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  #1  
Old 01-27-2020, 09:13 PM
Sam Bowdeen Sam Bowdeen is offline
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Unhappy Parlor Guitar Needs an Origin Story

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I've been trying to match a make and a model to this parlor guitar which goes back at least as far as the 1890s, and perhaps even older than that. I can't find any numbers or indicators on the instrument itself, but there's nothing, nor did a match for the diamond rosette pattern turn up which I did a couple of image searches. I'm hoping someone in this forum might be able to help me solve this mystery.
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Old 01-27-2020, 10:12 PM
frankmcr frankmcr is offline
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Parlor Guitar Needs an Origin Story

"And finally the guy says to me, 'You be sure and take care of that guitar now, boy. That there guitar is the very one that Billy Gashade played, the first ever time he sang the Ballad of Jesse James.'!"


I'm sure you can make up the first part yourself. Have fun!
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  #3  
Old 01-28-2020, 02:33 AM
Wade Hampton Wade Hampton is offline
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I can't tell you anything about the guitar's origins, although it definitely appears to be of professional quality. I don't think I've ever seen a fiddleback maple one piece back quite like that one - it's very cool.

One thing I that I can tell you, though, Sam, is that the guitar was almost certainly intended and braced for gut strings, not the steel strings that are on it now. Bridge pins and pinned bridges were originally designed for and used with gut strings - when they were being restrung, a knot was tied in the end of the gut string and the bridge pin was wedged in on top of it.

Having steel strings on there is probably why the action is as sky high as it is.

The use of ball ends on steel strings was a later adaptation so they could be used on guitars with pinned bridges. But at the time this guitar was built, any steel strings that were available would have had loop ends, like the loop end steel strings that are still used on banjos and mandolins to this day.

Ball end nylon strings are available from several manufacturers, notably LaBella and Ernie Ball. Those are a much safer bet on that gorgeous, glorious old parlor guitar.

Hope this helps.


Wade Hampton Miller
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Old 01-28-2020, 05:35 AM
Parlorman Parlorman is offline
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Cool instrument. I don’t have any idea about the maker. Good luck with your detective work.
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Guitars:

1910's Larson/Stetson 1 size guitar
1920 Martin 1-28
1987 Martin Schoenberg Soloist
2006 Froggy Bottom H-12 Deluxe
2016 Froggy Bottom L Deluxe
2021 Blazer and Henkes 000-18 H
2015 Rainsong P12
2017 Probett Rocket III
2006 Sadowsky Semi Hollow
1993 Fender Stratocaster

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Mandolin: Weber Bitterroot
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Old 01-28-2020, 07:45 AM
Norsepicker Norsepicker is offline
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Default Tomastik infield

Tomastick infield classical strings are another possibility. Nylon tension but steel string sound. I put them on my 19th century parlor when it was going to belly and pull up the bridge.
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Old 01-28-2020, 07:52 AM
Howard Emerson Howard Emerson is offline
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Sam,
Check your private messages.

Howard
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Old 01-28-2020, 09:14 AM
roylor4 roylor4 is offline
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Yeah. Man that is COOL! I was going to make particular mention of the back wood, but Wade beat me to it. I have never seen anything quite like it.

Good luck in finding some information on it.
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Old 01-28-2020, 09:29 AM
ship of fools ship of fools is offline
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Default Not sure

But the head stock kind of reminds me a early French made Lacote guitars around the 1870's. Sorry can't find the picture of I had a of a Lacote but mine had a moustache/smiley style bridge was a earlier model from around 1830ish.
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Old 01-28-2020, 10:15 AM
photorc photorc is offline
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Similar rosettes go back to at least the Spanish guitars of Cadiz from the mid 1800’s.

Tons of similar guitars were made in Germany. Whole catalogs of relativity cheap copies of Martins and earlier guitars from Vienna. Many are extremely fancy and impressive looking- loaded with pearl - but inexpensive. These typically have no labels or names.
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Old 01-28-2020, 03:19 PM
Howard Emerson Howard Emerson is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by photorc View Post
Similar rosettes go back to at least the Spanish guitars of Cadiz from the mid 1800’s.

Tons of similar guitars were made in Germany. Whole catalogs of relativity cheap copies of Martins and earlier guitars from Vienna. Many are extremely fancy and impressive looking- loaded with pearl - but inexpensive. These typically have no labels or names.
Thank you Robert Corwin!

Thanks for taking the time to check the picture.

Hope all is well with you.

Best,
Howard Emerson
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  #11  
Old 01-29-2020, 12:56 AM
Sam Bowdeen Sam Bowdeen is offline
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Huh. . . with the slotted headstock and the the original tuners with the ivory sleeves resembling the modern day barrels typical of classical guitars plus the the bridge having holes indicating a bridge saddle at a right angle to the strings, I would have gone with nylons. I went with steel because in the case pocket I found a partial set of steel strings that the owner had purchased a long, long time ago, that the owner surely knew what strings were proper, which I'm now realizing was a faulty assumption and reasoning on my part. It measures 1 3/4" at the nut, which would also make sense for a nylon string. Thanks for that; I should probably get the steel strings off as the guitar wouldn't be designed for that kind of string tension.
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  #12  
Old 01-29-2020, 07:27 AM
J Patrick J Patrick is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Sam Bowdeen View Post
Huh. . . with the slotted headstock and the the original tuners with the ivory sleeves resembling the modern day barrels typical of classical guitars plus the the bridge having holes indicating a bridge saddle at a right angle to the strings, I would have gone with nylons. I went with steel because in the case pocket I found a partial set of steel strings that the owner had purchased a long, long time ago, that the owner surely knew what strings were proper, which I'm now realizing was a faulty assumption and reasoning on my part. It measures 1 3/4" at the nut, which would also make sense for a nylon string. Thanks for that; I should probably get the steel strings off as the guitar wouldn't be designed for that kind of string tension.
...the John Pearse TI strings are just the string for this cool guitar...they were developed for just such a guitar...I have them on my 1889 Washburn even though it’s an early X-braced model....spendy but they last a really long time....they sound terrific....nothing else like them...

https://www.juststrings.com/jps-tho.html
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  #13  
Old 01-29-2020, 09:14 AM
Joe Sustaire Joe Sustaire is offline
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Just have to say what a gorgeous guitar! The aging, dirt, and wear on that top is superb, really speaks to my artist nature!
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  #14  
Old 01-30-2020, 06:22 AM
Parlorman Parlorman is offline
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I wouldn’t use the bridge to try and ID the guitar. Judging from the area of the top around it and the design it’s almost definitely a replacement.
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Bill

Guitars:

1910's Larson/Stetson 1 size guitar
1920 Martin 1-28
1987 Martin Schoenberg Soloist
2006 Froggy Bottom H-12 Deluxe
2016 Froggy Bottom L Deluxe
2021 Blazer and Henkes 000-18 H
2015 Rainsong P12
2017 Probett Rocket III
2006 Sadowsky Semi Hollow
1993 Fender Stratocaster

Bass: 1993 Sadowsky NYC 5 String
Mandolin: Weber Bitterroot
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  #15  
Old 01-30-2020, 07:30 AM
gfspencer gfspencer is offline
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What a cool guitar!
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