Barth electric 6-string

[handbrake]

I bought a guitar recently that struck me as being somewhat Mosrite-y. Zero fret, asymmetrical. Says "Barth--Natural Music Guild" on the headstock. Anybody recognize?

[dorkrockrecords]

I'm going to let Deke tackle this one, but the Barth in question is Paul Barth and there is good reason why this instrument looks Mosritesque, or more precisely, Rickenbackerian.



Another example of his handiwork:
viewtopic.php?f=11&t=170

Adam

[handbrake]

Thanks for the peek at the Magnatone literature, Adam. Do those artist series guitars read Magnatone on the headstock or Barth?

[Deke Dickerson]

Yep, cool guitar handbrake! Believe it or not, that same style Barth guitar was the instrument used by Bob Spickard on the Chantays "Pipeline," little known fact!

When Semie worked for Rickenbacker in the mid-1950's, he studied under Paul Barth and Roger Rossmeisl. In fact, you'll find this same subject tackled on some of the older posts on this forum, but I'll go over the basics again. Paul Barth brought about the zero fret and the neck/body "tab" that extends under the rhythm pickup....Roger Rossmeisl brought about the german carve, and other german aspects of guitar building, like the neck volute on the back of the headstock. These same features were all used on Mosrites later on.

Barth made these guitars like yours right after he left Rickenbacker in the late 50's. Then in 1960-1961 he made the exact same guitar but branded them Magnatones (see the ad Adam posted). Around 1966 he started Bartell and made some of the Acoustic Black Widows as well.

Semie kept in touch with Paul Barth through the years. Terry McArthur told me that when he was making the necks for the 1959 TNM Custom doubleneck, he and Semie went down to Paul Barth's to get the truss rods put in. Am I getting that story right, Terry?

I recently bought this crazy guitar off ebay for a couple hundred bucks (thanks to Adam for showing me the auction), and it's branded "National" on the back of the headstock. Everything about this guitar points towards Paul Barth, from the zero fret to the Rickenbacker bridge. Compare it to the one you posted, there are a lot of similar features! By the way, this is perhaps the nuttiest guitar I own, and that's sayin' something...

Deke









And some pics of the Paul Barth-made Magnatone guitar:

[Veenture]

As well as being a sweetie…this little fella is of quite some (historical) importance too!
Congratulations on bagging this one handbrake, you have a good eye!

Now I’m just curious as to where/ how you found it …Car boot sale?….not likely…

[Veenture]

I recently bought this crazy guitar off ebay for a couple hundred bucks (thanks to Adam for showing me the auction), and it's branded "National" on the back of the headstock. Everything about this guitar points towards Paul Barth, from the zero fret to the Rickenbacker bridge. Compare it to the one you posted, there are a lot of similar features! By the way, this is perhaps the nuttiest guitar I own, and that's sayin' something...

Deke

Deke, your "crazy" green National is strangely appealing in it's own way with it's over the top looks…and with matching green HSC too! ..........talkin' 'bout custom builds!!!
Congratulations to you too man.

[Sarah93003]

Deke, that is a really cool guitar!

[handbrake]

Deke, thanks for the background. However, your guitar is a scream. I love the embellishments, though I wonder what Billy Zoom would think.

Some poking around reveals that both Paul Barth and Adolph Rickenbacher worked for National. The back of the guitar has the panel we've seen in other early models that were "hogged out" (sometimes more than once) to create a hollowbody guitar. This is evident in pictures of primitive Rickenbacker and Mosrite specimens posted to the forum recently. Very interesting...

[Veenture]

Handbrake, be sure to let us know how it plays and what it sound like 'soon as you've put on some new strings!

[handbrake]

Handbrake, be sure to let us know how it plays and what it sound like 'soon as you've put on some new strings!

I'll let you know as soon as I get it back from the luthier. Got to send out the guitars until I can enroll one of the cubs at Roberto-Venn. (picture credit goes to a neighbor)