Levin lm26

Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Steve Croft on February 13, 2010 at 5:43am

Hi Matt. The Levin model LM-26 was available between 1958-64, before becoming the LN-26. The serial number can be found stamped into the top of the headstock, let me know the first three dgits, and I`ll gladly date it for you.

Steve.

Permalink Reply by Anders Tranmark on February 15, 2010 at 1:01pm

Hi!
You can see the dating on the swedish company site called www.gitarren.se
There are all guitars listed made in Göteborg, Sweden from start and till the end 1978
It seems wierd to have the digits on the inside.
I thought they always was placed on top of the headstock.
According to that site it should have been made in 1945
If you really like Levin guitars you should visit the swedish site of www.blocket.se
Search under " musikinstrument"
You can find some old ones there quite often.
Good luck
Anders

Permalink Reply by matt welch on February 21, 2010 at 11:08am

On closer inspection there is a number on the headstock. Using the date chart I find that it is a 1963 model. I don't know what the number inside the guitar refers to. Here's a pic and a page from a 1962 UK catalogue which i found on the net. The guitar is going to Joe White who is a local luthier for restoration. It sounds great but is in need of some work.

Attachments:

• levin.jpg, 80 KB
• GoliathforMagnus.jpg, 64 KB

Permalink Reply by Steve Croft on February 22, 2010 at 10:35am

Hi Matt, I saw that one, on ebay the other week, and nearly got it, because it is a 63, and 63 is my birth year. I have a 62 which has had a bit of work done recently, and is a fine guitar, so I am sure it will not take too much to get yours back up to scratch. Just a couple of points to remember, these guitars have bolt on necks, so it is a lot easier to do a neck reset on, and the original bridgepins, were of White plastic, and I think the guitar looks so much better with Rosewood ones with MOP dots.

Here is my 62 to help with reference, notice the pickguard.
[IMG]http://i233.photobucket.com/albums/ee74/frenchie_044/Levin001.jpg[/IMG]

Good luck, and post some pictures when your Levin is finished.

Steve.

Permalink Reply by matt welch on February 23, 2010 at 1:05pm

Sorry I outbid you! As you know, I paid quite a bit for this one. It does sound great and the action is good.

There is a crack on the lower side which is about 1 ft long and the back has some nasty damage. Also the white srip under the fretboard is missing. The bridge pins were interesting to say the least!

The retoration will involve soem drastic steps....including breaking the headstock to mend some damage.

Despite all this it is a great guitar! I have several guitars an this one will be a peach when it's finished.

Thanks for the picture of yours, It looks great.

Matt

Permalink Reply by Magnus Hultin on June 17, 2010 at 11:55am

Funny, Matt.

The picture from the 1962 UK magazine was sent to me as email-attacment some yars ago by a brittish gentleman. I am that Magnus. Things sure do get spread around on the internet.

/Magnus

Permalink Reply by Ted Hechtman on March 4, 2010 at 10:32pm

Levin version of Goya M-26.

Non-cutaway.
Goliath size:
Body width: 400 mm.
Body length: 505 mm.
Body depth: 95/120 mm.
Fingerboard width: 43 mm.
Scale length: 630 mm.
Spruce top.
Flame maple back & sides.
4-ply bound top.
Single-bound back.
Mahogany bolt-on neck with adjustable truss rod.
Metal truss rod cover with a star and "1900".
Single-bound rosewood fingerboard with centered pearl dot inlay.
Rosewood bridge.
Nickel plated tuners.
Sunburst finish.

Marketed by U.K. distributors as Goliath Model 1795.

Introduced: ca 1958

Permalink Reply by Jon Harris on April 4, 2010 at 3:58am

Hi, I have what looks to be a 1964 Levin LM 26 (S/N 438678). I bought it from a fellow student back in about 1966/67.

It was in fairly good condition but with signs of having led a robust life and there was a dink on the bottom edge toward the back. No matter, she sounded INCREDIBLE, though the action was high and a little hard to play.

I had the dink fixed and varnished, adequate but not the neatest repair. I can't bring myself to get this re-done as it has done it's job over the last 40 years.

In the mid / late 70s something happened to cause the neck to move. I took it to a well known guitar shop just off Oxford Street in London. They charged quite a lot and kept the instrument for several months. When I got it back it was unplayable, they had reset the neck with a ridiculously high action.

I put it back in it's case, left it in the attic for 35 years while busy raising a family. Started playing again last year, got myself a fender electric which I learned how to set up. At the same time I also got a cheap Dreadnought/Jumbo in memory of the Levin but it sounded complete rubbish.

So I got the Levin out, did some internet research and discovered that it had a bolt on neck with two square holed bolts. It turned out to be a very simple exercise to adjust the neck and the action is really good now. (I didn't have internet back in the 60's).

The guitar sounds even better than I remember, perhaps the 35 years in the attic has matured it even more. I play for my grandson who is already showing clear musical preference. He pulls a face when I play folksy chords but definitely smiles when I break into the blues.

Permalink Reply by matt welch on April 4, 2010 at 10:48am

Nice story. It always worried me when people say the store guitars in the attic as the temparatutre and humidity change so much!

Permalink Reply by Ted Hechtman on June 7, 2010 at 10:25pm

Hi I need to adjust the action on my TS14 . Could you let me know where you found the informationb on how to adjust the neck? Thanks. Ted Hechtman,

Permalink Reply by Magnus Hultin on September 5, 2010 at 7:06am

Ted,

My advice would be www.frets.com

Frank Ford gives very understandable and illustrative descriptions on how to determine what Your instrument needs in terms of setup work, and most often also useful descriptions on how to do it.

The T-14 and S-14 (which is Yours?) has a bolted neck, and it is fairly easy to reset the neck to get Your action down, if there is now room left to lower the saddle.

If it is only little needed, You can eve do it without loosening the fretboard extension, which is glued to the guitars top. Just loosen the bolts and drag sandpaper between the neck heel and the guitars side. I think the principle is described at frets.com

/Magnus

Permalink Reply by Ted Hechtman on September 5, 2010 at 8:17am

Thanks as always Magnus. Right now I am refinishing an old parlor guitar from the 1950's or so. My first project. Last night I experimented with bending wood. Took an old wooden fruit crate and boiled the wood and then bent it around a cooking pot. I was delighted that it worked. I admit to having some nervousness about the T-14 but will most probably start working on it within the next month or so. My N-21 is one of my favorite guitars along with a Guild DCE-1. My TS-4 is such a compact 12. I will keep you informed with the progress on the TS-4. Thanks for your help. It is deeply appreciated.

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