Here we have a really lovely 1958 Roger Junior arch top, finished in vibrant sunburst. One of the most expensive archtops available back then, a rare bird with state of the art sound: The Roger Junior Cutaway from the Mittenwald era of the Rossmeisl family still sets a benchmark. It is a heavy and massive piece of German archtop history.
It has the distinctive German carved top and back as well as a solid spruce top, carved out of a single piece of spruce. The back and sides are solid maple and the sides feature a lovely flamed maple and with the most glorious faux tortoise shell bindings and full width pearl block inlays, this makes for one stunning jazz guitar.
Given it’s 60+ years of age it is in excellent all-round condition, has a perfectly clean back with no buckle rash at all and aside from some previous possibly surface pick up mount small screw holes which have been filled, there are no noticeable knocks or dents anywhere. It is fitted with its original Roger air coil pick up and there has been it’s a pair of chicken head volume/tone knobs fitted. The volume pot works great, but the tone pot seems to have little or no functionality, however, that said, it would be a simple tech job to sort out. The neck is straight with a great action. There is little or no fret wear. The scratch plate is aftermarket. It is a very playable guitar and as a bonus is also fitted with a Framus palm tremolo and comes with it’s original hard shell case, which is also in great shape and latches perfectly. (The serial number is obscured in the ‘F’ hole so we cant say quote the Ser #, however, we have it on good authority that this is from 1958)
Overall this is one collectable piece of quality German Lutherie, and definitely worth serious consideration by both the player and or collector.
The History of the Roger Guitar Company:
The Roger guitar was crafted from the late 1950s until 1962 by Wenzel Rossmeisl, a German jazz guitarist and luthier. Rossmeisl named this guitar after his son, Roger Rossmeisl, who would follow in his father’s footsteps as an outstanding luthier. Both men graduated from the Mittenwald School with Roger earning a Master’s level degree. Consequently, father and son were influenced by their similar academic and practical training in late 19th century Northern German guitar design.
Even the casual observer will be captivated by the unique design and beautiful finish of this instrument. The elegant German carving on the top of the body accentuates the classic lines of the archtop. The binding on the front and back of the instrument highlights the thick body.
Prior to Wenzl’s making of the Roger series guitars, Roger Rossmeisl had moved to the United States in 1953. After only a brief stint with Gibson in Kalamazoo, Michigan. It would seem that a somewhat disenchanted Rossmeisl moved to California, perhaps due to his artistic temperament or as a result of his problems with alcohol.
After a brief period on the west coast, he eventually took up residence as a luthier with Rickenbacker in early 1954. Rickenbacker, as the name suggests, has a German connection with Adolph Rickenbacker. It was about to be influenced by more German ingenuity in a way that would forever change the look of the Company’s instruments.
Roger Rossmeisl, sometimes described as having an unorthodox manner, was responsible for the innovative design of a number of the Company’s instruments, most notably the Combo Series the Model 381 and the acoustic Jazzbo. He left Rickenbacker in 1962 shortly after the company moved to a new location in Santa Ana. He joined ranks with Fender and his flamboyant style is apparent in the Montego and LTD archtop electrics. He returned to Germany in the late 1970s and died in 1979 at the age of 52 years. Sadly, the brightest stars are sometimes short lived.
Payment
Payment can be done via PayPal, bank transfer, cheque or cash on collection!
Very important: If paying by PayPal, please note that we will only ship to confirmed Paypal addresses! Please double check your address is confirmed with Paypal!
Feel free to drop us an email for our bank details for SWIFT/BACS transfers and for any international shipping costs.
If paying by cheque, or collecting in person, please contact us on 07932 074096 to arrange.
Shipping
Our shipping policy is simple: We ship Guitars, Amps and Accessories to the UK, Europe & ROW. We’ve been shipping items to the UK and abroad for many years without any issues, as we always use the best and most reliable shipping companies. All guitars and amps will be shipped insured and tracked. So you can check your shipping status anytime. We always package them to the highest possible standard.
Note: All amps are preferably UK shipping or collection only. We rarely ship amps internationally, due to potential breakage, unless this is agreed separately. If you are outside Europe and are interested in any of our guitars or amps please contact us for a special shipping quote.
Returns
We operate a 48hr approval period for on-line mail order purchases only. Customers who buy goods in the RGG showroom can fully evaluate them prior to making the payment, and as such do not have this return and refund option available to them. The 48hr mail order returns period offered is with regard to either a problem with the guitar upon receipt, IE, the goods appear to have a defect that was not outlined in the sale listing or clearly not sold as advertised. If the purchaser wishes to return the goods for any other reason, then there will be a re-stocking fee of 10% of the original sale value & return carriage must be paid by the purchaser, there are no exceptions to these rules.
If you want to return an item please make contact for a returns authorisation. You have 2 days to try the instrument. We offer a full refund minus our shipping costs (including our cost of free shipping if applicable) It is the purchaser’s responsibility to organise the return promptly to the company in the condition it was received, using the original packaging and with a copy of the sales receipt. (We recommend you insure the item in transit). The item must be shipped back via a service comparable with which it was delivered, within 24 hours (Excluding weekends) upon receipt of the return authorization. Goods that have been altered from their original condition in any way cannot be returned.
Any items returned after the 48hr agreed approval period, and not exceeding more than two weeks, are subject to a 10% re-stocking fee, based on of the original sale value of the goods. PayPal, Credit/Debit card refunds will be processed immediately upon receipt of the returned goods and normally take 3-5 working days to show on the customer’s account. Bank transfer and cash purchase payments will be refunded by Bank transfer to your nominated bank.
