Forum - Banjo Ben Clark

Looks like a mid 1960s Roy Noble 12 string

Well, I got my Christmas miracle. I love restoring old, beatup and trashed guitars. Today a fellow was picking up a Egmond Tornado that I had restored for a family whose father, the owner of the guitar, had died. And they wanted it restored (it was in pieces filthy, rusted pieces when I received it). They wanted restored to how it would look and play today if their father was still playing it (notice the unusual decal he had applied to the horn). Everything is original with the exception of the saddle as the original was in such poor shape that it could not be saved.


He brought with him a extremely beat up 12 string dreadnought.

The neck heel and neck block are split along with the upper bout. The neck angle had collapsed and someone in the past decided to sand down the bridge to compensate for the bad neck angle. Other than that and the millions of lacquer cracks and the split back (full length) and the split top under the fretboard tongue, and the loose binding and the obvious water damage to the treble side bout, all it needs is a real good cleaning and the pickguard(s) reattached. :+1: It was about to be thrown out by the owner, but I noticed that there was a label on the inside with Roy Noble’s name/label and the number 0075. Label And closer inspection of the rosewood appears like it may be Brazilian. So I am going to carefully restore this herringbone beauty. I’ll post photos occasionally over the next few months or so to document the restoration. I’m in no hurry as this was heading for the trash and I am repairing this gratis. It looks just like this one being played by Doc around the same time period this one was built.

I love my job! :+1: Merry Christmas everyone :christmas_tree::heart::christmas_tree:

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What a find!

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I’ll take it off your hands. @DrGuitar1 Haha!

Maybe after many hours of work. I have a feeling this one is a keeper as the top is frighteningly loud and responsive. At this point I am just trying to repair a laundry list of loose braces, cracks, weak areas, and full length cracks. I probably should have taken the back off and worked from there, but I tend to fault to keeping the instrument as original as possible. Still, it is going to be an interesting instrument and as always a wonderful learning experience. :+1:

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