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Post by borborygmus on Nov 7, 2022 17:28:17 GMT
Nice looking and sounding guitar, but as a builder I can't believe that it came out of the factory with that awful pickguard! I can't imagine that they would have fitted such a badly shaped and out of balance guard. If you are fitting a contoured guard that is shaped round the waist then it should be shaped to the waist, that one seems to be made for a totally different guitar, possibly an archtop. Rant over, nice sounding guitar though and I suppose that is what matters. I contacted Andrew, the owner, and he writes: "Ah yes that is the 'actual' 36. Larsons are so often misdated because Bob’s book, which is outstanding, needs to do some revision to the serial estimates. This one has tuners which were only made for a very short span in 1936 as evidenced by a run of Martin dreadnoughts that had them that year. Also the transitional floating guard is another feature of the 36 Larsons. Most of their guitars prior to 1935 were 12 frets to the body; in 1935 they started building 14 fret guitars but they most often had a slotted headstock. Usually those did not have a pick guard. Most 1936s you’ll find with a solid headstock and the floating pick guards, more like you’d see on an archtop. They were beautifully made, however, felt backing strips on the back and the edges were contoured and turned so they provided a lip to screw into the edge of the fretboard and two points on the bridge. By 1937 we think most Larsons were using the more traditional method of affixing the guard by welding it to the bare wood with acetone and finishing over the entire instrument. The pick guard is indeed original. It is unfortunate the guitar is as close to mint as you’ll find in almost any Larson, so I don’t take it out of the case as much as I should. Picture comparing 1936 and 1934 15” prairie states, 14 fret vs 12 fret. You can see the felt strips through the guard and can better see the points where it screws into bridge and fretboard." Thanks to Andrew for clearing that up. Yes, he has "a few" of these marvellous instruments from the '30s!
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mandovark
C.O.G.
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Post by mandovark on Nov 7, 2022 20:28:45 GMT
I don't know if it's a dream guitar exactly, but I do have a "one that got away". When I worked in Manchester around 2008 there was an Australian guy named Daniel Hoban working in Hobgoblin. He was just starting out as a luthier and I got to play one of his guitars. It was only about the third or fourth guitar he'd made, a mini-jumbo (he said it was very loosely based on a Martin M) in sitka and Queensland maple. It was really impressive - he was definitely onto something with the design. I know he's building in Australia now and I've seen the occasional picture of his guitars online, but I've never seen another in the UK. I'd love to play one of his more recent builds.
The guitar I tried was for sale, but money was tight at the time so I had to pass on it. I do that regret that.
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juliant
C.O.G.
Posts: 329
My main instrument is: Lowden L23
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Post by juliant on Nov 9, 2022 20:52:14 GMT
I had a Prairie State Jumbo at one point, many years ago. Not an original, but made by John Greven in the us. Not a million miles away from this one, but mine definitely wasn't Brazilian rosewood. An interesting guitar with a large but shallow body. Can't say it did much for me soundwise and it was too big, so I sold it on to a collector from Japan for rather more than I paid for it. Nothing really in the dream category right now, except for thumb and shoulder joints, which are making playing a bugger right now.
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Post by dreadnought28 on Nov 9, 2022 23:31:13 GMT
I tried a Franklin once. It was small, really nice, and the sound exploded out of it. I'm into Mandolins now. I'm happy with my Davidson (I have a Pava as well) but I wouldn't mind trying a Vanden or a Gibson Lloyd Loar circa 1924 to see what all the fuss is about - or to see whether they really are worth around half a million. Hmmn, anyone out there got one? il You have a Pava? So have I! It’s an A5 Pro bought at where it was built ( Tom Ellis’s place) in Austin in 2019.
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Post by dreadnought28 on Nov 9, 2022 23:36:46 GMT
Not that I need any more guitars, dream or otherwise, but if money was no object I would bid to win Don McLean’s 1929 000-28 and Vega long neck banjo, both of which are up for auction in a couple of days. I went to see them on display in Newbridge near Dublin last week. Don played them exclusively on his 1970s tours and I saw him numerous times then. He was a major influence on me not least because he played a relatively small bodied guitar with a great unamplified sound.
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Post by vikingblues on Nov 10, 2022 20:00:27 GMT
Sadly a dream guitar won't be matched by dream playing in the VikingBlues household. Way, way back i seem to recall a Flying V (for some bizarre reason) was an object of adoration. Later a Gretsch White Falcon. But not been any dreams in more recent times. Had I played Martin's Taran for much longer a few years back that might have done it. Also sadly, very recently my guitars are tending to be nightmare guitars. One of those sorts of nightmares where you can't remember how to do things and everything you do goes wrong! Banana fingers time. Mark
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Post by Cams on Nov 15, 2022 13:37:38 GMT
I still hanker after a Gretsch White Falcon. Certainly influenced by Neil Young, one of my favourite guitar players. I'm not sure why, because I don't know what I'd play on it. This multi-decade itch persists. I can relate to this! I scratched that itch and got one a couple of years ago and I still don't really know what to do with it. At the moment, it's mainly a background feature in my YouTube videos lol.
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Post by Cams on Nov 15, 2022 13:40:29 GMT
I kind of own my dream guitars, but if there were to be an actual dream guitar that I don't have, it would be a pre-war Martin D-18 or D-28. I'd take either one!
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Post by delb0y on Nov 15, 2022 18:53:44 GMT
I wish I did have a dream guitar, but alas I don't. I've never played anything posh other than a Kinkade, a mate's J45, and another mate's Steve Toon. In all those cases my ears and fingers weren't up to the task of differentiation. I do fancy something nice, though, and for some reason I'm drawn to a Gibson J185, but I have nothing to base that idea on. I'd also like a nice parlour and I'm drawn to the Blueridge range. But again, nothing to base that on other than YouTube videos. I'd also like a nice Gypsy jazz guitar.
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Post by curmudgeon on Nov 15, 2022 20:46:12 GMT
I've pretty much got my dream guitars already - took me a few decades to realise what was perfect for me, and nearly 25 years to assemble he "cast". Dreads ? Collings DS2h and Ds1 -job done. 000 ? - Collings 0002h - yup, job done. Old Gibson style? - yup - Santa Cruz RS and Waterloo WL12. concert (0) and Grand concert (00) well these would be my dreams fulfilled buy Martin or Collings but I have both by Eastman and they are .....really, ... rather .... good.
Outstanding dream never to be fulfilled ? - Martin 0045 (12 fret naturally) preferably with a pyramid bridge.
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minorkey
C.O.G.
Too many instruments, too little time
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My main instrument is: hurting my fingers!
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Post by minorkey on Dec 2, 2022 16:25:38 GMT
For me its a Ramirez 1a, Cedar. Oh if only...
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Post by papadon on Jan 16, 2023 23:32:57 GMT
When I was a teenager crippling my fingers with a Sears Silvertone what made me salivate everytime I saw one was the 335. Now that I'm 75 and have a Yamaha SA 2200 the ironic thing is that all I mostly play is my Partscaster Tele. Ironically now that I have a Yamaha SA220 all I mostly play is my Partscaster Tele.
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Post by PistolPete on Jan 18, 2023 14:26:06 GMT
papadon I can't see your pictures I'm afraid - although I know the SA220 is a lovely guitar. Not sure if it's a privacy setting or something?
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Post by jonnymosco on Jan 18, 2023 20:22:43 GMT
It would be a Hauser from 1937, like this one Sadly not played a Hauser from this era (but feel I know them through Segovia's recordings), but spent time with Hausers from other periods - delicate, yet powerful and so responsive. Jonny
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Post by dreadnought28 on Jan 19, 2023 2:23:48 GMT
Not that I need any more guitars, dream or otherwise, but if money was no object I would bid to win Don McLean’s 1929 000-28 and Vega long neck banjo, both of which are up for auction in a couple of days. I went to see them on display in Newbridge near Dublin last week. Don played them exclusively on his 1970s tours and I saw him numerous times then. He was a major influence on me not least because he played a relatively small bodied guitar with a great unamplified sound. Update on this post….. I bought the banjo!
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