Used guitar purchase, is this a cause for concern?

[Sotos]

Hello all, I have a meet planned for tomorrow to inspect/buy a classical guitar from a private seller. The guitar she bought in Spain a little over 50 years ago, and has spent the majority of its life in its case. In the pics she sent, I noticed a white residue where the heel of the neck meets the body (see pics please). I don't see evidence of separation, but is this something I should be concerned about? I'm wondering if this is possibly what a long neglected French Polish finish might do.

Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

[mirwa]

Possibly just polish residue,

however...

That fingerboard is one of the thickest ones I have ever seen fitted to a guitar

Steve

[Sotos]

Thanks for weighing in. I plan on inspecting the neck closely as I doubt it has a trussrod so any issues that need to be corrected won’t be cheap or easy. Thanks for mentioning the fingerboard, since it’s a classical though I expect the neck to be club like.

[redir]

That's nothing to worry about. It looks like a nice guitar. EIR and Cedar?

The fretboard is probably thick in order to get the string height at the bridge right. It also could be tapered thinner on the bass side too.

[Sotos]

Originally Posted by redir

That's nothing to worry about. It looks like a nice guitar. EIR and Cedar?

The fretboard is probably thick in order to get the string height at the bridge right. It also could be tapered thinner on the bass side too.

Yes, I think it's EIR and Cedar, though the very nice woman I bought it from really didn't know, she thought the top was spruce, and the sides mahogany. Said she bought it on a whim while on a trip to Spain. It sure smells like cedar, and the sides although they don't look like mahogany to me, have a distinctly redder tint than the back. Bridge may be BR, dunno. From what I have gathered, it's factory built guitar, designed and sold by M. G. Contreras. This particular one bought directly from Sr. Contreras in his shop in Madrid in 1969, so old as it is, it's not as old as me.

I'll post some pics soon as I get it polished up and maybe you can tell me what kind of woods it's made of.

[John Arnold]

The fretboard is probably thick in order to get the string height at the bridge right. It also could be tapered thinner on the bass side too.

Exactly. It is the Spanish build philosophy, practiced by Ramirez and others. It sure looks like Indian rosewood sides to me. The bridge may be Brazilian, or some other rosewood like Honduras or Madagascar.

[redir]

Originally Posted by Sotos

Yes, I think it's EIR and Cedar, though the very nice woman I bought it from really didn't know, she thought the top was spruce, and the sides mahogany. Said she bought it on a whim while on a trip to Spain. It sure smells like cedar, and the sides although they don't look like mahogany to me, have a distinctly redder tint than the back. Bridge may be BR, dunno. From what I have gathered, it's factory built guitar, designed and sold by M. G. Contrerras. This particular one bought directly from Sr. Contrerras in his shop in Madrid in 1969, so old as it is, it's not as old as me.

I'll post some pics soon as I get it polished up and maybe you can tell me what kind of woods it's made of.

Take a pic of the label. I have an MG Contreras guitar myself. It could be worth something. The one I have is a student model, mahogany and spruce and it sounds great. It's from about the 1960's as well.

[Sotos]

Originally Posted by John Arnold

Exactly. It is the Spanish build philosophy, practiced by Ramirez and others. It sure looks like Indian rosewood sides to me. The bridge may be Brazilian, or some other rosewood like Honduras or Madagascar.

Makes sense, Contreras apprenticed with Ramirez III for 3 years prior to setting up his own shop in 1962. Interesting read on Guitar Salon's site here: https://www.guitarsalon.com/blog/?p=4140

Originally Posted by redir

Take a pic of the label. I have an MG Contreras guitar myself. It could be worth something. The one I have is a student model, mahogany and spruce and it sounds great. It's from about the 1960's as well.

Here's the label and a few more pics. I doubt it's worth more than I paid, I've read where the signed label guitars are rather expensive, but the "Guiterraria" marked ones not so much, though they can still be made to decent standards. According to an email someone in another forum received from Contreras II, aka "Pablo" : "The guitar with the name "Guitarreria" was used for the studio models made in factory for us but not made by us. Me now and my father designed that kind of guitar and its was made in factory for us with different levels."


So, Cedar and Indian Rosewood?

[redir]

That label is very similar to mine as well. They are student model guitars built by apprentices in other small factories for MG Contreres. They are still good guitars though. But yes if it was signed then it would be worth a lot since Manual made it.

[Edgar Poe]

I wouldn't be too concerned being a nylon stringed Classical guitar. But still check it out.

Ed