# ID a cheapie acoustic - "B&S Grange Toronto" ?



## devnulljp

Found a cheapie acoustic - does "B&S Grange Toronto" ring any bells with anyone?


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## ZeroFret

pics?.......................Need Pics


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## devnulljp

This is as good as it gets unfortunately. Looks like a garage sale special...?
Looking for something low-tech for slide, so a lot of the usual concerns are out the window: overtones, colour, decent action aren't important.
Like a Harmony or a Stella.


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## rbbambino

Wow.. look at that bridge... Hmmm $2 special. If you want to learn how to replace frets or perhaps how to reset/unset a neck.. maybe unglue or reglue, then this is the special for you!!! If you want something to play, look for something in the $5+ range! Sarcasim, but I couldn't help myself.


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## devnulljp

rbbambino said:


> Wow.. look at that bridge... Hmmm $2 special. If you want to learn how to replace frets or perhaps how to reset/unset a neck.. maybe unglue or reglue, then this is the special for you!!! If you want something to play, look for something in the $5+ range! Sarcasim, but I couldn't help myself.


Yeah, I know...looks like a bit of a hanging plant pot.


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## ZeroFret

Thanks for the pic. It looks like a pretty cool slide guitar for sure!:banana:

That bridge looks funky...but hey if it's cheap why not?


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## devnulljp

ZeroFret said:


> Thanks for the pic. It looks like a pretty cool slide guitar for sure!:banana:
> 
> That bridge looks funky...but hey if it's cheap why not?


I'm leaning toward it's a plant pot waiting to happen 
THink I'll hold out for something in the $5 bin (the guy's not asking much, but I think he's asking _too_ much...)


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## xuthal

i say go for it man,i have an old silvertone that looks something like that and it sounds good.Reminds me of robert johnson and the greats when i play slide on it.Great guitars if you cant afford a vintage gibson like me


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## Tone Chaser

I came across a similar guitar with the same B&S branding. The guitar model is called the "Grange".

B&S stands for Beare & Son. Other associated names are R. B. Beare, and J. A. Beare. There are other names that get involved with this company late in the '60's though the '90's. The original company is a London England storefront in the late 1800's. They were a dealer, not a manufacturer. They had a storefront in Toronto Ontario. I have seen paperwork (catalog), from 1921. I think they were on 63 Bay St. (if I recall correctly). They often commissioned U.S. made instruments. The word "Gibson" is thrown around, and there were many other suppliers. Some brass type instruments were Italian made, etc. 

I have also seen a B & S Michigan (Kalamazoo I think it said), mandolin banjo in person, as well as read about them. "Michigan" is the brand name, just like "Grange" is a brand name. The "Michigan" instrument that I am talking about is in the 1966 Beare and Son catalog. (I read that on the internet in my search; the photo of the page didn't show up on my computer).

So the "B&S Grange Toronto" guitar can be 50-70 years old or so.

I recently cleaned it up and have yet to restring it. The last 4 remaining strings may be originals. The action is pretty high with no truss rod visible at this time. The people that gave it to me said that their grandfather bought it for them at a vintage resale shop several years ago. They wanted it to go to a home where it would be appreciated.

I will post pictures when I get them on my computer.


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## Tone Chaser

There is a picture of the ink stamped serial # in the sound hole, and a couple of picture of the funky plastic/ bakelite material, adjustable bridge. This is what makes me think that it is from the '50's. That just might have been jet age or early space age thinking.

I need to take more pictures of the guitar.


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## King Loudness

I had a sunburst one that had that Grange label on it. Wasn't a bad slide guitar, I got it when I was a kid and played it along with an old Silvertone from the late '60s when I was in my blues phase. I always assumed it was from the '40s or '50s. Cool to find out a little more about them!

W.


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## Tone Chaser

Still can't get pictures to post they way that they are edited, but I guess you still get the picture.

This is a picture of the top of the headstock a few minutes after it was given to me. It was very dusty and took a fair amount of cleaning.


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## Tone Chaser

*Re: ID a cheapie acoustic - &quot;B&amp;S Grange Toronto&quot; ?*











































































Had trouble getting these pictures to transfer from my phone to the computer.

On the pick guard you can see where the price tag once was.

I know that this is not an important post, just interesting to see the way things were at one time.

- - - Updated - - -









A better shot of where I think the price tag was.


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## Tone Chaser

*Re: ID a cheapie acoustic - &quot;B&amp;S Grange Toronto&quot; ?*

I saw one of these yesterday at a pawn shop in Chatham Ontario. It has been in the Chatham area for a very long time in several stores. It is not for sale. The owner of the shop just likes having it around.


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## Lorne

Bought one today in Toronto complete with a case in good condition. The guitar is in great shape with what looks like original strings. It tuned up right away but l'll leave it overnight to see if it stays in tune. I hate to change the strings to new ones if the old ones still play. Looking forward to trying a little blues on it. All for $80 (there were 7 music books and a vintage capo and pitch tuner in the case as well). Every once in a while ya get lucky lol. The bridge is different than the one shown in the pics but I'm used to a floating bridge with my Harmony archtops.


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## Tone Chaser

Lorne said:


> Bought one today in Toronto complete with a case in good condition


Hi Lorne, welcome to the forum. Can you post a picture? This is an old post that comes up every so often and it looks like many of the original pictures did not survive the forum "move".

I am almost certain that there are a few versions of the "Grange" guitar.

I would certainly change out the strings for new ones for better tone. 50 to 60 year old strings must be rusty and painful to play, as well as dead sounding.


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## harrym

I got a brand new Grange for my 15th birthday in 1963. Took lessons with it and about 6 months later after I learned to play I got a better guitar. Don't have it anymore, my younger brother got ahold of it and that was that.


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## Tone Chaser

So, early '60's for sure. That's cool. I was guessing that or late '50's. I am glad you shared that harrym.


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