~1920 Oscar Schmidt Sovereign Natural

Oscar Schmidt Sovereign Standard Size Guitar c 1920 | $1850 | (v2435) This example dates to the desirable and sought after 'golden era' of the Stella/Sovereign production, roughly from 1910 through the 1920s, the pre-depression era when quality materials and appointments were the norm. It is very similar to the No. 410 Standard Size featured in the 1912-13 C. Bruno & Son catalog and the No. 654 featured in the 1921 Oscar Schmidt Inc. catalog.

The back and sides are made from solid mahogany. The ladder-braced top is listed as 'white' spruce, trimmed in the colorful, so-called 'Leadbelly' purfling and bound in white celluloid. The back features that same marquetry strip down the middle. The neck is mahogany, carved in a very 'soft' V, and featues an ebony heel cap. The fingerboard is cataloged as 'ebony' but is likely ebonized maple, and features the so-called 'Nick Lucas' position markers. The (replacement) mustache-style bridge is rosewood. The headstock features the tacked-on Sovereign metal tag. The bridge pins are ebony with pearl dots. Inside the sound hole is the early 'Sovereign' label.

The body measures 13 1/4" across at the lower bout. The scale length is 24 7/8". The fingerboard measures 1 3/4" across at the nut, and string spacing is 2 1/4" across at the saddle. Action is set at about 5/64". The guitar is very light in weight.

The guitar came to us with a replaced bridge and apparent neck re-glue or reset that was less than stellar. We removed the neck, reset it to a proper angle and cleaned up some of the old glue. Other repairs include: filling a strap pin screw hole in the heel; stabilizing some cracks in the fingerboard extension; replacing the bass tuner strip with a more appropriate one (treble strip is original); replacing the later replacement bridge pins with a set of period-appropriate pins with pearl dots; leveling and dressing the frets. The guitar is a very solid example with no apparant cracks. There is a bit of chip out in the bridge plate; the finish shows lots of wear, nicks and dings from age and use and some touch up around the bridge. There is playing wear on the back of the neck and some divots in the first position of the fingerboard.

The spruce-topped OS guitars are getting harder and harder to find. This one is a prime example of the higher end of the line and remains in very good, playable condition. The low action and favorable neck shape provide playing ease, and the combination of mahogany and spruce allows the little box to 'bark', but with an overal tonal 'warmth' lacking in their later all-birch descendants. Perfect guitar for country blues or old timey music.

Comes with a soft case.

Check out the sound clip!