Beginning in 1871, the Oscar Schmidt Company manufactured some of the finest, most ornate stringed instruments of the late 19th and early 20th century. Manufactured in Jersey City, New Jersey, Oscar Schmidt became know for his parlour instruments, many of which have stood the test of time both tonally and for their build quality and craftsmanship. Though instruments such as the Stella models produced by Oscar Schmidt in the 1920's & '30s are some of the more commonly seen, this 1927 B&J Victoria is a fantastic example of a '20s Oscar Schmidt made parlour guitar.
Beugeleisen & Jacobson (B&J) were one of the many catalog distributors operating on the east coast at the turn of the 20th century, and the Victoria range was their in house Oscar Schmidt made guitar range. Featuring a Solid Spruce top with Rosewood back and sides, this Victoria has an exceptionally full bodied, resonant sound that belies an instrument of its size, with a great low end response and plenty of presence. The neck features the kind of chunky 'V' shaped profile you expect to find on these guitars, and it makes for the perfect blues and folk finger picker and open chord strummer.
This guitar is in very good condition for an instrument over 100 years old. The body sports play wear and patina to the top and back, and the neck also shows minor signs of play wear. There is also evidence of neck set having previously been undertaken, with the guitar playing excellently.
This guitar has been given a full service & appraisal by our luthiers at the Vintage Instrument Workshop, and includes a 3 year warranty.
