This is a very rare late 1920’s Oscar Schmidt made Stella Auditorium Jumbo 6-string that was cleverly converted into a desirable 12-string in wonderfully original condition. This is a highly sought after model that many slide guitar players would die to own. This guitar now has that famous Stella 12-string sound ! This one has a nicely faded Sunburst finish all over its Birch Top, Back & Side construction w/a wonderful floral pattern decal on the top that looks fabulous having gotten some play time & definite pick wear. Its neck is very manageable w/a soft “V” profile. The coolest feature by far is Stella’s famous & very fancy engraved “Pearloid” fingerboard (or as we say Mutha-o-Toilet) that plays perfectly & feels great ! When this Stella was made sometime around 1930, it was a well-designed, well-built guitar that sold at a modest price. This type of 12-string was popular with blues musicians like Barbecue Bob, Blind Willie McTell and Lead Belly, who liked the extra volume the extra strings added. The most common size is the standard size. Often this size is called concert size too. Those guitars have a width from 12,5” to 13,5” across the lower bout. Most common is 13” to 13,5”. The scale length is around 25”. Early models often have a 24” scale. The next larger model is the grand concert size. The lower bout usually measures from 14” to 14,75”, the scale lenght from 25,5” to 26,5”. The largest size is the jumbo or auditorium size as this one we have now is with a lower bout width up to 15,75”. The scale length is around 26,5” usually. In its day, this guitar would have have probably been tuned down to D and strung with heavy strings. In the last few years, old Stella 12-strings have become quite valuable as they have disappeared from the market & most have been altered & broken over the last 100 years & the good ones are now prized. Other than having its wooden bridge replaced at some point & wearing new tuners, this crack free example is excellent overall. It comes complete in a nice molded hard case.
