 |
Aftermarket Report: Mid-60s Regal R-210 Standard Size Flat Top Spanish Guitar
This 60 year old guitar is hanging in there; a few years ago there was a brief period when it was the only acoustic that owned. I actually had another, but they had to be returned.
To make a long story short: I had agreed to be an opening act as a solo acoustic guitar player for this benefit and was planning to take a new Recording King banjo and their “Bakersfield” tribute guitar. The banjo was relatively new and I had actually recorded it a little bit on some demos to test out the sound and realized that it had some problems staying in tune and in the case of the Bakersfield tribute, it was an excellent guitar but unfortunately had to be returned because of a cracked bridge. Since it was still under warranty, I took it back and had to leave it because it wasna special edition in which only two were distributed to each Guitar Center.
In other words, the store couldn’t replace them so I was refunded on the guitar and banjo. However, the benefit was only a week away and the only guitar I had left was the old Regal. I ended up doing my fully planned 40 minute set with it and the charango. The two banjo instrumentals were done on the capo’d off Regal.
The main reason I relate this story is to illustrate that I trusted that guitar. If you read the previous review on this R210, you’ll see that I found a lot of virtues in it even though it was an entry-level guitar. Starting last year, it was given a further test with the addition of a Gibson, Yamaha and an Ibanez; it goes without saying that none of the guitars stood up to the Gibson, but the Yamaha and Ibanez were sold off, and I kept the Regal.
As far as assessing the guitar since the last review and over its 60 year life, one has to take into account that though the wood held up well, I can’t say it aged in the sense that we think of with acoustic guitars. This Regal may not have aged like a fine wine but it may have been one of those that came out of the factory being a little better than its companions in the same model line. It’s not unusual for guitars on the same production line to have differences in quality and tone.
It actually sounded a little better than the Ibanez and while it wasn’t quite as resonant as the Yamaha, I liked the tone better and will be the first to admit there’s probably a lot of psychological factors involved.
It was clear to me when playing it in front of an audience, was that since there was a good PA system that night, I could afford to lay back and play it a lot more subtly and as a result the guitar had a lot more depth live than it might’ve normally have had on, say, an outdoor stage. The guitar was up to the task.
When I talk about psychological factors, one of them certainly is that I've always liked the brand. I’ve had Regals in the past and had one of their resonator guitars that were quite good and are now priced well above their old original retail cost.
Another one of the reasons I kept it was because the neck; I’m used to it after after owning it for a few years and even though both the Yamaha and Ibanez had nice modern C necks, it was a matter of what I’m used to and comfortable with. Also, being somebody who enjoys 20s blues, I think my ear is definitely attuned to ladder braced guitars which were the dominant form back in the 20s and 30s. So there’s that connection also, another psychological factor even though a lot of modern players might prefer the Yamaha or Ibanez.
Listening to the recordings of that gig afterwards, I was impressed that the tone had a bit of small-body Gibson in its bones. So the aftermarket report in this case would say there’s been not much change from the previous review and after comparing it with some more modern guitars recently, it held its own.
In terms of what I would recommend, if you run across one that’s playable, give it a try; you might like it. It’s certainly nothing to turn your nose up at. I think mine survived for 60 years because a lot of people heard what I heard and kept playing it. When it comes to vintage guitars, it’s not always about the specs or the wood.
Al Handa
Aug 8, 2026
“The mid-60s Regal R-210 Standard Size Flat Top Spanish Guitar was a student model (economy) with a three-quarter-sized fretboard. It was considered a parlor guitar but with a slightly larger-sized body.
The specs included mahogany sides and bottom and a spruce top.”
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
