Barker Guitars - Any owners out there?

[floatingpickup]

Ran across Mr.deacon Mark's entry about Bill Barker who made mention of Bill Hollenbeck. I met Mr. Hollenbeck a couple times at guitar trade shows. I really enjoyed our discussions. He was helpful to me personally in becoming a luthier. Mr. Bill would answer any question I placed to him about building, tuning, construction methods you name it. I hope he is doing well. After seeing the Barkers, I can see the influences on Mr. Hollenbeck. It is good to see both of their names on the internet and especially JazzGuitar.

Bill hollenbeck passed away a few years ago. https://groups.google.com/forum/m/#!...zz/zEPSDZG1w4U
Keith

[Greentone]

Just a stray Barker trivium: The Grand Dame of jazz guitar, Mary Osborne, played a Barker guitar in her later career.

[rgc]

Price drop for my 1966 W.G. Barker archtop guitar.
New asking price: EUR 3100.

[Greentone]

rgc,

Your Barker is a beauty! Do you have it posted under Gear/Sale? That's where it will get the most views by people who are looking to buy. Tempted, by the way. Is that a one-piece top?

[pmguitar]

Any Barkers out there that are available?

[tusculum]

I have placed my Barker 18 inch 1969 model - a beauty - see details on the "For Sale" part of the Gear page.

[whollymoly]

George Gruhn has a nice one on his site
Keith

Not any more!

[jasethebop]

I know that I am replying to a thread that is quite old now,the last post being six
months ago...but I have a Barker..it is "on borrowed trade" right now between myself and a close friend.He has a magnificent blonde Heritage Golden Eagle,#52 of mine and I have his Barker,#3470. She is blonde and she has a most unusual inlay of The Star Of David on the headstock and tailpiece.I have been calling her "Star Of David"...and a friend recently referred to her as "King David",which I liked the sound of!

Anyhow...

In my travels,I have not seen another Barker like this one (not that I have seen many Barkers out there period!)
I sent an email to Billy Cook asking about it..but never heard back.
If anyone out there sees this post,any information on this instrument would be greatly appreciated.

She is truly a magnificent instrument..old and beat up a bit...with lots of finish checking..I have set her up with light flats-an .11 set with a .12 on the top..and she plays like buttered glass with a projection as loud as any carved top I have ever heard...


Thanks for your time

[HeyNow]

I know that I am replying to a thread that is quite old now,the last post being six
months ago...but I have a Barker..it is "on borrowed trade" right now between myself and a close friend.He has a magnificent blonde Heritage Golden Eagle,#52 of mine and I have his Barker,#3470. She is blonde and she has a most unusual inlay of The Star Of David on the headstock and tailpiece.I have been calling her "Star Of David"...and a friend recently referred to her as "King David",which I liked the sound of!

Anyhow...

In my travels,I have not seen another Barker like this one (not that I have seen many Barkers out there period!)
I sent an email to Billy Cook asking about it..but never heard back.
If anyone out there sees this post,any information on this instrument would be greatly appreciated.

She is truly a magnificent instrument..old and beat up a bit...with lots of finish checking..I have set her up with light flats-an .11 set with a .12 on the top..and she plays like buttered glass with a projection as loud as any carved top I have ever heard...


Thanks for your time

Can we see pictures?! I'm sure it's a lovely instrument.

[jasethebop]

[college harry]

That is a fascinating guitar.No3470 presumably finished on March 4th 1970 if Jack's widow's information is right - or Guitar no 34 and manufactured in 1970 if every one else is.
I wonder who it was made for?
college harry

[Jabberwocky]

Martin Taylor's Barker archtop was a 21st birthday gift from Ike Isaacs.

[AGM]

What a fabulous guitar......congratulations!

I love my W.G. Barker guitar.......it's light with incredible electric tone. Acoustically it's lovely also. The way Mr Barker built his instruments in coordination with the DeArmond pickup was a stroke of genius.

[deacon Mark]

I played my Dad's Barker last night for about an hour. This was made 03-15-1965 serial number is one before Martin Taylor's, his is 9 mine 8. Barker told me he made maybe 15 guitars before he started serial numbers, I have no reason to doubt it directly but Barker could exaggerate. He said the IRS started asking questions about guitars because no serial numbers how did he track them?

He built the guitars in Toledo till about 1967-68 moved back to Peoria area. It was during that time he change the body style to have a less pinched waist and bracing went to modified Y. Previous he used only a single transverse bass bar and the 1965 has this bracing. My own on Barker made in 1971 has the new body style and the inlay in pearl. This has the different bracing and I believe Bill was going for a more responsive top at all frequencies, the volume of the single braces guitars tend to be a bit more I think. My 1965 does sound different but has the typical Barker sound that I know from playing and being around so many.

Interesting that when Bill Hollenbeck started making his own guitars he used a similar bracing pattern but modified the carving and depth at various points on the top. He also went with a higher brake over the bridge and set his neck angle at 4.5 degrees. Barker guitars have a shallow neck angle of some at 3.5 degrees. Many think these need reset but that is the way they were designed. Hollenbeck told me he clearly did not like the neck angle that low.

In comparing my Hollenbeck to the 2 Barkers, it is a bit difficult because the Hollenbeck is an 18 and the Barker's are both 17. My Hollenbeck has much more power and sound at most levels. The bass response of my Hollenbeck is really nice an round, big and warm. The older Barker does has a particular cutting sound that the Hollenbeck does not, almost more treble and cutting. My 1971 Barker has less volume that either of them but it really shines on things like Johnny Smith type arrangements. It really is a toss up but if I had to go play an acoustic archtop gig no amp, the Hollenbeck with Bronze strings and move up my low action setting, would be heard no issues. Yet the Hollenbeck retains a warm solo sound for single lines and chord melody.

I suppose I could do a pic so folks could see the difference, let me if interested.

[AGM]

Deacon Mark,

Yes, please post any pictures you have of your Barker instruments. You Dad's Barker sounds really cool.

[jasethebop]

That is a fascinating guitar.No3470 presumably finished on March 4th 1970 if Jack's widow's information is right - or Guitar no 34 and manufactured in 1970 if every one else is.
I wonder who it was made for?
college harry

"Who was it made for?"

Yes Harry..that is indeed the million dollar question..

#3470's current owner has had her for, I believe,going on 30 years..

He got #3470 in Florida as a teenaged student..around 1990 or so..

He said that the guitar had been through quite the journey when he got her..he bought her through a teacher he had been studying with..nobody knew anything about the guitar at all..nothing on a former-or original owner at all..
"The Star Of David" is back with my friend and I have my Golden Eagle back home again..but I will not forget that Barker..and always wonder who that guitar was made for..
I am adding a few more pics my wife had taken of her...

[jasethebop]

I think Mark posts here once in a while, but I can't remember his handle.

EDIT: Oops sorry, old thread. Anyway, it's "deacon Mark."

[jasethebop]

Martin Taylor's Barker archtop was a 21st birthday gift from Ike Isaacs.

[AGM]

This is my favourite picture of "Bill Barker" with his 1949-1950 Epiphone Deluxe Regent.

[bmjared]

"Who was it made for?"

Yes Harry..that is indeed the million dollar question..

#3470's current owner has had her for, I believe,going on 30 years..

He got #3470 in Florida as a teenaged student..around 1990 or so..

He said that the guitar had been through quite the journey when he got her..he bought her through a teacher he had been studying with..nobody knew anything about the guitar at all..nothing on a former-or original owner at all...

"The Star Of David" is back with my friend and I have my Golden Eagle back home again..but I will not forget that Barker..and always wonder who that guitar was made for...

I am adding a few more pics my wife had taken of her.

I think I may have found the answer to your question regarding the original owner of the “Star of David” guitar.

Bill Barker is my great grandfather’s brother. I was reading one of the articles today that was given to me by family and was excited when I saw the “Star of David” guitar referenced.

I’ve attached the article. The article is from a local Peoria newspaper dated Sept 21, 1974.

It looks like it was originally built for a Jewish plumber from Chicago.

[deacon Mark]

Jack was around but he did not really know that much about building guitars. He did some things in the shop but Bill really was the person doing most of the work.

[bmjared]

Jack was around but he did not really know that much about building guitars. He did some things in the shop but Bill really was the person doing most of the work.

Mark, that's what I understood as well. My uncle David was the one who passed on the information to me and seemed to know the most about Bill. Unfortunately he passed away a few years ago. His Barker guitar I believe is still with his wife and in the family.

I'd really love to own one of his guitars but they so rarely come for sale.

[deacon Mark]

Well I will always be on the lookout for them. I know folks who have them but rarely play them.

Also in last years Bill Hollenbeck and Billy Cook did a lot of work on Barker guitars. In fact Bill Hollenbeck’s Barker he actually made it just came out of Barkers shop so it was a Barker guitar. However Barker just was supervising the build. Cook too, who bought his shop.

[bmjared]

Well I will always be on the lookout for them. I know folks who have them but rarely play them.

Also in last years Bill Hollenbeck and Billy Cook did a lot of work on Barker guitars. In fact Bill Hollenbeck’s Barker he actually made it just came out of Barkers shop so it was a Barker guitar. However Barker just was supervising the build. Cook too, who bought his shop.

Interesting information! I know that my Uncle David purchased his guitar from Bill Cook and the way he described it to me was that Cook would only let it go because he was a family member.

[AGM]

I think I may have found the answer to your question regarding the original owner of the “Star of David” guitar.

Bill Barker is my great grandfather’s brother. I was reading one of the articles today that was given to me by family and was excited when I saw the “Star of David” guitar referenced.

I’ve attached the article. The article is from a local Peoria newspaper dated Sept 21, 1974.

It looks like it was originally built for a Jewish plumber from Chicago.

Fantastic! Bmjared......Do you have any more material that you could share on Mr Barker and his guitars?