Oscar Schmidt Sovereign Archtop

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Author Message   Chucke99 Username: Chucke99 Registered: 2-2007 Posted on Saturday, August 25, 2007 - 8:06 pm:    I came across a rare bird the other day, which I immediately snapped up. It is an archtop, made by the Oscar Schmidt company before it went bankrupt, using the Sovereign model name. They also made Stella guitars before selling off the brand names to Harmony at the end of the 1930's. I confirmed this fact with a fellow who runs StellaGuitars.com. He says that O.S. started making the archtops very late in their history (circa 1937) in an effort to boost sales, but that very few were made and fewer sold. I've put it on eBay, in its "pre-repair" state, just to see what kinds of bids I'll get on it. I'm using the "low starting bid/high reserve" model just to see where the bids might go. I'm not expecting anyone to hit my reserve, which is optimistically high: Ebay Item #120155076623 You can see photos of the guitar at the auction, but here are a couple to whet your appetite. I'm posting here mostly because I'd love to hear others' opinions on this old girl: -Chuck   Ubetcha Username: Ubetcha Registered: 7-2006 Posted on Saturday, August 25, 2007 - 10:12 pm:    Very nice find. I have great respect for vintage Oscar Schmidt guitars, and have had several. Never seen one of these before, but I have heard of them. Resembles my similar vintage Slingerland Songster, but the top wood is much nicer figured. I shall be interested in watching this one. Generally speaking, the O.S. brand is undervalued in the "collector" market. O.S. Stellas can be pricey in comparison. This one however will appeal to the archtop contingent, and I see it as a wild card. Is there a label inside, or any markings?   Chucke99 Username: Chucke99 Registered: 2-2007 Posted on Saturday, August 25, 2007 - 11:42 pm:    No markings other than the headstock. There are a couple hairy dust bunnies inside, but no label.   Ubetcha Username: Ubetcha Registered: 7-2006 Posted on Sunday, August 26, 2007 - 12:48 am:    Is the label a decal or inlayed? I'd love to look inside that axe. O.S. was notorious for using different design & materials anachronistically from the "mainstream" of American guitars. Their ladder braced flattops are IMO unparalleled for volume & projection. Little birch backed & sided parlor guitars that will twank out, right through a cacophany of Martins & Gibsons. An archtop Oscar Schmidt, very cool. Good luck with it.   Chucke99 Username: Chucke99 Registered: 2-2007 Posted on Sunday, August 26, 2007 - 11:42 am:    The "Sovereign" name is engraved into the headstock, which is exactly as O.S. did for other "Sovereign" labeled instruments. Here are two Sovereign mandolins from the 1920's: -Chuck   Gemberbier Username: Gemberbier Registered: 5-2006 Posted on Monday, August 27, 2007 - 4:00 am:    Look what happened to the Oscar Schmidt brand name: http://www.oscarschmidt.com/ They made a B-brand of it... Sad, isn't it? Ginger   Chucke99 Username: Chucke99 Registered: 2-2007 Posted on Wednesday, August 29, 2007 - 11:28 am:    340 views on the auction. 40 watchers. One bid. 3 days and a few hours to go. It will be interesting to see if there are any true bidders in the watcher group and what they'll do as time runs out. Tick tick tick... -Chuck   Bobzilla Username: Bobzilla Registered: 2-2005 Posted on Saturday, September 01, 2007 - 12:48 pm:    There's an Oscar Schmidt acoustic guitar in a pawn shop 10 mins. from my home. They want $39 US for it. Tag says bridge is lifting and action needs adjusting. Now I was looking at this guitar today and it don't seem old to me. Must be one of the "NEW ' ONES. tHE "B" LINE.   Chucke99 Username: Chucke99 Registered: 2-2007 Posted on Saturday, September 01, 2007 - 1:12 pm:    Yeah, sounds like a newer model. So far, 10% of the people who view my auction are watching it, but the high bid is just over $77. I think there's just NO information on these guitars out there and people don't know whether it's for real. Too bad. With 7 hrs to go it doesn't look it will even pull half my reserve. (This auction is more of a fishing expedition anyway to determine value.) Again, this is an excellent guitar and I think I'll just have the neck fixed, put a new nut on it (saving the old one) and then just play it myself. It's got amazing tone. -Chuck   Ubetcha Username: Ubetcha Registered: 7-2006 Posted on Saturday, September 01, 2007 - 5:39 pm:    Like I said OS instruments are undervalued. The figure in that top is unbelievable. I'd bid, but I cannot afford it at the moment. That is a choice looking guitar, hang on to it. It's as good as an L5 or an old Epiphone, I'll betcha!   Chucke99 Username: Chucke99 Registered: 2-2007 Posted on Saturday, September 01, 2007 - 8:32 pm:    Yeah, it's tempting to try to get a few hundred for it, but I'm going to hold on. There's an archtop collectors group in Seattle and I think I'm going to show it to them to get an appraisal. -Chuck   Ubetcha Username: Ubetcha Registered: 7-2006 Posted on Saturday, September 01, 2007 - 11:07 pm:    Only $255? I can't believe that, but you had a very honest ad & left no doubt that you knew the value of the instrument. That's a $2000 guitar in playing condition IMO. At least 800-1000 as it is. What a beautiful old axe. Don't nobody make 'em like that anymore, almost one of a kind.   Chucke99 Username: Chucke99 Registered: 2-2007 Posted on Sunday, September 02, 2007 - 12:44 am:    I put some new bronze strings on it tonight and brought it up to tune (cringing and waiting for the neck joint to completely snap) and it held just fine. There was about a 1/16" gap right at the bottom of the neck joint, but that's it. The guitar is loud and solid and has a great tone. There's a definite thumb-wear area at the top of the neck, and the fingerboard is worn deep at the first fret for the high E and B, and at the second fret for the A and D. Looks to me like whoever played this back in the day was ringing a lot of C and G7 chords. It's off to the luthier for this old girl. I'm going to put up a web page on my personal site describing her and the links to Oscar Schmidt (with supporting photo evidence). At least, the next time someone searches the web for "Sovereign Archtop" something will come up. Thanks for all the support, UBetcha.   Ubetcha Username: Ubetcha Registered: 7-2006 Posted on Sunday, September 02, 2007 - 1:21 am:    She is a beauty! You wanna bet that a lot of Carter Family music has been played on that guitar? You should keep it, & you will never regret it down the road. If you do ever get rid of it, I should have it. Ha Ha Ha! I have never seen an original Oscar Schmidt stringed instrument that was not first class in every way, materials & construction. I'd love to examine a carved top F-hole. Awesome find, you lucky SOB.

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