Bluebird?

[Deleted]

Hi Michael I own an old 30's reso with a spider bridge, under the Bluebird name, do you know who made/marketed these?
also I am interested in the National resoglas acoustics, what is your impression of these?
Thanks for the time.
Kevin

[Michael Messer]

Hi Kevin,

Good to hear from you. I think I know about the guitar you mention, but to be sure could you post a photo of it on this thread? Some Bluebird branded guitars were made by Harmony & some by Regal. Now that we have this facility to post photos and store information, let's use it! Then I can identify the instrument properly.

National Reso-glas resophonic guitars; they are wonderful guitars. I have seen a few recently & they are all great to play. They are not like metal or wood bodied guitars, they definitely have a 'plastic' tone that is similar in texture to 1950s plastic Maccaferri guitars. I am also reminded of the Beltona Southerner, when I played one recently it sounded quite similar to the reso-glas Nationals & Supros. If you like playing electric style on an acoustic guitar, it is the perfect instrument. Great for slide with a sweet tone, but not particularly loud. Oh....and most importantly....they do look so cool!
Highly recommended.



I look forward to seeing the Bluebird.
Shine On,
Michael.

[Kevin]

Hi Michael, thanks for the info, I will try to post a photo when I get time to take one.
Regards. Kevin.

[Richard]

Whilst touching on the subject of guitar makers such as Regal, Kay and Harmony who produced guitars as 'sub-contract' , I wonder if they would have had some form of trade information\brochure outlining their standard lines?

Or, would those standard lines be what was marketed under their own brand name - or, again, would they build to a given specification?

Does any such information or literature exist?

[MM]

Hi Richard,

These companies all produced catalogues which these days are as collectable as the instruments they display. Also the stores produced their own catalogues and bought up lines of instruments with their own brand name attached. I do not collect these catalogues, but I have seen many of them and actually have a fair amount scanned for reference purposes.

As soon as I saw Kevin's message about a Bluebird guitar I thought of the Bluebird acoustics (similar to Stella 6 strings with flowers painted on the front) manufactured by Harmony. I also have seen reference to a Regal guitar branded with the Bluebird logo, but I have a sneaking suspicion that the two are the same.

Shine On,
Michael.

[Kevin]

I have the same suspicion Michael, as mine has the typical Regal Trapeze holding the strings, but comes in the rather fetching faux stripe effect found on many Harmony models, but this was common place back then, with the same model of guitar being marketed under many brand names.

[Michael Messer]

Hi Kevin,

We have deleted your last two posts because the link does not work. Keep trying, it is simple to add a link to these posts. Just click on the INSERT IMAGE button above the message, then delete the three letters URL and paste in the URL to your photograph.

Good luck
Michael.

[Michael Messer]

Okay - let's start a thread so we can ask questions and work out how to use certain facilities that are offered, such as uploading photos, coloured text, uploading music....etc. I will call the thread FAQ ABOUT USING THIS FORUM, hopefully we can all add to it and help each other.

Shine On,
Michael.

[Michael Messer]

Here are photos of the Bluebird guitar that Kevin has written to me about.





Shine On,

[Michael Messer]

Hi Kevin,

From the photos you sent me I have done some research - looking through mountains of stuff in my office and here's what I think we have:

Bluebird guitars appeared in various forms, I don't have any definite answers because trhis brand name is a bit of a mystery.

Here is another guitar with the Bluebird logo on the headstock, and interestingly the logo is the same as yours.



I would say that Bluebird guitars were manufactured by Harmony, notice the logo is the same as your resophonic guitar. I have also seen the coverplate design on other guitars produced in Chicago at that time. It is very similar to a Regal, but I feel that it is not a Regal, it is a Harmony.

There were many lesser known brands of resophonic guitars in the 30s & 40s - Norwood, Cromwell, Cathedral, S.S.Maxwell, to name a few. In fact your guitar is very similar to an S.S.Maxwell Credenza Model. The Cathedral had a coveplate but no resonator....just a posers guitar!

The same thing is happening now with budget priced resophonic guitars produced in Korea. There are numerous brand names all selling the same guitars.
A few years from now collectors won't know an AXL from a Vintage, or an Ozark, Resound, Johnson, AMG, Regal, etc... They all come out of the same factory and are branded with different logos. Some choose to have a better quality neck or coverplate....but they are basically the same.

Value-wise, I wouldn't like to say, but if you like the guitar it is worth more to you as an instrument than as an investment.

I hope I have been of some help to you?

Keep in touch,
Shine On,
Michael.

[Deleted]

I tend to agree with your findings Michael, and also came accross the same picture in my research, one of Earl Olivers guitar collection. And as you say it is not here as an investment, it is a cool guitar though.
I have a mind to get a Reso glas sometime soon though, so I will let you know if and when it happens.

Regards. Kevin.

[Colin Brooks]

Wotcha everone

I think that Bluebirds are Regal products. I have seen the identical guitar badged as a Regal. I own one which again is identical (but lacking a cone) badged as an Antoria. Recently a Bluebird mandolin came up on ebay. No resonator again but it was fitted with a moon and stars cover plate identical to that fitted to Dobro mandolins made by Regal. I have seen at least one other name not mentioned by Michael on one of these guitars but can't find my notes just now.

Incidentally, for years I have described fake resos (cover plate but no cone) as Nobros. I aquired the wreck of a Harmony last Sunday. 24" scale!

Cheers, Colin

[Colin Brooks]

Me again

I forgot to ask is the cone a small version? I don't think anything bigger than 9" would fit.

Colin

[Michael Messer]

Interesting Colin. When I spoke with Mark Makin he mentioned the Antoria as well. Do you have any photos of the Regal guitar that you think is identical? I was pretty sure that it is a Harmony, but now I am not sure! There are a few of these 'hard to identify' guitars floating around - however....we appear to be getting there.

Thanks Colin,
Keep in touch,

BTW>> I hear that your Tricone has been to Dave King for some restoration work, I do hope you are happy with the work he has done.

Shine On,
Michael.

[Colin Brooks]

Hi Michael

Sorry, no photos. This guitar was a true clone. Same paint job, F holes, cover plate, tail piece and headstock.

As for my Style III. I was thinking about starting a new thread. The guitar is truly revitalised and I would encourage anyone with a tired old National to see Dave. Much as I hated to ditch the old cones there is no question that if you use an instrument it should be in top playing condtion. I enjoy it so much more now. It has that sweet sizzle (for want of a better term) that I hear on old Hawaiian 78's. I played at the uke society meeting last Sunday and the guitar got lots of compliments (but then again my uke smothered Hawaiian shirt got its own round of applause).

Cheers Colin