Bruno Glee Club Flat Top Tenor Guitar, made by Regal , c. 1928

 Bruno Glee Club Flat Top Tenor Guitar, made by Regal ,  c. 1928
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Item # 9770
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Bruno Glee Club Model Flat Top Tenor Guitar, made by Regal, c. 1928, made in Chicago, natural top, dark back and sides finish, birch back and sides, spruce top; poplar neck with ebonized fingrboard, black gig bag case.

C. Bruno & Sons was one of the biggest New York-area jobbers for decades and generally commissioned their house-brand instruments from whichever manufacturer offered them the best price. Usually this meant one of the big Chicago factories, like Slingerland, Harmony or Regal who actually built this simple but fine sounding tenor guitar.

This guitar is pretty much identical to Regal's own version, with a natural spruce-top birch body, poplar neck and ebonized hardwood fingerboard. The top is single bound with a multi-color wood marquetry soundhole ring. The "Glee Club" logo neatly inset into the headstock marks it as a mid-line piece for Bruno, who also put a colorful "Bruno Means Security" label with a lighthouse logo under the soundhole for good measure. This is a modest but good playing and sounding short-scale tenor guitar, still a lovely instrument to play nearly 100 years on.
 
Overall length is 31 3/8 in. (79.7 cm.), 10 1/2 in. (26.7 cm.) wide at lower bout, and 3 1/8 in. (7.9 cm.) in depth at side, taken at the end block. Scale length is 21 in. (533 mm.). Width of nut is 1 1/4 in. (32 mm.).

This guitar shows some wear overall but remains in fine playing condition, a very nice small-body tenor. There are some light pick scratches on the top with random dings and dents but no really heavy wear. There are no cracks; we would assume the neck was reglued at some point. It remains all original except for new geared banjo tuners in place of the original non-geared variety, which make it a far more playable instrument than it was and a replaced bone saddle ebony bridge and nut. This little tenor guitar has an easy action all the way up the neck and a bright, punchy sound. It is super light and easy to handle and resides in a modern (slightly oversize) gig bag. Overall Excellent Condition.