D'Angelico Mel Bay Model Arch Top Acoustic Guitar (1950)
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Item # 12754
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D'Angelico Mel Bay Model Model Arch Top Acoustic Guitar (1950), made in New York City, serial # 1836, natural laquer re- finish, maple back and sides, spruce top; maple neck with ebony fingerboard, original brown hard shell case.
While far from all original this is still a rare and interesting D'Angelico creation, a simpler but still pro-grade model. This guitar was re-finished and re-worked some decades back still offers the sublime sound these guitars are famous for. This "Mel Bay" model is named for the well-known music educator, now remembered primarily as the author/publisher of seemingly countless method books over the past 70 years. Bay was unsurprisingly a very accomplished guitarist who personally played D'Angelico guitars from fairly early in his career. He even used pictures of his D'Angelico New Yorker to illustrate his popular "Modern Guitar Methods".
In the 1940s Bay taught guitar through Gravois Music in St. Louis, one of the city's leading musical emporiums. At the time the shop sold quite a few D'Angelico instruments, making it the largest single account outside New York on John's books. This is almost certainly down to Mel Bay, who eventually marketed special D'Angelico guitars with his name to promising students and likely recommended top-line models to pro players as well. Most of the guitars shipped to Gravois were the lowest-priced Style A but examples of all D'Angelico styles were sent there. This guitar is one of just eight "Special Mel Bay" models logged in D'Angelico's ledger, noted as shipped to Gravois on 11/04/1950; several other "Mel Bay" models had been previously sent out in May and June of that year.
The features on this guitar are a mix unique to the model. It is essentially a non-cutaway Excel made a bit less fancy, probably to bring the cost down for resale to Mel's students. The 17 1/2" wide body has a carved parallel-braced spruce top and beautiful burl maple back and sides. The one-piece maple neck is topped with a bound, pearl block inlaid ebony fingerboard; one specialty for Mel was a very thin neck with a 1 1/2" nut width. The top and back are heavily multi-bound, the headstock is 4-ply bound but the peaked design is a simpler shape than John's usual period Excel and New Yorker, a carryover from the earlier Style A and B. The headstock inlay is an engraved "Mel Bay" pearl block below the familiar script logo, a motif repeated on the tailpiece.
While no longer a fully original instrument this is still a lovely playing and sounding, and represents a serious bargain in a fully playable and fine sounding genuine carved-top D'Angeligo guitar.
Overall length is 42 in. (106.7 cm.), 17 1/2 in. (44.4 cm.) wide at lower bout, and 3 3/8 in. (8.6 cm.) in depth, measured at side of rim. Scale length is 24 3/4 in. (629 mm.). Width of nut is 1 1/2 in. (38 mm.).
This instrument has been noticeably re-worked (it appears quite some time ago) as was the case with many D'Angelicos that were long-serving working guitars. It was completely refinished in natural lacquer that has ambered somewhat over the years; we suspect the guitar originally carried a sunburst finish. The outer layer of binding on the body appears to have been re-done as well. The finish is not overly thick, has an attractive patina and does not appear to be impeding the guitar's tone at all.
That current finish is relatively clean overall with some dings and chips mostly to the top, some older and under the lacquer. There are old repairs to three spruce grain splits coming off both sides of the bass F-hole, all fully sealed but visible. What appears to be another tight spruce grain split under the bass side foot of the bridge is directly over the brace and does not extend inside the guitar. The rim has a couple of old short splits below the heel, one under the refinish, one later. The lower edge seams have been resealed in a few spots but the back, neck and remainder of the sides remain crack free.
Apart from the outer body edge the Celluloid binding appears original and intact except for a area with some cracking on the bass side of the fingerboard extension; none of this is crumbling. The heel cap is thinner than Johns' standard pattern and is likely a replacement. The "Mel Bay" logo tailpiece is original but has been re-plated in chrome; the tuners are 1970s chrome Grover Rotomatics. Screw holes from the original tuners have been filled, along with four other holes from a cord bracket once on the back of the headstock. There is no pickguard, just a couple of small holes to mark where it once was. The rosewood bridge is a later Gibson style piece.
What appear to be the original frets appear intact, crowned down but quite playable. The bone nut remains original. Despite suffering some obvious indignities in its past this instrument is still a genuine pro-grade fully carved D'Angelico, a superb player retaining its magnificent sound. It is housed in the original brown-lined Lifton HSC with a subtle gator pattern on the exterior. Overall Very Good + Condition.
While far from all original this is still a rare and interesting D'Angelico creation, a simpler but still pro-grade model. This guitar was re-finished and re-worked some decades back still offers the sublime sound these guitars are famous for. This "Mel Bay" model is named for the well-known music educator, now remembered primarily as the author/publisher of seemingly countless method books over the past 70 years. Bay was unsurprisingly a very accomplished guitarist who personally played D'Angelico guitars from fairly early in his career. He even used pictures of his D'Angelico New Yorker to illustrate his popular "Modern Guitar Methods".
In the 1940s Bay taught guitar through Gravois Music in St. Louis, one of the city's leading musical emporiums. At the time the shop sold quite a few D'Angelico instruments, making it the largest single account outside New York on John's books. This is almost certainly down to Mel Bay, who eventually marketed special D'Angelico guitars with his name to promising students and likely recommended top-line models to pro players as well. Most of the guitars shipped to Gravois were the lowest-priced Style A but examples of all D'Angelico styles were sent there. This guitar is one of just eight "Special Mel Bay" models logged in D'Angelico's ledger, noted as shipped to Gravois on 11/04/1950; several other "Mel Bay" models had been previously sent out in May and June of that year.
The features on this guitar are a mix unique to the model. It is essentially a non-cutaway Excel made a bit less fancy, probably to bring the cost down for resale to Mel's students. The 17 1/2" wide body has a carved parallel-braced spruce top and beautiful burl maple back and sides. The one-piece maple neck is topped with a bound, pearl block inlaid ebony fingerboard; one specialty for Mel was a very thin neck with a 1 1/2" nut width. The top and back are heavily multi-bound, the headstock is 4-ply bound but the peaked design is a simpler shape than John's usual period Excel and New Yorker, a carryover from the earlier Style A and B. The headstock inlay is an engraved "Mel Bay" pearl block below the familiar script logo, a motif repeated on the tailpiece.
While no longer a fully original instrument this is still a lovely playing and sounding, and represents a serious bargain in a fully playable and fine sounding genuine carved-top D'Angeligo guitar.
Overall length is 42 in. (106.7 cm.), 17 1/2 in. (44.4 cm.) wide at lower bout, and 3 3/8 in. (8.6 cm.) in depth, measured at side of rim. Scale length is 24 3/4 in. (629 mm.). Width of nut is 1 1/2 in. (38 mm.).
This instrument has been noticeably re-worked (it appears quite some time ago) as was the case with many D'Angelicos that were long-serving working guitars. It was completely refinished in natural lacquer that has ambered somewhat over the years; we suspect the guitar originally carried a sunburst finish. The outer layer of binding on the body appears to have been re-done as well. The finish is not overly thick, has an attractive patina and does not appear to be impeding the guitar's tone at all.
That current finish is relatively clean overall with some dings and chips mostly to the top, some older and under the lacquer. There are old repairs to three spruce grain splits coming off both sides of the bass F-hole, all fully sealed but visible. What appears to be another tight spruce grain split under the bass side foot of the bridge is directly over the brace and does not extend inside the guitar. The rim has a couple of old short splits below the heel, one under the refinish, one later. The lower edge seams have been resealed in a few spots but the back, neck and remainder of the sides remain crack free.
Apart from the outer body edge the Celluloid binding appears original and intact except for a area with some cracking on the bass side of the fingerboard extension; none of this is crumbling. The heel cap is thinner than Johns' standard pattern and is likely a replacement. The "Mel Bay" logo tailpiece is original but has been re-plated in chrome; the tuners are 1970s chrome Grover Rotomatics. Screw holes from the original tuners have been filled, along with four other holes from a cord bracket once on the back of the headstock. There is no pickguard, just a couple of small holes to mark where it once was. The rosewood bridge is a later Gibson style piece.
What appear to be the original frets appear intact, crowned down but quite playable. The bone nut remains original. Despite suffering some obvious indignities in its past this instrument is still a genuine pro-grade fully carved D'Angelico, a superb player retaining its magnificent sound. It is housed in the original brown-lined Lifton HSC with a subtle gator pattern on the exterior. Overall Very Good + Condition.