unknown builder
parlor guitar
SPECS.
- 0 style parlor guitar
- Spruce top
- Mahogany back, sides, and neck
- Concave rosewood fretboard
- Trapeze tailpiece bridge
- Mother of pearl inlay
- Herringbone binding detail and rear center line
BACKSTORY
In the construction industry, we end up removing all the abandoned junk before we get to the real work. Sometimes there are treasures left behind. This parlor guitar was rescued by one of our carpenters and he brought it to our cabinet shop, where it sat with other treasures for years. I rediscovered it during a cleaning purge, immediately knowing it was an old parlor guitar. I brought it to Chris Ambadjes of The American Guitar Museum to diagnose and fix it to the best of his abilities. He is "The Guitar Doctor" after all.
He couldn't figure out much about its backstory other a build date around 1890, likely by one of the slavic builders here in NY from the style. He was really into the tailpiece bridge, saying it was unique and probably my best lead to determining who made it. I still haven't found anything.
Chris was able to get it into playing order again. It's still beaten to hell, and not worth nearly as much as the description implies, but I keep it around because it's like owning a piece of guitar history. It was built to bring entertainment and music into the house before radio, TV, and home pianos. Not bad for trash.
- 0 style parlor guitar
- Spruce top
- Mahogany back, sides, and neck
- Concave rosewood fretboard
- Trapeze tailpiece bridge
- Mother of pearl inlay
- Herringbone binding detail and rear center line
BACKSTORY
In the construction industry, we end up removing all the abandoned junk before we get to the real work. Sometimes there are treasures left behind. This parlor guitar was rescued by one of our carpenters and he brought it to our cabinet shop, where it sat with other treasures for years. I rediscovered it during a cleaning purge, immediately knowing it was an old parlor guitar. I brought it to Chris Ambadjes of The American Guitar Museum to diagnose and fix it to the best of his abilities. He is "The Guitar Doctor" after all.
He couldn't figure out much about its backstory other a build date around 1890, likely by one of the slavic builders here in NY from the style. He was really into the tailpiece bridge, saying it was unique and probably my best lead to determining who made it. I still haven't found anything.
Chris was able to get it into playing order again. It's still beaten to hell, and not worth nearly as much as the description implies, but I keep it around because it's like owning a piece of guitar history. It was built to bring entertainment and music into the house before radio, TV, and home pianos. Not bad for trash.