The Acoustic Guitar Forum

Go Back   The Acoustic Guitar Forum > General Acoustic Guitar and Amplification Discussion > Archtops

Reply
 
Thread Tools
  #1  
Old 08-18-2019, 07:33 AM
mrjop1975 mrjop1975 is offline
Charter Member
 
Join Date: Nov 2015
Location: Urbana, IL USA
Posts: 758
Default Orpheum guitars?

I had gotten a used 4 string Orpheum acoustic archtop tenor guitar from Bucks Country Music that they said was from the 30's. Great sound and fantastic shape - if it was from the 30's, then this thing was hardly ever used at all. My question is does anyone know anything about Orpheum guitars? I'll post a picture later if I can but you could still go there site to see it.
Reply With Quote
  #2  
Old 08-18-2019, 09:37 AM
MC5C MC5C is offline
Registered User
 
Join Date: Mar 2016
Location: Tatamagouche Nova Scotia
Posts: 1,136
Default

Orpheum had a couple of iterations. The first was as a banjo brand, quite highly regarded, owned by Rettberg and Lange, with a factory in New York City. Same company also made Paramount, and probably others. It closed around the start of WWII. They started distributing other types of instruments in the later 1930's, including guitars, archtop guitars, mandolins, etc. The second go-round was as a importer/distributor of mostly low end instruments, in the 1950's and well into the 1960's.

If you have an Orpheum tenor guitar from the 1930's, then in might have been made by any of the significant manufacturers of the period, Regal, Kay, Harmony. It's not likely it was made by the Rettberg and Lange factory. I have a Paramount mandolin that was distributed by them, and made by Kay. That's why I spent some time digging history on them, a few years ago. The look of yours suggests Harmony to me, the F-holes and the tailpiece and the headstock shape. It also might be a Kay, or course. I have a 1960's Kay made Silvertone with a similar headstock and the same binding.
__________________
Brian Evans
Around 15 archtops, electrics, resonators, a lap steel, a uke, a mandolin, some I made, some I bought, some kinda showed up and wouldn't leave. Tatamagouche Nova Scotia.

Last edited by MC5C; 08-18-2019 at 10:47 AM.
Reply With Quote
Reply

  The Acoustic Guitar Forum > General Acoustic Guitar and Amplification Discussion > Archtops

Thread Tools





All times are GMT -6. The time now is 04:43 PM.


Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.11
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, vBulletin Solutions Inc.
Copyright ©2000 - 2022, The Acoustic Guitar Forum
vB Ad Management by =RedTyger=