Richard Haller brought this Regent guitar to my attention, having seen it offered for sale on a Canadian classifieds website. I confess I can find very little about Regent Guitars. It's a very difficult one to Google as "Regent" has been used as a model name by various manufacturers and has also been the name of several guitar shops. If anyone knows anything specifically about this brand, then please do tell!G L Wilson
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Regent is a Canadian brand, I'm not sure who made this model but it was later bought by someone who used it to badge Guyatone-made products imported into Canada and usually sold in mom'n'pop music shops. This particular model/style was likely made for several years, perhaps beginning as early as 1956. A friend recently purchased a Regent electric in the same compact body style, likely a different year; it had gold pickup covers shaped like a NASCAR racetrack (what *do* you call that shape, when it's an oval with straight sides?) and the same elongated headstock for straight-pull tuning, but no tremolo as I recall, and only two knobs. Other variants of this model exist and can be found on Google images. Finish seems to be a fragile enamel with little or no varnish. Due to their rarity, they probably have value just for the uniqueness of their tone; I've never seen this pickup design, OR the pickups on my friend's Regent, anywhere else. I also own a Guyatone-built late-60s Regent 5-string banjo, and it's as good as you'd expect from that vintage of Guya. Apparently there are far more acoustic Regents out there than electrics; no idea what they sell for, but I've seen 3 of these models on ask between US$550 and $800. Not sure they're worth more than half that tho unless the pickups are really special.
ReplyDeleteHi All Regent Guitar lovers...
ReplyDeleteI live in rural Nova Scotia .I just found a Regent SG-12 Hollowbody ..So beautiful..It's been fitted with a new bridge and set up..What a great sound ...Like you ive found the info on these guitars scant..If you emaill me ill send some pics...