The Steel Guitar Forum

My Dad played this guitar Hawaiian style back in the 30's. He had a Hawaiian band and my Mother played also. The guitar is a Regal that has a nut to raise the strings. Can anyone give me some more information on this guitar. I haven't been able to find out anything. When I query Regal, all I get is reso's. I think I remember Dad telling me that he paid $80 for it in the 20's. Mom's guitar is a Kalamazoo also with a raised nut. I think the Kalamazoo is a KG14 and was made by Gibson. Thanks for any information.

Regals were made in Chicago, a wide range of them, in the 20's on into (I think) the 40s. Lot of cheap, beginner instruments, but also some truly fine archtops, as well as parlor guitars, mandolins, and Hawaiians (acoustic and electric).

Jim,
I'm pretty sure that Regal closed shop in 1954.

Charlie,
Your guitar appears to have nylon strings, thus it is set up to play as a classical guitar. The style of tuning head (slots for tuning pegs) is common to both classical and flat-top, steel-string guitars -- but the classical guitar would have a different kind of bridge. (You probably already knew all of this.) There are still a lot of old Regals around, as you will see if you do a Google search or look on eBay.

It's a nice old axe, and -- if I were you -- I would keep it, put on steel strings with bronze windings, tune it in A major low bass, and play it strictly as a Hawaiian guitar. It should have a nice, sweet Hawaiian tone.

I agree. Looks like a good, tight spruce top and, judging from what we see of the innards, good workmanship -- should sound very good.