Old Guitar, unknown brand. Help me!

[Stewie]

Hello everyone.. I don't know if I am allowed to post this sort of topics in here... But here I go.
I bought this guitar from a man who claimed this guitar was being played during the second world war. I don't know if I need to believe this guy or not, but the guitar looks old (it even has german sentences/words carved in it).

I have no clue what this guitar is worth, but I am not going to sell it.

Any ideas are welcome.
Pictures are too large, so please click them

http://www.rrtribute.com/files/gitaar_01.jpg


http://www.rrtribute.com/files/gitaar_02.jpg

http://www.rrtribute.com/files/gitaar_03.jpg

http://www.rrtribute.com/files/gitaar_07.jpg

Thank you.

[ljguitar]

Hi Stewie...
Wow, first post! Welcome to the group. We are glad you joined.

We also love pics of old guitars, and it is perfectly appropriate to post it here...we are not allowed to discuss prices of guitars (new or used) in the forums, but can privately via private messages or e-mail. Other gear, yes, guitars no.

Looks old, but no clue what it is, perhaps someone here will.

[Stewie]

Thank you. What a fast reply, I am amazed

I also have no idea, there is absolutely no brand indication at all.

Only says: "Guaranteed not to split" and a world shaped logo with the letters "R D" in. The logo is actually a globe with violins on it. At the bottom it says 'Ridi'.

Would this be a rather cheap guitar, or an expensive one?

[ljguitar]

Originally Posted by Stewie

...Would this be a rather cheap guitar, or an expensive one?

Hi Stewie...
Without having the guitar in-hand to determine if it is solid or a laminate there is no way to tell. It would look cool on the wall either way...

[riverman]

all I can say is that the top probably won't split any time soon!

lol

weird lookin axe you have there

[Stewie]

Originally Posted by ljguitar

Hi Stewie...
Without having the guitar in-hand to determine if it is solid or a laminate there is no way to tell. It would look cool on the wall either way...

I really want to know as much as I can about it. Do guitars often come with drawing on them as mine? I have no knowledge of 'solid' and 'laminate', and also have no clue of what you mean by that. I can tell you how it feels etc, just ask me.


BTW: I think it looks a bit like the one they used in the site logo of http://vintageguitarpro.com/ . I has the same bridge, and also a star shaped form at the bottom. Is this a common look of an old guitar?

[Stewie]

Originally Posted by lofapco

You should take it to a luthier or guitar tech knowledgeable about vintage guitars to see if it has any structural problems that would prohibit stringing it up and playing it.

Well it has a crack of about 5 and a half inches at one side.. There are no guitar techs or luthiers in my neighborhood sadly. Could you tell more about the wood if I took some closer pictures?

The seller told me it has been played by a soldier during the second wold war. Could this be true?

[langerr]

Wow, is that guitar cool. History is awesome. This guitar was played often, look at the first jpg, zoom in on the fretboard & notice the discoloration on the fretboard near the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd frets, and on the 5th by where the A is on the High E string.

That is the precise shape on the fretboard of where everyone forms G,D,C, chords, etc. and plus all the individual notes around all those and many chords. So whomever played that guitar, one or many people, played and "discolored" the fretboard in those respective areas. Pretty cool!

Now I am inspired to look for an older guitar to decorate with. After all my wife creates all these little "groupings", why not a guitar with some history behind it?

Good luck on what it is. Maybe the "words" translated from the back can give more clues to it's history or it's owners?

[vicov]

Hi Stewie
you will almost certainly get the information that you are seeking from www.fret-dancer.com. Paul Brett there is a renowned expert on vintage guitars & (apparently) he offers a free consultacy service. Put him to the test!
V.

[Stewie]

Originally Posted by langerr

After all my wife creates all these little "groupings", why not a guitar with some history behind it?

Good luck on what it is. Maybe the "words" translated from the back can give more clues to it's history or it's owners?

The words are probably from much soldiers, it are all german words. Let me write down a few for you guys:

Ahoi
Bodden Jumbo
Jiiner

The**se

Tuttman T. <3 Wii*lt* *th

Ahoi

DU bist MEIN Gliick!

Du bi*** ****! Treu sli**.

Skull drawing with this words beneath it:
HALS u. BEIN BRILLI

* = letter I can't read.

There are also some Hitler references, made by soldiers who fought by his side.

A german would read all those words and lines much better than me. There are more words on it, but I just can't make sence out of the letter combinations

[Stewie]

Originally Posted by vicov

Hi Stewie
you will almost certainly get the information that you are seeking from www.fret-dancer.com. Paul Brett there is a renowned expert on vintage guitars & (apparently) he offers a free consultacy service. Put him to the test!
V.

I'll check him out, thanks!

[AFNospam]

Gallotone guitars used to use the phrase 'guaranteed not to split', which is on your 2nd pic.

[dmcowles@comcas]

Originally Posted by AFNospam

Gallotone guitars used to use the phrase 'guaranteed not to split', which is on your 2nd pic.

Also, that phrase suggests that the guitar is all laminated, perhaps a pioneer in the use of laminated woods. It appears to be European, IMO probably French in origin, and not a particularly high-end instrument.

Dave

[sad]

Interesting guitar

Looking close at the R D

I noticed either the word RIDI Or Bridi Now Bridi meens nothing to me but Ridi If memory serves may (and I say that with limited certainty) a limited Celibration run by Gibson of ( Ridi, Pagliaccio )

I'm not sure and chances I may be well of but I read something some time back with relation to Gibson and RIDI and there was and I remember something about violins....

Chances are this is totally of the mark but you never know.

I'm guessing it may be solid top sides and back. ( Only a guess ) so if it is poo Just ignore me.

[neiby]

Whatever it is, its coolness factor is pretty darn high! That guitar has a tons of character and history behind it. Even if it sounds bad, it still has its own type of mojo.