Mystery Instrument - Help??

[Danimal]

Hi,

Can anyone here help me identify my tenor guitar? It has 19 frets, but a longish 26" scale. No markings of any sort at all, inside or out. I plan to steam the neck off and reset, so perhaps there will be some mark on the block, I don't know.

Here are some iPhone shots of my tenor mystery guitar - anybody have any ideas what this is or what age it may be?

Thanks!!!!

http://www.thegimlets.com/images/tenorguitar/004.JPG
http://www.thegimlets.com/images/tenorguitar/006.JPG
http://www.thegimlets.com/images/tenorguitar/007.JPG
http://www.thegimlets.com/images/tenorguitar/008.JPG

[VintAxe]

Hi Danimal.

I have no idea who made your tenor guitar but the unique headstock should allow for a positive ID if you ever find a picture of it. It is more banjo inspired than guitar inspired.

My working hypothesis would be it's from the 1930's since that was the heyday of tenor guitars. It was probably marketed as a no name instrument by a 1930's catalog company like Fischer, Continental, Jenkins, etc.

I have several of these catalogs in the Catalog Library if you think it is worth $10 and your time to go on a scavenger hunt. You might also try posting on one of the tenor guitar forums.

Looks like the headstock may have been modeled after the Vega tenor models but with much more exaggerated curves.

good luck.