Description

If bling’s your thing, but you care about tone and quality, you’ll love this instrument.

At first glance you may be thinking Harmony or Silvertone, but in fact, this stunning little 1950s guitar is a Premiere. Perhaps the silver sparkle for the pickguard and knob inserts was drum laminate. The plate on the back of the headstock reads “Multivox Corporation of America New York, NY. Made in USA”.

Multivox guitars were produced by Peter Sorkin Music Company. They were a New York City based business who produced amplifiers, guitars, and basses from 1938-1975 and again in the 1990s. Bantam’s were produced from the 1950s-1960s.

The two pickup Bantam Deluxe model is very rare and this is the most desirable (early) version in completely original condition. It plays incredibly well and those pickups sound fantastic (more about them in a moment). The guitar is extremely high quality, and was probably more expensive in its day than the Gibson 175 D.

There is moderate to heavy player wear evident on this guitar, particularly on the back of the neck. A mark is just visible on the top in the upper bout above frets 18-20 where a small nameplate had been attached.

Small in body, big in sound, this Bantam Deluxe is very comfortable to play. The neck profile is a little deeper than the 59 Les Paul and the fingerboard communicates quality. It has a 25” scale length so the fretboard is the normal size. But if you can stop admiring its looks long enough to plug in and play it you discover that this guitar has the most amazing sounding pickups. Single coil, rich toned, very strong and believed to be made by Rowe of Toledo, Ohio. These white potted pickups are the earliest and most sought-after form used by Premier, the later ones were metal cased or Japanese made.

The original case is worth a mention too. It may look like a standard Gibson cardboard case, but look again. Although it’s not a wooden hard case, it is a properly-constructed and high quality finished case, with red plush lining, proper shipping case-style clasps, decent handle and stitched reinforced edging.

Setup with D’Addario 11s, this guitar is a real joy to play and a delight to own.

From the original Multivox catalogue

New zephyr-weight, small size cutaway guitars destined for favor by all who try them. Extremely easy to handle...light in weight...perfectly proportioned for your better performing pleasure. Body only 13 1/2" wide. Complete weight only 5 1/2 lbs

Meticulously crafted guitars with slim, fast-action necks with adjustable steel rods, nickel sliver speed frets rosewood fingerboard. Body and fingerboard ivoroid bound. Equipped with fully adjustable bridge, exclusive compensating tailpiece, individual metal button machine head and deluxe designed pick guard. Choice of 3 beautiful finishes with one or two pickups with individual volume controls plus and overall tone control and convenient rhythm-solo switch.

Premiere Bantam Deluxe features

• 13½” wide flat back, arched top body with single cutaway and two F-holes
• Small body (¾ size) finished in sunburst
• 1-11/16” width at nut, deep 50s neck profile
• 20 fret rosewood fingerboard with large round pearloid inlays
• 25” scale length
• Open back individual tuners Waverleys?
• Stepped nickel plated solid metal tailpiece
• Ebony adjustable bridge
• Pickup selector switch (longer throw than Gibson style)
• Twin single coil white potted pickups
• Individual volume controls knobs, master tone knob
• Special silver sparkly pickguard, switchplate and knob inserts

Multivox tags

Premiere Bantam Deluxe, Multivox, Premiere, small body guitar, vintage Guitar, investment, collecting, sunburst, silver sparkle, vintage bling, DeArmond, Rowe pickup, vintage and rare guitars