Serial#: 1836. Born in 1905, John D'Angelico began his career as an apprentice in his Uncle Raffaele Ciani's shop making violins, mandolins, and flattop guitars. He established his own shop on Kenmare Street, in New York City's Little Italy in the early 1930s producing archtop guitars. He quickly established a reputation for producing instruments of the highest caliber. D'Angelico's instruments are still the standard against which arch top guitars are measured.

This "Mel Bay" model was made for renowned music educator Mel Bay who not only played D'Angelico guitars and used a picture of his own D'Angelico New Yorker on the cover of his Modern Guitar Method, but he also sold them in the St, Louis area. This is instrument is one of just eight "Mel Bay" models logged in the D'Angelico ledger. It has a build date of 11/04/1950. This instrument has been professionally restored.

VG; replaced tuners, missing a strap holder on the headstock, some slight cracks on bass bout, scratch on back