Help to Identify Guitar.

[Scot Tremblay]

I need a little help with dating and maybe identifying the maker of this instrument. It's well made with a Brazilian Rosewood veneer on spruce back, solid Brazilian sides, nice book matched spruce top, Ebony veneered neck and head, scalloped ebony fingerboard with what look to be original frets and Baker tuners with ivory buttons and rollers. The decoration is MOP/Ebony chevrons with Ivory binding.

 

The bridge is not original but the outline of the original is there. The outline looks like one of those "happy face" (for lack of a better term) bridges seen on many of the French instruments from the first half of the 19th century. See Mougeot, Mirecourt 1823 here: http://www.the-guitarworkshop.com/restoration.htm or Claude Humel, Mirecourt 1820 about half way down here http://www.earlymusicalinstruments.com/. In fact this instruments dimensions are almost identical to the Humel.

 

The bracing is French style with two transverse braces at either side of the sound hole, one at an angle between the sound hole and bridge and another behind the bridge.

 

There is a lable inside which says "Repair by Wm. Spool, Edingburg, 1834". There is also something written on the inside of the top but I cannot make it out unless I take the back off. It appears to be the same info as on the label and more.

 

It has been well loved and had quite a bit of damage with subsequent restoration over the years but I believe it to be original. With the exception of the bridge and possibly the Baker tuners, although if a later addition they were beautifully installed.

 

Any ideas or comments? I believe "Edingburg" is the German spelling for Edinburgh, Scotland but was it also an early English spelling as well?

[Scot Tremblay]

Some more photos.