Another mystery guitar.

[nick harrison]

I recently purchased a guitar for the Baker type machine heads, (inscribed J Lewis and Co. London). However it is a very well made guitar, although the bridge may have been shaved down. In many ways it looks like a D and A Roudhloff. It seems to have a Spanish heel, but not a Spanish foot. There is no label or makers mark that I can see. I would welcome any observations.

[Jelma van Amersfoort]

Hello Nick

I am by no means an expert on D & A Roudhloff, and they made a range of different instruments. But maybe you can examine the inside of the guitar to determine the brace pattern and the finishing (many London Roudhloffs are varnished on the inside). Have you found out anything yet about the manufacturer of the tuners? Are they found on other instruments by the Roudhloffs?

Jelma

[nick harrison]

Hell0 Jelma.

Thank you for your suggestions. There does not appear to be varnish inside the guitar, and it is not fan braced. I have tried to research the maker of the tuners, but have had no luck so far. I think that it is either an earlier model than yours (before they had their own stamp on machine heads), or is a very well made copy. Perhaps it will have to remain a mystery guitar until someone does a Ph.D. on the Roudhloffs

Regards, Nick

[Jelma van Amersfoort]

Hi Nick, mine is actually x-braced!

[James Westbrook]

I've done a PhD on the Roudhloffs (well a chapter within a PhD). But there is no point in exploring that. Your guitar looks like a c.1900 German import to me. But to be sure you need to post the one important photo which usually determines the nationality of a guitar: a photo of the head join, I expect it is a German V (not seen on any London-made guitar).