Not much was done over the weekends, but a couple of GGs in the batch are almost ready.

The fine Levinen from 1906 is first out. Clearly the most lavish Levin parlor I've had inside besides my own in rosewood! This one has extra nice bottom and side in the best flamed birch and an impressive sound hole rosette with a lot of inlays. In addition, grip board in rosewood with special mother-of-pearl inlays that you rarely see. The tuning screws were American (predecessor to Waverly) with modern spacing between the posts. They usually sit on finer early Levin models. The lid and bottom were lined with each celluloid strip. Neck in poplar and the wider coffin.

• Total length: 94 cm
• Top (upper round, waist, lower round): 23 - 17,5 - 31 cm
• Side (neck block, waist, end block): 9 - 9,8 - 10 cm
• Neck: Weak V-shape
• Fingerboard (nut, 12th, bridge): 43 - 55 - 58 mm
• String length: 62,8 cm
• Paint: Spray
• Weight: 1237 g

When I got it, most of the celluloid strip around the bottom was missing, the stable was replaced to a classic and longer stable than the original that was missing. The neck was loosened and the tuning screw on the base was replaced with a mechanic from the 1930s. The back of the neck was a bit battered by a capo. Otherwise in good condition with few cracks. The owner had begun a renovation that had not gone very well, the gripping board on the lid was not loosened in the glue joint but was sawn off with a Japanese saw. Fortunately without damaging the paint in the lid.

The owner wanted it more original than I usually do, the fine but thin original board of course had to be left after a repair. The new stable was replaced with a replica on a pyramid stall. Two mother of pearls were mounted on the stable pyramids that on my own fine Levin parlor. They actually hide a screw on the original, but they are not needed. New ribs all around except the two at the bottom which are visible through the sound hole. For once, I was relicting the bottom inside after it was slightly thinned to the dirty brown-yellow original color.

Checked in my heavy box of original technicians and found a pair of tuning screws that were on the contrary from an equally old Levin parlor, the original that was completely seated on the bass side. glove! As the worm sits on the underside of the rack of old guitars with a notched head until the early 1920s, the tuning screws work unexpectedly well as the gap tightens again when tensioning the strings. No bushings on the poles to hold on to the original.

All features except the "turbo plugs" were mounted on the guitar. Carbon fiber rod in the neck, upper saddle toning and segmented stable leg. New brass bands. Without the plugs, you get a slightly lower volume and a kinder tone with less attack and clarity in the sound. That does not stop it from sounding good in any case with Newtone Heritage 0.12 strings, it's a bit of a matter of taste what you are looking for. Inserted a maple plate in the bottom of the neck pocket that I usually use to stabilize the neck angle and move the intonation points on the stall to the right place on the narrow pyramid stall. Pulled a wood screw through the neck block into the foot of the neck from the inside as Levin does not use a real dovetail that locks the neck in the body. A modern plastic end plug (probably 1950s) was replaced with the finest Levin wooden end plug I found in the spare parts box. The customer did not want a guitar strap knob on the neck, nor side spots on the fingerboard.

When the celluloid in the bottom frame was missing half and what was left was very brittle, it was replaced with a new plastic strip of approximately the same color. I wish you could buy new white celluloid molding! The bottom had shrunk as usual but by squeezing the sides in the narrowest place you can reduce the perimeter and make the bottom fit without being visible when you are done. With my special milling jig, the excess of the bottom sticking out about 1 mm at the narrowest place could be milled off and a clean channel for the new strip milled around.

The stable leg was a little higher than I usually do them, mostly because the fretboard was thin and I did not want to grind too much on it. It got my usual adjustment with 2,5 mm string height on the 12th band / E and 1,5 mm string height 12th band / e. Since I did not correct the placement of the bands, it does not match quite as well as on the guitars where I have to measure the placement of the bands myself. Still true well as Levin had a good idea of ​​where the bands would be already as early as 1906. Hidden away the GammelGura label so it is not visible through the sound hole if you do not want to.

The entire guitar received a lap of clear liquor varnish which was then matted down with steel wool and hand polished up with a cloth cloth to the right sheen. All parts that were replaced were saved and included with the guitar. Take the opportunity to take pictures when the sun is shining, but they will never be as good as in summer 😉