subway guitars info?

Subject: subway guitars info?
From: Scotus
Date: 18 Jan 06 - 07:46 PM

I came across them during a search and phoned to order a small bodied guitar (second hand) paid a deposit and am awaiting. I spoke to the proprietor (Fatdog) again a week or so ago and was told it was 'in hand'. I just wondered if anyone here has any experience of this place - how reliable are they?

Jack Beck

Subject: RE: subway guitars info?
From: michaelr
Date: 19 Jan 06 - 02:04 AM

Subway Guitars is in my neck of the woods (Northern California) and while I have not have dealings with them myself, I'm aware of them by reputation.

Although a name such as "Fatdog" does not inspire immediate confidence, he and his business have a history of several decades as a knowledgeable and fair-priced dealer of antique, rare, and just plain weird instruments.

Scotus, keep us posted, please. This is a matter of public interest.

Cheers,
Michael

Subject: RE: subway guitars info?
From: Scotus
Date: 19 Jan 06 - 08:46 AM

I'm not really too worried. I ordered the guitar in mid December and I understand that they do a pretty comprehensive set-up on every guitar they send out, so that plus the intervening holiday means that it's not really overdue yet. They said I'd get it 'in January' so there's a few weeks to go before I'd start panicking. I suppose that, being Scottish, I'm well aware that I sent a deposit which has been cashed and am now awaiting in good faith. On the other hand when I get the guitar they will be waiting for the balance!

I'' certainly keep you all posted on the outcome.

Jack

Subject: RE: subway guitars info?
From: GUEST,ClaireBear
Date: 19 Jan 06 - 12:27 PM

I bought an electric guitar at Subway the day after Live Aid -- a LONG time ago! It might even have been from Fatdog; the name is familiar. I was a walk-in customer. They were very nice to me and didn't let me spend too much money (which I easily could have) on my ill-advised electric axe. (I'm truly an acoustic gal.)

As far as I know, they are reliable, kindly folks, but of course my information is more than a decade old.

Best of luck!
Claire

Subject: RE: subway guitars info?
From: Scotus
Date: 19 Jan 06 - 06:18 PM

Thanks for that, Claire (bear!?)

Why ill-advised?

Jack

Subject: RE: subway guitars info?
From: Once Famous
Date: 19 Jan 06 - 06:32 PM

Actually Scotus, I am curious as to what kind of guitar you ordered. What brand is it?

Subject: RE: subway guitars info?
From: Scotus
Date: 19 Jan 06 - 07:17 PM

I went to the web-site and saw an old Washburn listed, so I phoned to buy that. Fatdog told me the site was way out of date, asked me what kind of guitar I was looking for. I said an old small bodied guitar with a big sound as I currently own a Martin D35 and a Dana Bourgoise built D sized Schoenberg and I'm nervous about taking either on airliners (I travel between Florida and Scotland a lot). I hoped that a small bodied guitar might go 'on board' with me - I also have a friend in Scotland who has an old Gibson L5 which sounds great and I have always envied.

The upshot is that Fatdog is choosing a guitar for me, setting it up and sending it 'on approval' - me having sent a deposit ahead. If I don't like it I can send it back and try something else!

Hope that helps.

Jack

Subject: RE: subway guitars info?
From: number 6
Date: 19 Jan 06 - 08:24 PM

Kinda baffled with the process on which you bought it Scotus ... did you look at the Baby Taylors at all? ... anyway, good luck scotus. Keep us updated on this.

That Gibson L5 sounds nice and I too envy that.

sIx

Subject: RE: subway guitars info?
From: Once Famous
Date: 19 Jan 06 - 10:48 PM

I have a friend who has a very old L5. It's just dreamy to play.

Good luck, Scotus. I hope he sends you something like a nice litle old Gibson LG0. Nice little body with a Gibson neck a baby can play.

Subject: RE: subway guitars info?
From: GUEST,ClaireBear
Date: 20 Jan 06 - 12:38 PM

Only ill-advised because I'm not an electric-guitar kind of gal, which they could clearly tell from talking to me. In fact, as I recall, they wouldn't let me buy an electric-blue model I was eying but insisted I buy a natural wood one instead, on the theory that it would feel more like the 1910s Washburn single-O acoustic I was used to playing.

In fact, after my Live Aid afterglow wore off, I soon realized the electric guitar was never going to fit gracefully into the kind of music I was playing, so I passed it on to someone who needed it more. Thankfully, since Subway hadn't encouraged me to buy a very expensive one, it wasn't a hardship to give it away.

Subject: RE: subway guitars info?
From: Scotus
Date: 20 Jan 06 - 01:16 PM

A Washburn single-O acoustic of that vintage is just what drew me to them in the first place. Their web-site had a few listed at very reasonable prices! You lucky person.

Jack

Subject: RE: subway guitars info?
From: Scotus
Date: 03 Feb 06 - 01:40 PM

The latest on this is that I phoned Fatdog at the end of last week and he gave me the choice of an Oahu or a Lakeside. The Oahu he played to me over the phone !? and it sounded quite good, however he described the Lakeside (which wasn't strung up so couldn't be played to me) and it seemed like a better instrument. The cost for that is $600 and I'd paid a deposit of $300 already - he asked for the balance plus $20 for mailing and said he'd be able to send it this coming Tuesday. He is checking it over and setting it up before sending it. I will have two weeks to send it back if I don't like it.

The Lakeside has oak back and sides and a spruce top. It's small bodied, has a slot head, a triangular neck and has some 'nice' inlay. I've looked for them on the internet and there isn't much, however it seems they were made for or by Lyon and Healy between 1910 and 1920.

Can anybody tell me anything about them?

I'll continue to keep y'all posted.

Jack

Subject: RE: subway guitars info?
From: Scotus
Date: 15 Feb 06 - 11:05 AM

OK - final instalment.

The guitar arrived here yesterday and I am totally delighted! It has been much played over the years, but that's a plus for me. Fatdog fitted a new compensated bridge, new nut, reset the neck and put in new bridge pins. The back and sides are very nice quartered oak and the top appears to be spruce. The dimensions are upper bout 9", lower bout 13", length 37" and depth 4 and a 1/2". It has a triangular neck and 12 frets to the body/neck joint. It plays like a dream and has an amazing sound for such a small body. It IS a lyon and Healy Lakeland and still has the original label inside. Somebody had fitted a scratch-plate at some time which has since been removed leaving three holes wich have been filled and one of the tuner plates (it's a slot head) has been replaced in the dim and distant past, not quite matching the other one. My research on the net suggests it was probably made between 1910 and 1920.

Does anyone out there have one like this? Any comments?

I intend to put a page on my web-site soon with pics of my instruments. You'll be able to see it there.

http://www.scottishsongandstory.co.uk


Finally - If you're prepared to be patient I can thouroughly recommend Fatdog and Subway Guitars.

Jack Beck

Subject: RE: subway guitars info?
From: GUEST,ClaireBear
Date: 15 Feb 06 - 11:57 AM

Congratulations -- I'm very happy to hear that it worked out well for you. Looking forward to seeing those pics!

Claire

Subject: RE: subway guitars info?
From: Scotus
Date: 16 Feb 06 - 03:20 PM

Still hoping someone out there can tell me something about Lyon and Healy Lakesides! Not Lakeland as I erroneously posted the other day.

Jack