Antique X Braced Rosewood Parlor Guitar 19th Cent
Antique X Braced Rosewood Parlor Guitar 19th Cent
SIZE
Lower bout 12 1/2 inches; scale 24 1/2 inches; nut width 1 3/4 inches
DESCRIPTION
Beautiful little antique guitar in fine functional condition. Back and sides are light honey-colored straight grain Braz- rosewood (color and quality of material no longer available at any price). Original old fancy plate tuners with bone knobs. Original finish, "smiley" bridge, and maple binding. Finely grafted maple neck with "ice cream cone" heel. Abundant pearl and abalone inlay; opulent soundhole rosette has tulips and snowflakes. Original light X bracing with small thin bridge plate.
Perfectly straight neck with low action (low E <3/32 at body fret). Has silk and steel strings. But this guitar was made well before the advent of steel strings and it probably ought to have either syn-gut or real gut if you want to make it sound like it did originally. (Labella 411-- still affordable and available).
No proper case but I will ship it in a slightly oversized hard-shell case so it WILL arrive safety. TKL makes a nice 13" case; there's also gray interior Canadian parlor case, (more affordable). Procuring an antique wood coffin case is not impossible if you are patient and vigilant.
CONDITION
Various top scratches. Top crack below bridge is sturdy and well aligned. Crack on heel is also merely cosmetic. There may be body cracks-- hard to tell-- possibly just cosmetics of figured rosewood. Bridge possibly reset at some time but well aligned to original foot print. Original thin frets have some notching in the first position but intonate well. Play wear in fingerboard, first position also does not affect intonation. Having noted the various warts... YOU WON'T LOOK THIS GOOD WHEN YOU ARE 150 YEARS OLD! Please examine photos carefully.
Feel free to call me for discussion or concise in-hand condition report.