Slingerland guitar from 30s-40s???

[taabru45]

Anyone seen or played one of these....she looks so pretty....... Steffan

 

[AlohaJoe]

Interesting! If you look at the catalog pages, check out the prices!!
http://www.slingerlandguitar.com/

 

[dane]

Actually I was a bit shocked to see that the prices compared to wages haven’t changed too much. For example the wage for a production worker in the 1930 was about $16 to $17 a week. A decent guitar would set you back $30 to $40…two weeks wages. Today the same worker makes around $500 a week, and with two weeks wages you can still buy a decent guitar. I’m sure that comparison would work for most goods, not just guitars. So in short, a worker today isn’t living much better then his great-grandfather did in the 30’s. IMHO. YMMV.

WEEKLY WAGES (general averages)
Manufacturing--Production Worker THEN $16.89 NOW $500
Cook THEN $15.00 NOW $236
Doctor THEN $61.11 NOW $1800
Accountant THEN $45.00 NOW $700

 

[dane]

Steffan,
I almost forgot to mention that, “Yep it is pretty”.

 

[jp]

Cool site! I used to have a 1929 Slingerland May-Bell Queen tenor banjo that I used for Dixieland and old timey swing jazz gigs. It was a sweet little instrument, but I had to sell it in a fit of poor musician's blues

 

[gilded]

Oh, yeah!! A Songster!!

I had one about 10 years ago that I sold to a 'serious' collector friend. It was blonde (I don't remember if the finish was original, but I think it was) and had a cool Grover tailpiece, same as the lower model D'Angelico's in the 30's. I remember the big headstock shape and the headstock face-inlays real well. I think it had a big neck and was a fairly good sounding guitar. Not especially loud and ringing, though. In that respect, after reading the specs in the old catalogues on the Slingerland web site, it makes sense that those guitars had laminated back and sides.

Do you have one?

 

[taabru45]

You know, Guilded, I saw this thing in the local Craigslist, It was $400. no case. the neck is a little loose meaning a reset for about half price. I'd have to borrow to buy it, and my friends have already been good to me in times of need, so reluctantly I'm letting it pass. However, not to be compared, I did pick up an old Eko ranger V1 (6) for $60 with a hard shell, which fits my caseless D25....and I can still pay the overdue hydro bill. The Eko is from the early 70s and I read that they are becoming more collectible in England. It actually sounds really good and is in almost like new shape. So I'll have some fun with it. Plan to replace the adjustable bridge, So as sweet and collectible as the Slingerland is, and it looks really good, its a no go. Besides, I have a D40 on hold, which will be more appreciated, really. Its just that hangin' with these bunch of Guild junkies, spills over to eye opening guitars of any ilk. Glad it brought back some memories for you, and I hope not to find out its worth 10 grand. :lol: :lol: Steffan

 

[teleharmonium]

Coincidentally it looks like I will be getting a sunburst Songster myself as my next guitar (and only my second acoustic). A friend has it and I've played it several times, it plays much better than most unrestored, no truss rod archtops of that era and is very clean. It's not super loud but it has a decent amount of volume, but really it's the way it plays that is the big selling point to me, and it's cool that the top is solid. The action is fairly low and there's no buzz anywhere and just the right amount of relief in the neck.

Right now it has roundwound strings, so I don't feel like I'm hearing the proper sound out of it. I figure I'll grab it when my tax refund gets here and slap on a set of T-I jazz/swing flats and start working on chord subs and voicings for rhythm changes again.

 

[gilded]

teleharmonium said:

1) It plays much better than most unrestored, no truss rod archtops of that era

2) It's not super loud but it has a decent amount of volume

I agree with your assessment entirely, wish I'd described it that way!

tabruu

I realize it's a non-starter for you now, but I don't think I'd pay 400 for one with a loose neck. You never know what's gonna happen when you reset it, or what kind of condition the dovetail is in; maybe loose, maybe cracked......

 

[taabru45]

So, Guilded, I done good? Not getting it. Nice to find out about these things though, never new slingerland made other than drums...Steffan

 

[gilded]

I think you did good at 400.

I bet the logic was, 'drums aren't that far from banjos; heads, hoops, laminated wood. Hey, guitars aren't that far from banjos!!'