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  #1  
Old 02-10-2020, 01:11 PM
DanPV DanPV is offline
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Default Help identifying vintage "Gibson" archtop

I got this old archtop a while ago at a flea market for under $100. I'm pretty sure it's not a legitimate Gibson but an old department store archtop of some kind that had a Gibson logo applied to its headstock quite a while ago (for what I paid it not like I got ripped off price-wise lol but I am curious as to what it might be exactly).

Hopefully someone could verify for me whether it is a Gibson or not. I'm leaning toward it not being a Gibson since the headstock shape seems wrong for one thing. There's also no label or serial # on it anywhere. It's definitely really old though, and has a nice V-shape neck. Plays pretty good as well.

I also did a google search which seems to suggest it's not a Gibson. However, I'm new to archtops and would appreciate any help to verify one way or the other. Thanks.






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Old 02-10-2020, 02:35 PM
Bluemonk Bluemonk is offline
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Everything about it suggests it's definitely not a Gibson. Can't tell you anything else about it.
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Old 02-10-2020, 03:26 PM
Steve DeRosa Steve DeRosa is offline
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Don't know if you're anywhere in the NYC Tri-State region but I recall seeing that very guitar, in the window of a Brooklyn mens' clothing store 45 years ago, and in similar condition; definitely not a Gibson, based on woods/hardware/f-holes I'm thinking possibly late-30's Harmony/Kay - shine a flashlight through the f-holes and see if you can find any stamped markings...
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Old 02-10-2020, 04:37 PM
DanPV DanPV is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Steve DeRosa View Post
Don't know if you're anywhere in the NYC Tri-State region but I recall seeing that very guitar, in the window of a Brooklyn mens' clothing store 45 years ago, and in similar condition; definitely not a Gibson, based on woods/hardware/f-holes I'm thinking possibly late-30's Harmony/Kay - shine a flashlight through the f-holes and see if you can find any stamped markings...
I'm in the Toronto area. Not that far from NYC in the grand scheme of things. That's really interesting that you saw my guitar in a Brooklyn clothing store 45 years ago! And in similar condition. Talk about a weird coincidence. I guess this guitar has had an interesting life to say the least. Cool story and really appreciate finding out about the guitar's back story. Thanks for replying

When I get home I will shine a flashlight through the f-holes and take a look. When I originally did that back when I got the guitar I was only looking for a label, so entirely possible I may have missed a stamped marking.
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Old 08-30-2020, 09:05 AM
sunra sunra is offline
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My guess is Kay. They made some fairly inexpensive but grest sounding all-mahogany archtops like this one
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Old 08-31-2020, 08:58 AM
drive-south drive-south is offline
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The headstock suggests Regal. Def not a Gibson.
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Old 09-09-2020, 10:53 AM
Prof_Stack Prof_Stack is offline
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How does it sound and play?
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archtop, department store archtop, gibson archtop

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