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1927 Supertone Artist Lindbergh Vintage Parlor Acoustic Guitar Koa Oscar Schmidt
Estimated price for orientation: 2 799 $
Category: Electric Guitar
Class:
Description Dexterity: Right-Handed MPN: Does Not Apply Brand: Supertone, Oscar Schmidt Country/Region of Manufacture: United States Body Type: Parlor String Configuration: 6 String Model: Artist Exact Year: 1927 UPC: Does not apply
Up for sale, a 1927 Supertone Artist vintage acoustic parlor guitar in excellent condition. Produced for Supertone (the house brand of Sears & Roebuck in the '20s) by Oscar Schmidt, this instrument is visually stunning, tonally pleasing, and also historically significant due to its airplane shaped Brazilian rosewood bridge. As the most ornate Supertone to feature this bridge and a true rarity in any condition, this guitar sported its unique bridge to commemorate Charles Lindbergh's historic solo transatlantic flight in his monoplane, the Spirit of St. Louis. Of course the original catalog description boasts that the Aero Bridge "put to flight the common fault of buckled and warped guitar tops," in true salesman fashion, but regardless of its structural attributes, it simply looks undeniably cool.Despite the modest size of the Supertone Artist, the tone is anything but, with a commanding, full sound that has a bark and power that belies its stature. The solid koa back and sides deliver the sweetness and midrange complexity associated with this tone wood, and the Adirondack red spruce top is an ideal soundboard. Even with ladder braced construction, the tonal detail and sheer volume of this Supertone is truly impressive, and this instrument easily handles the tension of the phosphor bronze 11-50 strings currently on the guitar.The mahogany neck has a deep and substantial V shaped profile paired with a thick slab Brazilian rosewood fretboard. The original slender bar frets are intact and the instrument plays well in all positions with no buzzing or dead spots. Measured at the 12th fret, the action currently sits at just a hair over 1/8" on the bass side and 1/8" on the treble side, with plenty of room for further adjustment at the bridge if desired in the future. The cosmetic appointments on the neck are quite impressive and uncommon for a Supertone as well, with tortoise fretboard binding, and a combination of pearl stars, diamonds, and circles inlaid as fret markers. The nut is a hand carved piece of bone and a modern replacement, measuring 1 7/8" in width and ideally spaced for comfortable fingerpicking. The headstock has a clean rosewood veneer and retains the original open geared tuners which feature their original buttons and still turn smoothly.On the body of the instrument, all of the maintenance due a guitar of this vintage has been performed, with a professional neck reset and new saddle on the Aero Bridge. All of the braces are secure, and two cracks in the top have been professionally repaired. With a thick layer of abalone around the top (mirrored by the rosette) and that abalone in turn bound in tortoise, Supertone clearly intended the Artist model to stand out, and a strip of Brazilian rosewood is used at the center seam on the back as well. The solid koa back and sides have a medium brown stripey grain pattern, particularly on the back of the guitar, and the koa is crack-free, no small feat for a fragile tone wood on a nearly 90 year old instrument!Aside from light finish touchup along the two top cracks, the original lacquer finish is 100% original and glows as it should when inspected under blacklight. As with any acoustic guitar of this vintage, a few nicks and small finish scratches are expected, and aside from some honest wear on the treble side of the soundhole in the pick path, there is sparingly little wear to report.This Supertone was hand crafted in the USA by Oscar Schmidt, who handled only the higher end models for Sears & Roebuck. Rare, historically significant due to its airplane-shaped bridge, and a tonally impressive guitar, it's hard to beat this Supertone Artist.A vintage, non-original case is included.
Please check out our shop "Mike & Mike's Guitar Bar" on the web, and feel free to call us directly with any questions at 206.399.8518.Shipping in the continental USA will be $65, fully insured and shipped via FedEx Ground. We will happily ship WORLDWIDE, but please contact us for an accurate international shipping quote before bidding or buying, as cost varies by buyer location.
International orders will be declared as “merchandise,” and the value of merchandise will be declared as the amount paid. We cannot declare anything as a gift or for a lesser value. No exceptions! The customer is responsible for all taxes and duty, which may be collected upon delivery.We do our best to describe all items with honesty and accuracy, but to be sure, please contact us with any questions or concerns prior to bidding or buying. We require payment within 48 hours of auction end. In the unlikely event of a return, buyer pays all shipping costs. Your positive feedback and five star ratings are very important to us, and we appreciate your communication in resolving any issues!
Description
| Dexterity: | Right-Handed | MPN: | Does Not Apply |
| Brand: | Supertone, Oscar Schmidt | Country/Region of Manufacture: | United States |
| Body Type: | Parlor | String Configuration: | 6 String |
| Model: | Artist | Exact Year: | 1927 |
| UPC: | Does not apply |
Up for sale, a 1927 Supertone Artist vintage acoustic parlor guitar in excellent condition. Produced for Supertone (the house brand of Sears & Roebuck in the '20s) by Oscar Schmidt, this instrument is visually stunning, tonally pleasing, and also historically significant due to its airplane shaped Brazilian rosewood bridge. As the most ornate Supertone to feature this bridge and a true rarity in any condition, this guitar sported its unique bridge to commemorate Charles Lindbergh's historic solo transatlantic flight in his monoplane, the Spirit of St. Louis. Of course the original catalog description boasts that the Aero Bridge "put to flight the common fault of buckled and warped guitar tops," in true salesman fashion, but regardless of its structural attributes, it simply looks undeniably cool.Despite the modest size of the Supertone Artist, the tone is anything but, with a commanding, full sound that has a bark and power that belies its stature. The solid koa back and sides deliver the sweetness and midrange complexity associated with this tone wood, and the Adirondack red spruce top is an ideal soundboard. Even with ladder braced construction, the tonal detail and sheer volume of this Supertone is truly impressive, and this instrument easily handles the tension of the phosphor bronze 11-50 strings currently on the guitar.The mahogany neck has a deep and substantial V shaped profile paired with a thick slab Brazilian rosewood fretboard. The original slender bar frets are intact and the instrument plays well in all positions with no buzzing or dead spots. Measured at the 12th fret, the action currently sits at just a hair over 1/8" on the bass side and 1/8" on the treble side, with plenty of room for further adjustment at the bridge if desired in the future. The cosmetic appointments on the neck are quite impressive and uncommon for a Supertone as well, with tortoise fretboard binding, and a combination of pearl stars, diamonds, and circles inlaid as fret markers. The nut is a hand carved piece of bone and a modern replacement, measuring 1 7/8" in width and ideally spaced for comfortable fingerpicking. The headstock has a clean rosewood veneer and retains the original open geared tuners which feature their original buttons and still turn smoothly.On the body of the instrument, all of the maintenance due a guitar of this vintage has been performed, with a professional neck reset and new saddle on the Aero Bridge. All of the braces are secure, and two cracks in the top have been professionally repaired. With a thick layer of abalone around the top (mirrored by the rosette) and that abalone in turn bound in tortoise, Supertone clearly intended the Artist model to stand out, and a strip of Brazilian rosewood is used at the center seam on the back as well. The solid koa back and sides have a medium brown stripey grain pattern, particularly on the back of the guitar, and the koa is crack-free, no small feat for a fragile tone wood on a nearly 90 year old instrument!Aside from light finish touchup along the two top cracks, the original lacquer finish is 100% original and glows as it should when inspected under blacklight. As with any acoustic guitar of this vintage, a few nicks and small finish scratches are expected, and aside from some honest wear on the treble side of the soundhole in the pick path, there is sparingly little wear to report.This Supertone was hand crafted in the USA by Oscar Schmidt, who handled only the higher end models for Sears & Roebuck. Rare, historically significant due to its airplane-shaped bridge, and a tonally impressive guitar, it's hard to beat this Supertone Artist.
A vintage, non-original case is included.
Please check out our shop "Mike & Mike's Guitar Bar" on the web, and feel free to call us directly with any questions at 206.399.8518.
Shipping in the continental USA will be $65, fully insured and shipped via FedEx Ground. We will happily ship WORLDWIDE, but please contact us for an accurate international shipping quote before bidding or buying, as cost varies by buyer location.
International orders will be declared as “merchandise,” and the value of merchandise will be declared as the amount paid. We cannot declare anything as a gift or for a lesser value. No exceptions! The customer is responsible for all taxes and duty, which may be collected upon delivery.We do our best to describe all items with honesty and accuracy, but to be sure, please contact us with any questions or concerns prior to bidding or buying. We require payment within 48 hours of auction end. In the unlikely event of a return, buyer pays all shipping costs. Your positive feedback and five star ratings are very important to us, and we appreciate your communication in resolving any issues!
International orders will be declared as “merchandise,” and the value of merchandise will be declared as the amount paid. We cannot declare anything as a gift or for a lesser value. No exceptions! The customer is responsible for all taxes and duty, which may be collected upon delivery.We do our best to describe all items with honesty and accuracy, but to be sure, please contact us with any questions or concerns prior to bidding or buying. We require payment within 48 hours of auction end. In the unlikely event of a return, buyer pays all shipping costs. Your positive feedback and five star ratings are very important to us, and we appreciate your communication in resolving any issues!