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Guitar (maybe) identification

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(@chalkoutline)
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Joined: 19 years ago
Posts: 157
Topic starter  

I had a family member pass away in California (I am in Kentucky) who was a musician. He had a lot of instruments and we are trying to ID some of the stuff from 2300 miles away with the help of a friend out there.

For instance, what the heck is this?

https://docs.google.com/file/d/0B1oK_F5XktkydXM0bHpldG1qR1E/edit?usp=sharing

My friend called it a dulcimer but it doesn't look like any dulcimer I have ever seen. Almost looks like a travel classical if there is such a thing.

Any thoughts?

There are also a couple of Paul Jacobson classical guitars. They look pretty nice. Does anyone have any experience with them?

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(@s1120)
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Joined: 16 years ago
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Looks like some form of a lap steel. I dont see a pickup, so Im guessing its accustic in some way. Maybe a prizo pickup?? Looks like it was made with a neck off of a old acoustic guitar

Paul B


   
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(@chalkoutline)
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Joined: 19 years ago
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Topic starter  

Yea it looks like an old classical guitar neck.

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(@noteboat)
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Joined: 21 years ago
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Interesting puzzle. It says Westone on the bag - Westone was a MN based guitar company from 1981-1991, but I don't find anything like that in their catalogs. Roller tuners and a tie block means it's not a lap steel, more like a hybrid between a classical guitar and a dulcimer body... but no visible sound holes. 19th fret split as if to accommodate a rosette/soundhole. Does it fit the bag?

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(@s1120)
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Joined: 16 years ago
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Interesting puzzle. It says Westone on the bag - Westone was a MN based guitar company from 1981-1991, but I don't find anything like that in their catalogs. Roller tuners and a tie block means it's not a lap steel, more like a hybrid between a classical guitar and a dulcimer body... but no visible sound holes. 19th fret split as if to accommodate a rosette/soundhole. Does it fit the bag?

Im wondering if someone had a wrecked classical guitar, and scabbed the parts off of it and made up a body for it.

Paul B


   
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(@chalkoutline)
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Joined: 19 years ago
Posts: 157
Topic starter  

...Does it fit the bag?

Not sure. The time difference and distance is making it difficult to get lots of info. If I had the time and money I would go spend a week out there and inventory all the stuff myself.

We have a couple of friends going through 3 storage buildings worth of stuff for us.
So far in the instrument category: 10 guitars, 3 banjos, the dulciclassicalguitar pictured above, a violin, viola, flute. Tons of gig bags, cables, etc.

1 of the guitars is an early 70's Gibson Dove, 2 Paul Jacobson Classical guitars (one dated 1984, #27), 1 Ramirez Flamenco guitar, 1 Ricardo Sanchez classical and several others as yet unidentified.

...and there is still one more 5'x10' storage building to go through.

Some we plan on keeping and the rest we will sell on ebay.

Its a little overwhelming. :shock:

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(@chalkoutline)
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Topic starter  

Here is another conundrum. Hmmm...a guitar trying to be a cello?

https://docs.google.com/file/d/0B1oK_F5XktkyNTNpUW51RXp0c1E/edit?usp=sharing

Interview guy: What is the source of your feedback?
Neil Young: Volume.


   
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(@s1120)
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Joined: 16 years ago
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Here is another conundrum. Hmmm...a guitar trying to be a cello?

https://docs.google.com/file/d/0B1oK_F5XktkyNTNpUW51RXp0c1E/edit?usp=sharing
Looks like someone liked playing around, and making strange, and one off insterments.

Paul B


   
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(@kent_eh)
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Joined: 18 years ago
Posts: 1882
 

Looks like someone liked playing around, and making strange, and one off insterments.
Or needed to replace a broken trapeze tailpiece in a hurry, and used what he had available... then decided to keep it like that.

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(@davidhodge)
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Joined: 16 years ago
Posts: 4472
 

Maybe way off here, but it looks like someone built himself a classical travel guitar or something like it simply for practice. Since he obviously had many classical guitars, that might make sense. Did they tell you whether or not it has nylon strings? They look like it in the photo.

Peace


   
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(@noteboat)
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Joined: 21 years ago
Posts: 4921
 

The broken tailpiece theory doesn't work, because it's a classical guitar - with a tie block rather than bridge pins. The guitar never had a tailpiece to begin with.

When I look at the strings, they look a lot thicker than they would be on a typical classical guitar. They also appear longer than standard guitar strings. The center two go over the tie block... why could that be? My guess: they wouldn't fit the holes without forcing. Blowing up the picture, it also looks like the 4th and 5th strings are the same gauge - if so, the 5th string tie block hole was big enough, but the 4th string hole wasn't.

My guess: it's an experiment, strung with five cello strings and one classical guitar string. The first string may be a ball end nylon guitar E string, the 2nd string a cello A string, the 3rd a cello D string, the fourth and fifth cello G strings, and the lowest a cello C string.

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(@s1120)
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Joined: 16 years ago
Posts: 848
 

The broken tailpiece theory doesn't work, because it's a classical guitar - with a tie block rather than bridge pins. The guitar never had a tailpiece to begin with.

When I look at the strings, they look a lot thicker than they would be on a typical classical guitar. They also appear longer than standard guitar strings. The center two go over the tie block... why could that be? My guess: they wouldn't fit the holes without forcing. Blowing up the picture, it also looks like the 4th and 5th strings are the same gauge - if so, the 5th string tie block hole was big enough, but the 4th string hole wasn't.

My guess: it's an experiment, strung with five cello strings and one classical guitar string. The first string may be a ball end nylon guitar E string, the 2nd string a cello A string, the 3rd a cello D string, the fourth and fifth cello G strings, and the lowest a cello C string.
Ya, it sure looks to be either a design exersize in trying to achieve a sound, or to test a theory that the builder had. Frankly I wonder what the thing sounds like. If anyone can figure out a tuning for it. :)

Paul B


   
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