Featured Any Guitar Fans? Thrift Find - OLD (1920s?) Santacilla Hollow Body(?) Acoustic Guitar w/F Holes?

I'd think the date is likely 1920-1940s; and I'd agree with some posters, that in my opinion it would not be worth restoring before selling. Not a high end guitar, and one issue with that kind of tailpiece, sometimes called a "trapeze tailpiece," is that unless designed carefully, it does not put enough pressure on the bridge to obtain a good sound.
Thus, though a similar vintage Gibson in that style might sound great, and be quite valuable, a low-end guitar in that style likely would not sound particularly good even after restoration.

 

This is from a ca 1931 catalog, wish that they showed other pages if they exist as these seem different. Anyway, somewhere there may be a catalog.

https://www.worthpoint.com/worthopedia/progressive-musical-instrument-corp-4568090040

 

Also found these-but they are Round Hole (Spanish-style)parlor guitars NOT F-Hole (archtop jazz-style)...
*Cool Old Guitars
Austin, TX, United States
Vintage 1920s Santacilla Acoustic Parlor Guitar - Price$1,300
*Ebay-
Santacilla Guitar- Mother Pearl Inlay 1930’s ? -US $1,775.00

 

WOW say_it_slowly!! How did you find it?!

 

Don't remember exactly, think I just put in the maker.

I should know more than I do since there are at least a half dozen guitars in the house.

 

Try to play good sounding oldschool blues (f.i. Delta, Memphis) on a modern (parlor) guitar. As a former 1910 parlor owner i can asure you it won't sound as good as on an old original parlor.

 

Yes, in general; but I personally wouldn't refer to an f-hole guitar with a trapeze tailpiece as a parlor guitar, regardless of size; reserving that term for round-hole guitars with strings attached directly to the bridge. And for those, no question that older instruments often sound very good - I've got one of those myself.
But the issue remains with a trapeze tailpiece that only a very good maker can get the geometry right to put enough pressure on the bridge for a good sound. If it were an old Gibson f-hole, I'd say certainly worth restoring; but with this one, it is questionable, and you'd have to be willing to do the restoration first and then see how it sounded. Might be great, but it would be a gamble; and maybe a good luthier could tell whether it was worth taking the gamble; but I suspect Journey is more interested in a quick sale.
But thanks to all for an interesting discussion and online research!

 

That was clear. Sell as decoration for quick turnover rate.
Only top level brands are worth a big restauration.

Mine had a round hole. Not f holes. Not top brand but good with only some minor repairs needed.
Still that tail is a significant part in it's special sound.

No tailpiece for you? What about a bigsby tremelo then? Same principle. I love bigsby's. A wish of mine for an LP of me.

 

Sure, sounds like a classic parlor guitar. I have a parlor guitar made by Henry Mason, around 1910-1920. It was basically in pieces when I bought it, just to have the rosewood to use in other projects. But eventually I realized it had some very nice detailing, and I asked my favorite luthier if it would be worth restoring; and he said yes. After a considerable amount of work, it has an amazingly big sound.






Bigsby, a great designer, and his "Bigsby vibrato tailpieces" were generally applied to electric guitars, and he'd make sure the geometry was correct, so yes, those work well. I've got one electric with a non-Bigsby vibrato lever, lots of fun.

 

Having already gone so far off-topic, (I'm sorry, I can't help it, I love to talk guitars...and other stuff...) Here's my electric with the tremolo...stock photo, mine is black, and with the vibrato tailpiece...but quite a rare guitar, by Harvey Thomas of Kent, Washington, USA, around 1965.

 

Whoa-that's one wild looking axe for '65-Mustangs & Rickenbackers were exotic back then ! Always wanted a Ventures Mosrite Model.Had an early '60s Gibson EBO & a 1917 Martin 0017,both long gone.

 

Bet those were pretty sweet guitars!

 

The WWI Martin Parlor Guitar was sweet & the Gibson EBO (like Jack Bruce-Cream) had the lightest finger action of any base I've ever played.