Topic: Who can recogise this?

[Richard]

I'm trying to prise this spider type bridge reso off somebody, any idea's what make it is?

It is seemingly period, certainly looks and feels as though genuine and not some diy effort.

Pictures taken with the phone and include the owners surroundings!

[attachment deleted by admin]

[Mr.OMuck]

The headstock looks 30's regal- Chicago-ish but the body and the mesh hole covers and the resonator cover remind me a lot of Brazilian models I've seen as does the wood color.

[bnemerov]

Agree with OMuck; though all the wood looks like Regal to me. Resonator bits could be Dopera's. You'd need to look inside to be sure.

See this page for details about the Regal/Dopera connection. http://www.lvdrga.org/news/2012/03/did-you-know-by-tom-flynn-slideman-3/

I suspect "Concert Star" was a house brand for a wholesaler/distributor/music chain.
best,
bruce

[alyoung]

Concert Stars were made in New Zealand; I think in later 1930s into the 1940s. I don't know a hell of a lot about them, but I recall years ago that a local luthier was trying to flog off the left-over stock of cones. Only snag was that they weren't very good. There was also a Concert Star mandolin and I think at least one these is still around.  Of course, if this guitar is in the UK, it does raise questions as to how it got there and whether the New Zealand version was an offshoot of some other Concert Star. The resonator cover looks like an NZ model; I think the arc of dots across the lower bout is an add-on. I have heard that the New Zealand one was litigated out of existence by Dobro, but I don't know how accurate that is.  Sorry I can't be more definite, but this was all gleaned long ago; had I known then what I know now, I wld have asked a lot more questions. (The CS wasn't the only antipodean resonator knock-off; there was also the Wayne, made, I believe in Melbourne, Australia. Many years ago when living in that city, I bought one for A$100 off a local folkie. He told me it was a 1918 Dobro; even in those days I knew he was full of it, but the price was OK so I didn't argue.)

[Richard]

Thanks men, that's very interesting, now since my post this has come to light which certainly feature similar cover plate design if you keep scrolling down.

http://www.notecannons.com/charles_brasher/

Of course I have yet to weedle it out of the current owner...

[bnemerov]

That's really interesting, Al.
Any idea who made these NZ instruments? Factory? Small shop? An individual?
I can't image there was a very large market for these, but??

There was an individual in Toronto, Canada by the name of Hensel who made some resonator guitars in the 1930s. He sold them through a local department store. None have yet turned up as far as I know.

The combination of wood and metal working skills needed would seem to limit these makers to a few individuals in places where Dopera-made guitars weren't distributed. It would be interesting (to me at least) to know who was doing this in NZ and Australia.

best,
bruce

[Prof Scratchy]

Resonator guitars were also manufactured prewar in Czechoslovakia and China.