Does anyone make an 1850's style gut string guitar today?

[Mikeymac]

I'm looking around for something like what Martin was making before steel strings became popular...everything was "gut string," in various sizes, shapes and trim levels. I just checked Martin's sight, and the only thing that would come up was Willie Nelson's signature model.

I'm surprised that Martin hasn't mined this market yet...maybe someday they will. Nylon strings provide a great tone for fingerstyle music; Taylor makes a nylon string model, as does Breedlove, but I'm looking for something along the lines of a parlor - the size that many guitars were before they grew up" in the early 20th century.

Thanks for any info anyone might have on existing models or builders.

Here's a pic from a wonderful CD of music from around the time of the Civil War; and the guitar on the cover of this CD, a Martin '2' model, was actually picked up by a soldier on a Civil War battlefield. After the war it went home with him, then was passed on to his daughter and then granddaughter (both of whom he taught how to play), who eventually sold it to Kirk Browne, who recorded this wonderful music.

This is nicely played and recorded, too, BTW:

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[ducktrapper]

Has anyone tried putting nylon strings on a parlor guitar?

[GA-ME]

http://hanalei-moon.com/id2.html

[eded]

Those Hanalei Moon gutiars look nice.  I know I've seen others.  I can't think of the names of the makers offhand, though.

Ed

[flatlander]

Those Hanalei Moon gutiars look nice.  I know I've seen others.  I can't think of the names of the makers offhand, though.

Ed

Same here, I've seen them, old banjo's, including Gord Banjo's etc. I just don't know who makes em. The one above look nice.
Ask Mike Seegar! He'd know.

[Mikeymac]

http://hanalei-moon.com/id2.html

Thanks for that link, GA-ME! Those look interesting - and very affordable. 

Has anyone tried putting nylon strings on a parlor guitar?

Duck, the nut width should really be a little wider - at least 1 7/8" - and the bracing is stiffer than what would be needed for nylon strings, but I might give that a try with my daughter's parlor.  It's just sitting around not being used.  I can string it up lefty just for kicks (and not worry too much about intonation, etc. for the sake of experiment).

Will be interesting attaching the nylon strings to steel string tuners, too... 

[Denis]

There are the La Patrie Motif and Art & Lutherie Ami...both parlor size, both nylon string

[Queequeg]

Luxurious inlays and a beautiful antique style body give this instrument a timeless value.
The nylon-string Aria 19th Century Acoustic Guitar is based on a guitar design from a bye-gone era. The guitar boasts a small body style with a solid spruce top, solid mahogany back, neck, and sides, and an ebony fretboard and bridge.

The 19th Century guitar's slotted headstock is fitted with gold classical guitar style tuners. The beautifully stylized rosette, and top purfling add to the vintage look. A shorter scale length and small body size make thie Aria 19th Century Nylon-String Acoustic an extremely comfortable guitar for female and younger guitarists.

Aria 19th Century Nylon-String Acoustic Guitar Features:
Solid spruce top
Solid mahogany back and sides
Slotted headstock
Mahogany neck
24.80" (630mm) scale length
Gold classical style tuning machines with black buttons
Ebony fingerboard with 18 frets
Stylized fretboard inlays, rosette, and top purfling
Ebony bridge
Compensated saddle
Natural finish

[GA-ME]

Thanks for that link, GA-ME! Those look interesting - and very affordable.   

You are welcome. I don't know anything about how they sound or play as I have never heard one of their guitars. However, if they are of the same quality as their necks they are probably pretty good guitars,at least from a materials side. Their necks are really sweet. A friend of mine uses their necks and they are lovely bits of work.

[ducktrapper]

Thanks for that link, GA-ME! Those look interesting - and very affordable. 

Duck, the nut width should really be a little wider - at least 1 7/8" - and the bracing is stiffer than what would be needed for nylon strings, but I might give that a try with my daughter's parlor.  It's just sitting around not being used.  I can string it up lefty just for kicks (and not worry too much about intonation, etc. for the sake of experiment).

Will be interesting attaching the nylon strings to steel string tuners, too... 

Yeah you'd probably be advised to get a ball-end nylon set and there could be issues stringing them but it should work.

[Mikeymac]

There are the La Patrie Motif and Art & Lutherie Ami...both parlor size, both nylon string

Thanks, Denis.

The Motif looks like a good place to start...the A&L Ami looks like it's a steel string model, at least the ones I found were.

I'm going to order the Motif from MF...

Queequeg, thanks for the info on the Aria as well. Most people don't realize that Aria makes some excellent guitars; I know a guy who has an older "cheap" Aria classical that just sounds amazing! I was floored by it's tone. That one's a little more than I want to spend right now (with the Forum IV getting finished in the next week or two).

Looks like I'm going to be surrounded by smaller guitars for awhile...

[cke]

Luxurious inlays and a beautiful antique style body give this instrument a timeless value.
The nylon-string Aria 19th Century Acoustic Guitar is based on a guitar design from a bye-gone era. The guitar boasts a small body style with a solid spruce top, solid mahogany back, neck, and sides, and an ebony fretboard and bridge.

The 19th Century guitar's slotted headstock is fitted with gold classical guitar style tuners. The beautifully stylized rosette, and top purfling add to the vintage look. A shorter scale length and small body size make thie Aria 19th Century Nylon-String Acoustic an extremely comfortable guitar for female and younger guitarists.

Aria 19th Century Nylon-String Acoustic Guitar Features:
Solid spruce top
Solid mahogany back and sides
Slotted headstock
Mahogany neck
24.80" (630mm) scale length
Gold classical style tuning machines with black buttons
Ebony fingerboard with 18 frets
Stylized fretboard inlays, rosette, and top purfling
Ebony bridge
Compensated saddle
Natural finish

Aria does remarkably nice work for small $$. I played the AP-STD (cedar) and AP-STD II (slot head and spruce) and they were impressively made, gloss, full maple binding, good sound, nice neck. Very tempting, more like a 00 with 14" lower bout.

[Mikeymac]

The Motif looks like a good place to start...the A&L Ami looks like it's a steel string model, at least the ones I found were.

I'm going to order the Motif from MF...

La Patrie Motif ordered ... probably won't see it till early next week...I'll start another thread for a review after I've had a chance to play with it some.

Thanks everyone for the help - there are a lot more options out there than I thought there would be - from this price range all the way to whatever you're willing to spend.

[ducktrapper]

I would seriously look at the Godin multiac nylons if I had the money and the interest.

[Mikeymac]

I would seriously look at the Godin multiac nylons if I had the money and the interest.

Yeah - I read good things about that series, but don't think they make any lefties...   

[prof_stack]

Gut strings are pretty pricey and VERY fussy about humidity and temperature.  Lute performers use them.

Nylgut is nylon that is textured to give a "gut" type feeling to the strings.  Cheaper than gut, though.  My son uses these on his lute.

Great thread.  I'd love to play an 1850's guitar.  But I'd settle on a pre-war D-28 if nothing else was available.   

[Mikeymac]

Great thread.  I'd love to play an 1850's guitar.  But I'd settle on a pre-war D-28 if nothing else was available.   

Those are two very different beasts!

I've not seen the nylgut strings...I'll have to track some of those down to try.