Octophone soundhole pickup question.

[Dobe]

So I snapped up this little honey off a local CList yesterday. Wondering if anyone can help me dating the pickup. Can't seem to find anything on the interweb about it. The ad text claimed:

" A Rare 1920s Regal Octophone With A Very Rare Pre WWII Kiesel Pickup And Unique Handmade Folkart Case

It plays great and has several old repairs and folkartsy mods. The pickup sounds great. The neck is straight and the action is not too bad. It looks like it's been through a war or 2 and probably has considering it's age but it's solid and together. The homemade folkart case is seriously cool and seriously strong. The picture doesn't do it justice. Rare and cool with a lot of old soul!

$175 Cash/Trade/Offers "

Thanks and cheers !

[Ray(T)]

Can we have a close-up view of the pickup please? It doesn't look that old to me but it's not easy to tell from the photo.

[allenhopkins]

Price is right, anyway. I'd definitely give it a thorough hands-on once-over before seriously considering purchase. This is one of the most lightly built instruments I've ever played and owned, and "not too bad" action with a straight neck may well mean a neck re-set, and "being through a war or two" -- well, who knows what that means?

I paid about the same amount for my Octofone, and subsequently had a carbon fiber neck reinforcement and a new ebony fingerboard installed, which more than doubled its price. The neck pulled forward and warped significantly even with light stringing.

Remember, this is an instrument that Regal offered for less than 20 buxx when it came out. Not a masterpiece of the luthier's art. An interesting and fun "mando" to play, but it did start out cheap.

[Dobe]

Has a slider volume pot on the side. Sounds great. Thinking it's actually a guitar P.U. that just barely fit into the Regal soundhole. Can barely make out the brand on the plastic, but it does read "KIESEL"

[allenhopkins]

My apologies for the purchase advice in my post; I missed the part that said you'd already bought the Octofone.

Good luck with it, and IMHO treat it gently; it's a bit delicate. Keep an eye on that neck for warpage and any neck joint deformation. I have mine strung as an octave mandolin with "octaved" strings on the third and fourth courses. Lotsa fun.

[Dobe]

No worries Allen, I appreciate the input. I thought it was priced fairly but the case and pickup put it over the edge for me as being a pretty good deal. She's been rode hard and put up wet for sure. No cracks, likely re-finished, add on pickguard is a little thick. Older clamshell tailpiece isn't original but nice old patina. Neck and frets are O.K.-ish. Workable anyways. With a little love I think I'll be pretty happy. It came with octave courses on the bottom end, tuned as the top 4 of a guitar. I'll play around w/gauges and probably go with the Zouk strung OM thing. Any string gauge recommendations ?? Also worked a two fer deal on a 50's Framus 3/4 guitar. Nice old guy, tube amp repairs etc. We both did well I think.

[allenhopkins]

...Any string gauge recommendations ??...

Here's what I use for GDAE tuning:
1st .011/.011
2nd .020/.020
3rd .030w/.016
4th .045w/.018

The unwound 4th string is a little light, but that's what I'm using now. It's actually a full step lower pitch than the 2nd strings, but it's .002 lighter, whereas the unwound 3rd is a full step lower than the 1st strings, but .005 heavier. Don't know how I ended up there, but I did.

Experiment!

[Dobe]

Thanks ! So you like your high octave strings on the treble or downpicked side of the root course, as opposed to say a standard 12-string thing ie: .018/.45w, or am I backwards here ?

[Ray(T)]

Has a slider volume pot on the side. Sounds great. Thinking it's actually a guitar P.U. that just barely fit into the Regal soundhole. Can barely make out the brand on the plastic, but it does read "KIESEL"

Looks 1970s or '80s to me. This any use - https://www.kieselguitars.com/guitarpickups/

[pops1]

It looks like a guitar pickup from the 50's-70's. The name that I was thinking is on the tip of my tongue, but it's stuck and won't come out. Common back in the day along with other sound hole pickups.

The slide looks like it may have originally been a wheel for volume. Most were a round disc on a volume pot.

[allenhopkins]

Thanks ! So you like your high octave strings on the treble or downpicked side of the root course, as opposed to say a standard 12-string thing ie: .018/.45w, or am I backwards here ?

No, my listing was backwards...I have the thinner strings "up" when holding the Octofone, so my pick hits them first on the downstroke. No particular reason, but now the nut slots are shaped that way, so I'll stay with it. Guess I used my 12-string guitar as a template.