Mike wrote:
Quote:
Originally Posted by 00-28
From the pictures, I'm having a hard time identifying the back and side wood. Looking in the soundhole, it looks like stained Birch. The outside looks like the wood character is painted or stained on for a rosewood appearance. The hint of this comes from the chip or scrape on the back where the wood looks quite blonde.
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I agree with Mike - this appears to have painted wood grain imitating Brazilian rosewood on the back and sides. The fingerboard is quite possibly birch, as well - whatever it is, the pigmentation has clearly worn off on those parts of the fingerboard that have received the most use.
This could be from either the 19th or 20th Centuries, as this style of guitar was made well into the 1930's. From what I've seen, painted faux rosewood on guitars was probably most common between about 1890 and 1910, so that's when I would bet this guitar was made. But that's just speculation on my part, and shouldn't be taken as anything more than that.
Mike continued:
Quote:
Originally Posted by 00-28
It is also hard to tell if the guitar has binding or the edges are just worn exposing the unfinished wood. Whatever it is, looks like a fun project.
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Well, on the back the "binding" is just unpainted birch or beech or whatever that wood is. It's too regular and consistent to be accidental or the result of the paint being rubbed off there. If that's what had happened, there'd be some spots where the paint remained.
So the faux "binding" around the faux "rosewood" back is just where they had the back masked off while it was being painted.
It should be clear by now that this was never an expensive instrument. But that's okay, it makes up for it in soul!
Sunbgroove, could you take a closeup photo of the large chip on the back where the lighter wood is showing from underneath? As I scrolled through the pictures you did provide that's the one I wanted to see the most.
Anyway, as others have said, this looks like a fun project. Please keep us posted on your progress.
Wade Hampton Miller