Sold 1959 Stewart Wondertone Hollowbody by United/Code.

[M-30]

This United built Stewart Wondertone was made in New Jersey in 1959 or 1960.Its hard to find much information on United although Vintage Guitar magazine had an article awhile ago.They made guitar bodies for some of the more affordable D'Angelicos in the 1950s.
Anyways this is a small hollowbody with an arched top and flat back.It has 2 Franz single coil pickups and a 23"scale.Also has a 23 fret neck with an adjustable truss rod.Though fully hollow it hasn't any f-holes.Kind of Guild Aristocrat like.It plays well up and down the neck.It has two extra holes from a Bigsby below the tailpiece mount.Waverly tuners in chrome and an ABM rollerbridge.
I have never found one of these or any United guitars without the dreaded east coast binding rot.Guild,Gretsch and D'Angelico must have bought binding from the same source.This guitar has been spared.Binding is excellent with no shrinkage.Finish is still very good with a few bumps and bruises but nothing too bad.
Pickguard is a replica as the original is long gone.
This Stewart Wondertone plays and sounds great.Comes with a newer hard shell case.Very nice little guitar that is 64 years old and still going strong.Currently sporting Thomastik flatwounds JS111s.
$975+$40 shipping.

 

[GGJaguar]

Cool guitar! It reminds me of a Premier Bantam. Good luck with your sale!

 

[M-30]

United made the Premier Bantam as well.Guess they were a jobber making instruments under several brand names.

 

[Walter Broes]

United made the Premier Bantam as well.Guess they were a jobber making instruments under several brand names.

Something like that, yes. Premier, Orpheum, SS Stewart, Paramount are some of the headstock logos I've seen on otherwise very similar guitars.

Then there are the laminated electric D'Angelico (and even some D'Aquistos) with a Code/United body, and Forcillo guitars with D'Angelico inspired headstocks.

Forcillo, as I understood it was one of the founders/owners of the company who at one point was D'Angelico's Partner or apprentice (?)

And yes, almost all of these guitars have bad to very severe binding rot now - not the shrinkage you see on quite a few Guilds, but crumbling, crystalizing off-gassing rot like you see on Gretsches and fancier Gibson pickguards.

 

[SFIV1967]

Beautiful guitar!

Ralf

 

[Rocky]

@nmiller

 

[M-30]

She is also lightweight.

 

[M-30]

Pickups are wound to roughly 4.7k.

 

[M-30]

I really hope this ends up with someone who appreciates it.
I also remember reading in The Guild Book by Hans Moust that two United /Code employees Frank and Lenny worked finishing early Hoboken guitars before Guild had found their own .It was an interwoven history with these east coast guitar builders.Love information like this.Different world it was.

 

[mellowgerman]

Such a cool little hollowbody. Sure hope this one stays in the LTG family!

 

[M-30]

I hope so as well.Its akin to Guild M75 Aristocrats and M65 Freshman.All were small hollowbody electrics manufactured in New Jersey and having pickups made by Franz.I believe the body depth on this is a bit deeper.Closed body to prevent feedback like the Gretsch Chet Atkins Country Gentleman and Tennessean models.

 

[M-30]

Still available.Its an interesting,cool little vintage guitar from the golden age.
Hope someone takes a chance on this out of the ordinary instrument.It has a unique voice to be explored.

 

[Prince of Darkness]

Are they really Franz pickups? If so, they are completely different to the ones they supplied Guild. These look like humbuckers, though looks are sometimes deceptive.

 

[M-30]

They are single coil.Just like most manufacturers,Franz had several pickups offered.
These are wound a little lower output.
4.7 vs 6.50k found in several Guild models.These emphasis bass and treble frequency.A rockabilly machine for sure.

 

[M-30]

These pickups bark!!!

 

[M-30]

$975 for an American made guitar from the late 1950s that plays great and sounds wonderful.
Hardshell case included.

 

[M-30]

I guess this is a 3/4 size true hollowbody archtop electric with a 23 fret neck.Kind of unique instrument.Still available.