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Thread: 1920s Regal Tenor advice needed

  1. #1

    Default 1920s Regal Tenor advice needed

    Hi mighty All,

    I'm going to ask your advice about choosing right instrument (I know, this is quite subjective, but still)

    I've started to play mandolin 2 years ago, and shortly after that I was lucky enough to join local (Moscow) bluegrass band. It was great time and I like how mandolin fits the bluegrass music. After a while I moved to another place, and at the moment I'm mostly play irish traditional music (which I used to play even before mandolin on harmonica/concertina, but now I'm also using mandolin for that). While mandolin can sound quite nice in session settings (our session is not the noisiest one I've been at), I feel that banjo or octave mandolin could suite irish music better (and we have 2 more mandolin players already). So I started to search information about octave mandolins, and to get the feeling I've retuned 4 middle strings on my small Yamaha guitar to GDAe tuning. I thought that after trying the tuning a bit I'll decide if I like the tuning (and I do like it) and if it will be too hard to have additional stretch compared to mandolin (not really). But as a side I also got 'I want a tenor guitar' disease.
    My thought's were - our session is quiet enough, so I could play tunes on guitar instead of banjo and still be heard, I could use tenor guitar as octave mandolin for backing, I could probably even fingerpick slow tunes, and it could be also nice timbre addition to the session. I always liked the sound of guitar in irish music (Masters of Irish Guitar is one of my favourite ITM albums).

    I also like old instruments, especially ones from early 1900. It's like having 2 things in one - you can play it and it's also a piece of history. I've started to search around, first thought of course was to check old Martins, but they're quite expensive and also usually have 23'' scale length, which seems a bit too long for me (scale length on my Yamaha is ~21''). So after not so short search, I've found the instruments that I like in every way - short scale, old ones, not extremely high priced, nice sound (based on clips I've found), 12-fret body - 1920s Regal Tenor guitar.

    All these things considered, I'm thinking about starting a hunt for one of these old Regal Tenor from 20s. There's some info about them here on cafe, I've read a couple of reviews on antebelluminstruments (1, 2), the sound clips are close to what I'd like to get. If I'm going this way, I'd really like to get one of the Professional ones (like couple of Regals here), although I'm not sure if it possible to easily find one.

    So what do you think?
    Do you have any advice about that? Am I missing some points? If I'm not, probably places where I can search for these guitars, may be even some stores I could call/check in Europe/UK or some friends of yours have a Regal in their closets?

    Just for fun, I'll put here small practice video of a nice reel I've got from Angelina Carberry recording


  2. #2
    Registered User michaeloceanmoon's Avatar
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    Default Re: 1920s Regal Tenor advice needed

    I love my Regal Roman. To me, they are an archetype which deserves a quality reissue, but in and of themselves they are special, I think. The 12 fret bodies, floating bridges and tailpieces offer a featherweight instrument that outsizes themselves when it comes to sound, soul, and feel. If you can find the rare solid body rosewood or mahogany,... Go for it! Many luthiers can resurrect problem chile's. More likely you'll find a birch body. If it has a spruce soundboard in good shape,... Go for it! I bought mine on ebay 2 years ago for under $200. After she was professionally healed I have never regretted for a moment the overall $500 investment. Her neck is rock steady and the design was right on target. Even with the plastic bridge, water damaged lower bout, separating binding, split back and God knows how old strings she arrived with ... She was magic from the moment I unwrapped her. I am now looking to expand my range of tunings and acquire larger voiced instruments,.. But for finding a song,... she is umbilicalled to the Muse. I had her tuned Guitar style for a long time and now she is temporarily tuned CGDA. And she's even more resonant in fifths! Lately I've been encouraged that Low G is totally sweet for these little dreamboats too.

    I would say get one, restore it, if she has a spruce top it's worth your love. Invest in a bone saddle and bone nut when you work on her. She will never be the loudest git in the room, but she will carve out a special place in your heart and soul and funnel music towards your vision and feed your more professional instruments with inspiration.

    Yes, I'm romantically biased!
    Michael

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  4. #3

    Default Re: 1920s Regal Tenor advice needed

    I love my Regal. 21" scale is great for CGDA, less so for GDAE, but I didn't do a lot of research as far as string gauges for that tuning. Mine is spruce and mahogany and often is the loudest instrument in the room, or at least the most cutting. Unless there are lots of instruments playing or if banjo's are involved. Mine has a relatively high action, but I use Newtone strings which are lower tension and it plays fine and intonates well. The higher action probably makes it louder. Antebellum is the place to find these. Jake fixes them to have great playability, without expensive cosmetic repairs. He usually charges 4-500 dollars USD.

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  6. #4

    Default Re: 1920s Regal Tenor advice needed

    Thanks for replies guys, I'll continue my search. I really hope to find something like this, but this will probably take time.
    BTW I've sent email to antebellum but got no reply so far

  7. #5
    Registered User michaeloceanmoon's Avatar
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    Default Re: 1920s Regal Tenor advice needed

    Yeah, I think Jake is a very busy man. Sometimes I get a reply, many times not. But I cut him tons of slack because when he has responded he's really thoroughly answered all questions. Ambrose, I'm definitely envious,... I'd love to compare our Regals. I think high action does really punch the volume. Mine has super low action and a gorgeous Crown tailpiece which I have never seen since, so she's special to me,.. yet I would think the mahogany back and sides could only benefit the instrument. That being said,... the spruce top is the key and I think it makes the more available birch back models a very worthwhile investment. Once you find a mahogany or rosewood model, you can resell the birch back that you got to play all the years of your waiting!
    I would pass on the birch topped ones though.
    Michael

  8. #6
    Registered User Seonachan's Avatar
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    Default Re: 1920s Regal Tenor advice needed

    Quote Originally Posted by ambrosepottie View Post
    Jake fixes them to have great playability, without expensive cosmetic repairs.
    Case in point: this one is mine - looks like it survived a lifetime of bar fights and neglect but it sounds fantastic.

    Michael is right, Jake is very busy and gets more email than he can respond to and still have time to repair and list instruments for sale. If you wrote to let him know what you're looking for I'm sure he's aware of it, though I'd bet you're not the only one on that list. He also posts here btw.

  9. #7
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    Default Re: 1920s Regal Tenor advice needed

    Can vouch for all the characterizations of Jake at Antebellum... he's a gem, a VERY busy gem.The email gets away from him sometimes but he's my go-to guy for aforementioned functional repairs on these tenors.

    Seonachan... your Regal "this one is mine" might be my very favorite of this ilk. What great age marks!

  10. #8

    Default Re: 1920s Regal Tenor advice needed

    Quote Originally Posted by michaeloceanmoon View Post
    That being said,... the spruce top is the key and I think it makes the more available birch back models a very worthwhile investment. Once you find a mahogany or rosewood model, you can resell the birch back that you got to play all the years of your waiting!
    Michael
    This is nice plan, the only downside of it is that I'm in Europe, so still have to pay quite expensive delivery (and probably import duty), so it doesn't relly make sense to buy really cheap ones. But if there will be no choice, I'll go with it

    But it looks like a lot of upper-class Regals owned by cafe members, so this is probably right place to search,.

  11. #9

    Default Re: 1920s Regal Tenor advice needed

    Quote Originally Posted by michaeloceanmoon View Post
    Yeah, I think Jake is a very busy man. Sometimes I get a reply, many times not. But I cut him tons of slack because when he has responded he's really thoroughly answered all questions. Ambrose, I'm definitely envious,... I'd love to compare our Regals. I think high action does really punch the volume. Mine has super low action and a gorgeous Crown tailpiece which I have never seen since, so she's special to me,.. yet I would think the mahogany back and sides could only benefit the instrument. That being said,... the spruce top is the key and I think it makes the more available birch back models a very worthwhile investment. Once you find a mahogany or rosewood model, you can resell the birch back that you got to play all the years of your waiting!
    I would pass on the birch topped ones though.
    Michael
    I had an all birch one for awhile and it sounded nice, but not as rich. I agree that the spruce top is what's important.

  12. #10
    Registered User michaeloceanmoon's Avatar
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    Default Re: 1920s Regal Tenor advice needed

    Hello Seanochan, I remember your beauty from Antebellum, with much admiration. After listening to the sound sample again and of course accounting for not being personally in the room with your Regal, I must say that she sounds very very much like mine. I was tuned DGBE for the past 2 years (like on the sample) and despite my less sexy back and sides., I could swear I was hearing my very own guitar's double. i really appreciate the finer woods and work of the solid body, yet the fine design and Spruce really does account for quite a lot of the signature sound of the Regal. Thsnks for sharing that again. Michael

  13. #11
    Registered User michaeloceanmoon's Avatar
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    Default Re: 1920s Regal Tenor advice needed

    Here's a close up of my sweet original 'Regal Crown' tailpiece and bridge custom made by Char Lutherie. I'm not yet equipped for a good sound sample. Michael
    Click image for larger version. 

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    And yes i have deftly taped on a temporary pickguard made of black scratch paper to spare my soundboard! No tape on the top though, that's why it's floppy

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