Somewhat of a rarity in the vintage archtop guitars, the Ideal branded guitars are said to have been rebranded Epiphone guitars, very similar to the Zenith model.  The overall construction is certainly very similar  with the same 25.5" scale length of an Epiphone. These Ideal guitars were also made in NYC which fits.  The guitar features a hand carved, graduated spruce top with maple back and sides which appear to be made of laminated woods. The headstock logo and diamond are original to the guitar, but all other hardware items have been replaced.  The tuners are a modern Kluson Deluxe style type which work very well.  The tailpiece is a modern Frequensator reproduction, and the bridge is a GraphTech Resomax.  I have found the Resomax bridges to work quite well on these old archtops that are lacking their original wooden bridges.  They really seem to function every bit as well as the wood ones that these guitars orginally came with.  The guitar was obviously refinished with what appears to be some sort of a wipe on varnish and not done professionally.  Fortunately, its a finish that allows the guitar to resonate fully.  There are also a couple of repaired top cracks.
 
The neck angle is good and the neck is straight.  The neck has a chunky, nearly C-shaped carve with just a hint of V.  The frets are in very good condition with a lot of life left in them. The guitar plays well and really sounds very good.  It has a lot of headroom with a typical, expected mid-range focus.  It actually has a bit more tonal color than the majority of acoustic archtops as well.  This guitar is a real bargain for the vintage archtop market.  It's not the prettiest, but it has the sound.
 
Weight - 4.5 pounds
Nut width - 1.74 inches
1st fret depth - 0.97 inches
9th fret depth - 1.14 inches
Scale length - 25.5 inches
 
The guitar comes with an era correct hardshell case which is likely original.  The locking hinge hasp is missing, but the other three latches work well.  The hinge in the headstock area works, but the hinge in the body area is detached from the lid and should be repaired if intending on using the case regularly.
 
Ships free in the United States. Can be shipped worldwide for reasonable rates.