Mystery Archtop Acoustic

acousticjas · #1 04-19-2011, 03:53 PM

Just brought this archtop acoustic on ebay, needed a bit of work but now plays and sounds nice

After searching around the internet i can't seem to find any info on it.
The guitar it's self has no truss rod, the previous owner described it as being made in the 50's
I've attached a picture below, any help would be much appreciated

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jlkitch · #2 04-19-2011, 04:22 PM

Can't see the headstock. Could be a Kay, Silvertone or Harmony.

Wade Hampton · #3 04-19-2011, 06:22 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jlkitch

Can't see the headstock. Could be a Kay, Silvertone or Harmony.

I don't think it's any of those brands - with those soundholes, to me it looks like an inexpensive German-made archtop from the 1950's or early 60's that some GI brought back from Europe at the end of his overseas deployment, and then someone else who acquired it along the way decided to make a home refinishing project out of it.

In the past, Gretsch made some archtop guitars with unusually shaped soundholes, but this guitar really does look more German than American to me.

Wade Hampton Miller

acousticjas · #4 04-20-2011, 03:30 AM

Thanks for the replies, thought it could have been european

AndrewG · #5 04-20-2011, 05:42 AM

I found this-check the f-holes:http://www.google.co.uk/imgres?imgur...O8up8AO4j8XhBA

KK Jale · #6 04-20-2011, 07:33 AM

Possibly an Isana. Most likely German, as WHM says.

Wade Hampton · #7 04-21-2011, 07:55 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by KK Jale

Possibly an Isana. Most likely German, as WHM says.

KK Jale, hey, it's nice to hear from you.

whm