ShortScale.org

my son's good friend brought this over last night for me to set up.



It's allegedly a Hofner though I've never seen one like it.

It's really well made, feels like a good piece of hard wood, fretless.

Any clues? I'm intrigued.

Ok of course right after I post this it comes up in google

it's a Hohner Bartell Black Widow.

Would've guessed central european origin, japanese designed zanyness tends to have a more molten character. Good to know it's Hohner, also good the same people didnt design the harmonicas. Or maybe they used their traditional attitudes and rulers on that department only.

Looks like a Hohner to me.

it was actually American designed and built for Hohner. Paul Barth was the maker and designer, he worked at National, Rickenbacker and Magnatone prior.

here's the best website about him I've found.

A fantastic read that was!

Is the back of it padded??? Either way it looks really nice

kingkiller wrote:Is the back of it padded??? Either way it looks really nice

easier on your ball rub

Oh baby, I'd love a Black Widow.

I was going to guess Musima/Jolana

Are those markers or frets for just the E string?

plopswagon wrote:

kingkiller wrote:Is the back of it padded??? Either way it looks really nice

easier on your ball rub

*stands up, unzips pants, puts bass on shoulder*

Black Widow. Hendrix played a left handed guitar version of it

Nick wrote:I was going to guess Musima/Jolana

Are those markers or frets for just the E string?

Markers. Pretty cool.


I had no idea this was what I would be working on. 0 fret and the nut is metal with holes drilled in it for the strings. The bridge height “adjustment� screws are both for mounting and height so you have to fudge around a lot to get them right but my favorite feature is the neck angle adjustment. The two screws in the back of the heal hold the neck in place and then the screw just behind the bridge pickup is attached to a long piece of the neck. Wild.