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#1
08-07-2014, 02:02 PM
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Silk and Steel strings on 1897 Washburn Parlor?
I have an old Washburn parlor guitar. From the markings inside I think it was made between 1897 and 1905. When I got it, it had an ugly non - original bridge on it. I patched a hole in the back and had a local luthier do a neck reset and install a pyramid bridge on it. Originally I tried stringing it with extra light gauge (10 - 47) Elixirs but the neck started bowing more than it should so I put nylon strings on it and used it that way for a year or so. Recently I found GHS makes silk and steel strings that are 10 - 42 so I bought a set and put them on today. So far so good, but I am wondering if there is a definitive way I can tell if this guitar was made to use steel strings or gut. Scale length is 25" and there is a bridge plate. The tuning machines have the narrow turrets, not fat like a classical guitar.
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Warren My website: http://draudio56.wix.com/warren-bendler "It's hard...calming the Beatle inside of me." 
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#4
08-07-2014, 07:09 PM
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Quote:
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Warren My website: http://draudio56.wix.com/warren-bendler "It's hard...calming the Beatle inside of me."
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#5
08-07-2014, 09:00 PM
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All Washburn standard models up to 1915 were built for gut strings. If you want to PM me the serial number off the top of the headstock I may be able to give you a year of manufacture Warren.
Jim
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#6
08-08-2014, 07:20 AM
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Definitely gut. But I've seen a lot of those do well with the S&S strings too. If it were mine I'd tune down to be safe. It's not so much the neck I'd be worried about but the top. The one's I have repaired anyway, had very thin tops with a lot of rotation on the bridge from years of steel string tension.
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#7
08-08-2014, 08:17 PM
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It's been 24 hours and the neck doesn't seem to be moving. The tension on these silk and steel strings seems to be lower than the nylon strings I had on there before.
I don't think the top is going to belly or the bridge rotate, because it had heavier gauge steel strings on it when I got it and the top only had a very slight belly to it and the bridge had only a very slight rotation, and the strings were old, as in rusty, so they had been on it a long time. It is certainly loud and has impressive bass for it's size (13 3/4" lower bout) and a nice mellow sound.
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Warren My website: http://draudio56.wix.com/warren-bendler "It's hard...calming the Beatle inside of me."
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#8
08-08-2014, 09:30 PM
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Okay Warren, from what you gave me in the PM, plus what I can see from your pic (lack of fret markers) provided the fret board is original. You have a 1887-1889 Grand Concert, BRW back and sides, spruce top with Spanish cedar neck.
Jim Keep your eye on it, definitely made for gut.
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#9
08-09-2014, 03:43 PM
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Here's a link to Tomastik Infeld strings which shows tensions. Their silk and bronze seem to have pretty low tension and produce a really nice tone (to my ear)
http://www.thomastik-infeld.com/site...er_06_13sc.pdf
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#11
08-10-2014, 07:47 PM
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Quote:
 
__________________
Warren My website: http://draudio56.wix.com/warren-bendler "It's hard...calming the Beatle inside of me."
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#12
08-10-2014, 08:03 PM
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Beautiful. I have a parlour from just a bit later (1917) and it is ladder braced but good to go with steel strings... and I have Thomastik plectrums on it (the AC111 set). I love the sound that little guitar makes.
FWIW, the only real reference guide for these guitars is the one by Hubert Pleijsier... the current Washburn company is not even vaguely related to the old one.
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Martin BC, Canada
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#13
08-10-2014, 08:11 PM
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Quote:
Jim
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#14
08-11-2014, 05:44 AM
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Quote:
__________________
Warren My website: http://draudio56.wix.com/warren-bendler "It's hard...calming the Beatle inside of me."
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