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Well I was polishing up my newest guitar on the wheel when it caught the edge and slammed it into the floor...........................

Not really, I bought this old Stella and am planning to make a replica ladder braced blues machine. Then possibly practice a little guitar surgury and see if I can make this thing sing again. Cool huh?

Frank, Help Meeeeee!!!!!John How38785.7613194444

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Tickle your guitar daily, and it'll tickle you back.

Did you buy it from a Mr Hendrix

Geesh John, i was just about to say how my incident last night was nothing compared to that, well you got me there, it should be a fun project then, hope you enjoy it all!

Serge

Is there another neck to go with the extra bridge? I see a harp guitar in your future!

Cool John. I know you can make that baby sing again.

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Beautiful and unusual tone woods at a reasonable price.
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The Zootman
1109 Military Rd.
Kenmore, NY 14217
(716) 874-1498

Yeah Cool project! I like doing things like this!
Good luck fixin' her up John.

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Anderson Guitars
Clearwater,Fl. 33755

Thats a broken guitar?? Man, all mine look like that!

I mean.....at least when something goes wrong and I loose my cool and throw it against the wall!


PS....just joking! I NEVER loose my cool!

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Peter M.
Cornerstone Guitars
http://www.cornerstoneukes.com

John that's some project you are taking on. How do you plan on salvaging the ribs?

I'm not sure yet Anthony, I haven't atcually got the thing yet. I should have it the middle of next week but I bought it mostly so I could reproduce it. It's ladder braced and I just wanted a starting point and these old things sound pretty nice so I'll start there, especially since I can see inside easily.

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Tickle your guitar daily, and it'll tickle you back.

John,

That's a guitar that has really opened up with time

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Dave White
De Faoite Stringed Instruments
". . . the one thing a machine just can't do is give you character and personalities and sometimes that comes with flaws, but it always comes with humanity" Monty Don talking about hand weaving, "Mastercrafts", Weaving, BBC March 2010

what a cool way to get plans!! John are those old stellas that good sounding? I had always thought they were low end, shows what I know. By the way, you are really going to have to sand that fret board, that babys been played.
Mike

John,

How about posting some pictures when you get that Stella apart. I'd love to see that ladder bracing. I've got a project like that in mind myself.

CrowDuck

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Chris Nielsen
Soquel, CA.

John, I would just love an old Stella, I am so jealous. You have got to make that guitar sing again. Did I say I was jealous!

Ladder bracing is not to be underrated, I've got a little ladder braced parlour guitar that I love and of course my Lutes are ladder braced.

If you haven't got a Stella your only playing at the blues your not playing The Blues!

Oh by the way I'm jealous.

Colin

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I don't believe in anything, I simply make use of a set of reasonable working hypotheses.

Hi Colin

I'm not too familiar with Stella, who made them ? whats there story ?

Russell, Stella were a cheap store bought guitar that virtually all the great delta players used. The places they played were not conducive to the health of their guitars, so a cheap guitar was the only way, it got broken go to the store and buy another. Plus of course they weren't exactly the highest paid musicians around so a high end Martin wasn't an option. But, they did define the sound of the blues.

Some Stella players included: Charley Patton, Blind Blake, Willie Brown, Blind Willie McTell, Furey Lewis, and the great Son House. Robert Johnson is also said to have used one at times and both Barbecue Bob and Leadbelly used Stella 12-strings. Even those that later graduated to Martins and Gibsons probably started out on cheap mail order or store bought Stella.

Colin

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I don't believe in anything, I simply make use of a set of reasonable working hypotheses.

If you want to hear how fantastic these guitars can sound, go to Howard Emmerson's site and select "The Bells of Tina's Kitchen" from his listening station. Of course Howard can make an old shoe sound fantastic even if it's not in tune.
The best of these guitars were made by the Oscar Schmidt company in the first 20 years of the last century. In the 30's the company was sold to Harmony and those guitars were not as good.
Have a look at Neil Harpe's web site but be carefull, he got guitars for sale and lots of blues memorabilia.

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Tickle your guitar daily, and it'll tickle you back.

Great guitarist, i discovered him last year while browsing on the net, i particularly love the piece called " and why not ", what a great talent! The Stella guitar just sounds amazing.

I stumbled upon this great list of early bluesmen and their axes....lots of Stellas here! Great guitars.Blues Singers and their Instruments

John...sounds like a great project by an inspired builder. Good luck on the effort...I know it will turn out great under your talented hands.

Thanks for the links...good info and listening!

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JJ
Napa, CA
http://www.DonohueGuitars.com

... judging by the fretboard.

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D..

Interesting soundhole shape! How does she sound.

Is that a macassar maple fretboard?

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now known around here as Pat Foster
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http://www.patfosterguitars.com

Thanks all for your well wishes, I'll try my best with whatever I do to this thing.

Pat, I think it's "Shoe Polish Ebony"

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Tickle your guitar daily, and it'll tickle you back.

Look at the bright side...youve succesfuly verified that the sides on that Stella were FIRMLY glued into the heel block!!

Good luck with the repairs and a few posts of progress on same would be most welcome.

Cheers Martin

I really like that body shape, tho the back bracing looks on the heavy side.

It would be nice to see plans for guitars like this in the OLF library.

I had a stella about like that way back when. By the looks of the fingerboard it could have been mine. Never went far up the neck without the help of a capo.

Good luck on bringing her back to life. Love to see some before and after pictures.

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Joe Beaver
Maker of Sawdust