" with the Regal crown symbol. Obviously Regal was proud of their creation and warning off competitors! The oval soundhole label reads "The Mark of Better Instruments, Made by the Regal Musical Instrument Co., Chicago" with a crown logo.
The instrument is very rare compared to the more common birch-bodied standard model Octophone and has a surprisingly loud, bright sound suitable for Celtic, stringband, ragtime, or many other styles of play.
Overall length is 33 1/4 in. (84.4 cm.), 10 5/8 in. (27 cm.) width, and 3 in. (7.6 cm.) in depth at side, taken at the end block. Scale length is 21 in. (533 mm.). Width of nut is 1 3/8 in. (35 mm.).
Very fine original condition, complete with the impossibly rare original hard case. Excellent + Condition.
