Christo's Fine Frets

Vintage National, Archtop, and Gypsy Jazz Guitars and Ukuleles

I offer high quality musical instruments for sale or trade. I'm also looking to buy and trade for fine archtops, ukuleles, steel guitars, and other fretted instruments. Check back often for a variety of professional fretted instruments. Instruments that are available for sale often end up on my Reverb Page. However, I can usually offer better pricing if you contact me directly. You can also check out some of what's in my collection here.

1920s Weissenborn Style 1 Teardrop Hawaiian Steel Guitar

1920s Weissenborn Style 1 Teardrop Hawaiian Steel Guitar

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The teardrop body shape is one of the most coveted Weissenborns. This one lives up to its reputation with a rich, sustaining tone! It is in beautiful condition. It comes with a custom Calton flight case.

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1953 Epiphone Emperor Sized Deluxe

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In mid 1950 Epiphone made a minuscule batch of guitars carrying the Deluxe model identification on their label but with the 18.5" body specs of their top of the line Emperor Guitar. Until this point in 1950, the Deluxe had been an approximately 16" and then 17" guitar. According to The Unofficial New York Epiphone Registry, there are five currently known and documented Emperor-sized De Luxes in that batch from 1950 with these increased size specifications.

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1932 National Style 2 Ukulele

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This spectacular Style 2 National ukulele was made in California just as the depression was really kicking in. It is an extreme rarity! The combination of this version of the National Style 2 "Wild Rose" engraving pattern and white maple headstock face has only been discovered on one other example!

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1933 National Style O Square Neck Steel Guitar

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RARE National Style 0 Model Square Neck Resophonic Guitar (1933) with transitional features: a 12 fret neck, "Rolled" F tone holes, and a "Chicken Feet" cover plate!

DETAILS HERE

1926 Vega Tu-Ba-Phone #9 Custom Plectrum Banjo

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This 1926 Vega Tu-Ba-Phone #9 Custom Plectrum Banjo is really fine example of what to many is a good candidate for the best "jazz" banjo ever produced!

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The Following Instruments Have Been Sold

1936 Rickenbacker (Rickenbacher) A-22 Electro Fry Pan Lap Steel Guitar

SOLD

Rickenbacker's Model A-22 Electro Model Lap Steel electric guitar was made around 1936 in Los Angeles, and features gold enamel finish on a cast aluminum body. Usually this gold finish is near entirely worn away but on this example it is mostly intact. It even still has its original black hard shell case.

details here

1931 National Triolian Small Bodied Walnut Finished Ukulele

SOLD

This lovely National Triolian Model Resonator Ukulele from late 1931 was made in Los Angeles, CA. It features a brown sunburst finish, a steel body, a maple neck with an ebonized fingerboard, and a black hardshell case. 

Details here
Weissenborn Style 4 Kona 30s Hawaiian Lap Steel Guitar

Weissenborn Style 4 Kona 30s Hawaiian Lap Steel Guitar

SOLD

This circa 1930 Koa wood Weissenborn made Style 4 Kona Hawaiian lap steel guitar is in great shape. It was my main recording and performing steel guitar since 2014, and has always worked amazingly! This guitar came from Gruhn Guitars in Nashville. Remarkably they had three of these Konas in stock for me to evaluate and pick from at the time. I certainly left there with the best sounding one by far...

Details here