Topic: Mystery Archtop (Can anyone help me identify this thing?)

[Mike Brosnan]

My girlfriend bought this guitar for $75 at a thrift store. It's been hanging on the wall until I finally did some sloppy repairs recently. I still can't believe how good it sounds!!
It doesn't have any numbers, labels or anything anywhere to help identify it. Anyone have a clue what this thing is?


I can't remember how to post pics here, but I posted some pics on my facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10150189067013586.330234.682903585&l=671eae3952
Any help greatly appreciated.

[Parlor Picker]

No idea Mike, but it sounds just the ticket if you want the "McDowell sound".

[uncle bud]

My wild guess is Regal. Emphasize wild guess. Sounds great whatever it is!

[Mr.OMuck]

Harmony, Silvertone or Kay. Gibson tailpiece. I'm guessing

[blueshome]

Looks like the generic tailpiece used by Harmony, but others used it too.
Check out http://www.broadwaymusicco.com/harmony.htm

[Dave in Tejas]

Mike, yes it is a RegalKayHarmony.
The secret to the good sound is to really wail on it, just like you do. Great playing!

[onewent]

Hi Mike..cool guitar, I love finding 'em like that and with a little work have great sound and are fun to play..enjoyed your vid.  That headstock shape looks very Harmony-ish, and cheap Harmonys made in the 40s share that shape, or at least very close to that.  The tuners, assuming original, date to the 40s for sure as the gears are riveted rather than screwed on.  Harmony typically had all kinds of painted logos and designs on their guitars, plus numbers rubber ink-stamped inside the body..look inside with a flashlight, you may see some...but they jobbed out tons of guitars to retailers sans logos, so, who knows.  When in doubt .. "Chicago made"    Have fun with it..Tom

[Mike Brosnan]

Much thanks, folks!!  I think I've tried the flashlight approach, but I'll give it another shot.  We weren't guessing it would be that old, but now I see what you mean about the gears.  I never would've noticed that.  I can't believe what a score this was!  I'm trying to convince my girlfriend to officially trade me this guitar for my Simon and Patrick Parlor (which has ten times as much invested in it), but I can play it whenever I want anyway so....

[Mike Brosnan]

Just had another look inside and I can't find a single letter or number anywhere.  I did get a look at the bracing pattern from looking through the strap peg hole on the bottom...  Not what I would've guessed (not like I know anything about this stuff)...  It's got two hefty lookin' braces running parallel from top to bottom.  Kinda like this but closer together:

FWIW...