The only thing better than finding that elusive piece of gear you've been searching for on Reverb is coming across something you've never seen before—and likely will never see again. That's certainly the case with this very special double-necked mystery from the Lucky Stevens Reverb shop.
As Lucky Sevens details in their listing, not much is known for certain about this strange mandolin/guitar hybrid. The instrument allegedly came with a letter that claimed it had been made for someone "to use on the Grand Ole Opry 60 years ago," but the seller hasn't been able to track down much more history than that, even after hours of searching through photo archives.
"At the time, custom guitars—especially double necks—were very hip among stars in Nashville," the listing reads, going on to suggest that this specimen was perhaps made by one of the popular builders of the time, Doc Kauffman, due to the instrument's style and appointments.
"The overall design and construction of the guitar looks to be the work of a professional. The shape and color screams Doc Kauffman. Possibly a custom commissioned precursor to his Kremo-Kustom guitars. I've included some photo comparisons to other examples of his work that have the same appointments." Speaking of appointments, while we may not be able to pin down this instrument's exact history, we can take a look at its unique construction:
- No truss rods.
- Beefy, wide guitar neck
- Beautiful vertical checking throughout the finish
- Two custom-wound pickups—the guitar pickup is a rail design similar to Kauffman's creations, while the mandolin pickup is fitted inside the cover of a Gibson P90 (also similar to Kauffman's work).
- Set neck with no breaks/repairs.
- Punchy, clear sound.
Be sure to check out the full listing here on Reverb, and make the seller an offer on this one-of-a-kind gem if you're interested.