The X bracing pattern under the top is closely copied from Martin's, if just a shade heavier and perhaps a bit less elegantly executed. While considered premium materials today this is simply what professional guitars were built with in 1930 the highest grades used Brazilian rosewood. This Style 3 was the 'popular priced' Grand concert model of the 'Custom Built' line, a 14 1/2' wide guitar plain in ornamentation but well built of excellent materials, including 'Genuine mahogany' neck, back and sides, ebony fingerboard and an X-braced Appalachian spruce top. Regal simply copied Martin's basic guitar design closely, including the X-braced top, an extravagance most Chicago makers did not bother with. While this ploy did not seriously threaten Martin's dominance in high-end flattops it did result in some of the finest guitars to come out of Chicago in the 1930's. They were very similar looking - in print at least - but the Regals were priced somewhat lower for the same level of materials, a savvy move as the country's economy collapsed. These begin to appear in catalogs in 1930-31, often advertised directly alongside Martins. Regal's 'Custom Built' line was the Chicago company's direct challenge to Martin at the beginning of the depression, a time when guitar makers were scrambling for a very thin market. Apart from the pearl logo inlaid on the headstock this model seems practically identical to the Regal-branded #3 this one has no Regal marks at all. Most of these were sold as Regals, but the MarvelTone versions were a special version branded exclusively for Targ & Dinner, one of the many jobbers active at the time.

This marvelous MarvelTone is a jobber-branded version of a guitar otherwise known as a Regal 'Custom built', one of the best-kept secrets in pre-WWII flat tops, at least until recently. 1930, made in Chicago, serial # 2094, natural lacquer finish, mahogany back and sides, spruce top mahogany neck with ebony fingerboard, black chipboard case. Regal MarvelTone Style #3 Model Flat Top Acoustic Guitar, c.

Regal guitars serial numbers