TENOR GUITARS
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holler via email.15-6931 Cromwell (by Gibson) (used, 1935) non-cutaway L-7 style tenor guitar, sunburst top, uniform brown sides, back and neck, with a newer hard shell case.
This is a fine looking acoustic archtop tenor guitar, suitable for orchestra or band use, or for cowboy “talking” movies from the late 1930s. The top of the peghead is “rooftop” shaped, having a center point; below that is the “Cromwell” logo in all cap block stencil-style letters in crème silk screen. The original banjo tuners with ivoroid buttons are in the case but the last owner had a set of what may be Gotoh tuners, large sealed back with large metal buttons installed. Yes, they tune wonderfully well, but they are so . . .um, modern. The Brazilian rosewood 19 fret fingerboard (14 of them to the body joint) is decorated with an ivoroid center stripe and 5 dotmarkers – three of them huge (the unblinking eyes that keep me awake at night) and two of them more normal in girth. The tortoise shell celluloid elevated pickguard is fire stripe pattern and wholly intact, held in place on the treble side by an L-bracket. The two piece adjustable Brazilian rosewood bridge is clean and well-adjusted and the tailpiece is a simple nickel-plated trapeze that would appeal to any circus-performing gerbils. Top and back are bordered in crème celluloid (single ply), back is arched and made of mahogany, sides and neck are made of the same. A metal strap pin has been affixed to the treble side of the neck heel (for playing while erect) and what may well be the original ivoroid pin remains at the bottom side. This is an extremely fine sounding, and equally extremely clean condition prewar archtop tenor guitar, made by Gibson and suitable for professional use. By the way, Ani DiFranco seems to be using the same exact guitar (but with an aftermarket pickup added) in her live performance of “Hypnotized” on YouTube. This guitar with case is $1438 or at our cash discount price $1395.
15-6587 C F Martin (used, 1964) 0-18T tenor guitar, four-string, #198916, in very good condition with a newer semi-hard (chipboard with lining) carrying case.
This guitar shows normal signs of use and wear; it has what appears to be, um, something, we’re not exactly sure, on the bass side near the waist. It shows smudges and mars, as to be expected from one so played. It also exhibits dents, dings and wens and, as well, a repaired pickguard crack on the treble side of the pickguard and a shorter one in the usual place below the first string. This guitar has a Brazilian rosewood headplate (with the small black-bordered burnished gold script Martin logo), original open-gear, butterbean-button Grover tuners, a Brazilian fingerboard and bridge, tortoise shell celluloid top and back binding, four plies of white-black top purfling, three purfling rings around the soundhole, a tortoise colored teardrop pickguard. It is presently having its petite little neck reset by our staff of professional repairpersons, and when it is completed it will be a tenor with which to beat the band. $1850 or at our cash discount price $1795.
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