Classified Listings of period guitars for sale

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Please email this web site if you want to list your guitar for sale. This is a free service for guitars which are deemed "early romantic" era or style by the editor. New additions welcomed.

Some of the guitars in the Collection of the Editor - Len Verrett are for sale (click to go to that page).

Anonymous Circa 1830 (for sale)



This guitar is largely based on the Lacote style but does not have a label or other visible markings to indicate exactly who was the builder, and in what year. The back and sides are European flamed maple, with an Ivory binding and Ivory machine heads. The rosette and body are also lined with ebony in concentric rings. It has a moustache bridge and a flush fingerboard with frets extending to the top. The headstock appears to be original - while this V-shape head was made famous by Panormo, in fact many other guitars of the period utilized this headstock design starting around 1823 or so.

I estimate that this guitar was built around 1830, plus or minus a few years. The body shape is typical of romantic guitars in the 1820's and 1830's, along with the Lacote / French style of bracing. The headstock - if original - would date the guitar after 1823 - and more commonly after about 1825. The flush fingerboard was typical of guitars until the 1830's (although there are plenty of exceptions), and during the 1830's, guitars were more commonly made with overlayed fingerboards like they are today. Based on these factors, and comparing the body design to other dated examples, I would guess around 1830.

The country of origin is harder to guess. The design style is of the French school, but the headstock is more typical of London guitars. This instrument is overall well-made and uses expensive materials such as the ivory, a one-piece back, and machine heads. I would guess this was made in France (most likely Mirecourt), England, or surrounding areas.

It has a 650 scale length like today's guitars, but has a narrower neck (about 45mm at the nut). The long scale length may have been intended for projection and volume, as a concert guitar. It has a new, modern "coffin shape" case from Kenny Hill (as was used in his Panormo guitar series).

The guitar is in perfectly playable condition. The 13th fret is a little "plinky" due to the flush fingerboard, and the headstock can "rattle" very slightly at times depending on humidity, but otherwise there are no issues. This is in remarkable condition for its age of over 175 years. It has It has the typical "period" sound from a Lacote style guitar.

Would consider selling for $2,500 USD, plus shipping costs with full certified payment in advance.

1912 Ludwig Reisinger

For sale: a Viennese guitar by Ludwig Reisinger. The label says: "Ludwig Reisinger, Meisterwerkstätte Wien, 1912, Seidengasse 42". The guitar has a floating fingerboard, but the neck cannot be adjusted. The guitar is playable as it is. Seller can send pictures and will answer all questions. The Reisinger guitar seems to be a copy of a Stauffer guitar. The copying of the "great masters" obviously began very early. And Ludwig Reisinger was among the most famous guitar makers of his time himself.

Ulrich Sommerrock, Germany. e-mail: sommerrock@arcor.de

German guitar

Lawrence Brown (editor's note: luthier listed in the luthier page of this web site) offers for sale a German guitar:

"It has some early features and some late ones. The bridge and the rose are early designs, and are original to the guitar, but the binding and the tuner buttons are celluloid, and it has t-frets which appear to be original. I would guess it to be anywhere from 1880-1930. There is no label. The back and sides are beautiful solid flamed maple, and the back is one piece 33 cm across. The string length is 62 cm. It sounds very good, with ladder barring and close grained European spruce top. I am now attending to the setup, and blending in the scratches on the back with French polish. The price is only $950, which is very cheap for an interesting early guitar."

Additional photos on request. Contact Lawrence Brown, at email larryandrobin@charter.net or call 828-484-9675.

Web site: lkbrownviolins.com

Copy of 1838 Jose Pernas guitar

I'm a luthier from Granada (Spain) and I've made a close copy of an 1838 Jose Pernas guitar (Prats says Pernas was the Torres teacher). The price isn't expensive; the sound is warm and compressed compared to modern classical guitars.

You can see my Pernas copy in Youtube: YouTube Video

I've changed only a bit the string length to coincide the 12th fret with union ribs and neck, and minor reinforcement inside. The price is 1250€. I can make these models with other woods or antiquing finish (like a facsimile), or with Planetary (gear) pegs.

Aaron Garcia Ruiz
escareador@gmail.com

Jerome Thibouville guitar

Label:
SANGERFREUD GESETZL-GESCH
1906 MILAN GRAND PRIX
1902 HANOI GRAND PRIX
FABRICATION GARANTIE
JEROME THIBOVILLE - LAMY & Cie
LUTHIERS & PARIS

Includes case. Photos, more information on request.

Scott Van Zen
615-673-9315
zencitrus@mac.com

Guitar - 1830's - London

The paper at the inside of the guitar says "Dale, Cockerill & Co. music sellers" and it seems this was likely a shop in the mid 1830s in London.

I'm selling the guitar, because I have so much work with playing the lute and not enough time for playing guitar too.

The guitar sounds fantastic and the wood of the body looks gorgeous (probably made of rio rosewood).

The guitar is at Bernhard Kresse's workshop in Cologne, Germany.

View Photos ...

Sale price 2900 Euro

Sören Leupold

http://www.myspace.com/soerenleupold

Contact: lutes@email.de

For sale: German or Austrian guitar

Maker unknown, ca. 1850-1900, maybe Zimmermann or Klimitz.
Professionally restored.
61 cm stringlength.
Top of very fine spruce, back and sides of striped maple. Thin ebony fingerboard.
Very beautiful and interesting original 'embedded' tuners. Mother-of-pearl decoration aroud soundhole.
Bridge maybe not original.
Sound: crisp, clear, projective and sweet.
High-resolution pictures available.
1800 EUR exclusive of shipping, or offer. Can be tried in Amsterdam, Holland.

Jelma van Amersfoort
00 31 20 6160078
jmvanamersfoort@yahoo.com

For Sale - Kenny Hill “Masters Series” Copy of Luis Panormo 2004

Built in the style of Luis Panormo, an Italian born luthier working in London in the 1830's, this guitar is nicknamed "Cacahuate" or peanut, because of its distinctive shape. The volume and projection of this small guitar are quite astonishing, and the ease of playing is pure pleasure, attributable to the relatively short string length. This style of guitar construction is really the last evolutionary link leading up to Antonio de Torres and the emergence of the modern classical guitar. This is the top-end "master's series" instrument made in Kenny Hill's custom workshop under his direct supervision, and a bargain at only $ 2,700 US Dollars.

Guitar Description:
Sound board: Englemann spruce
Back & sides: Indian rosewood
Neck: Spanish cedar
Fingerboard: ebony
String length: 632mm
Nut Length: 48mm
Tuners: Sloane
Finish: French polish
Strings: D’ addario J.46

Sale Price: $2,700
Includes custom case and shipping

Contact: bbozonelos@msjc.edu

For Sale - 1835 Juan Perfumo

An 1835 Spanish guitar by Juan Perfumo.

Model: A 6-string 19th Century Spanish guitar by Juan Perfumo
Year: 1835
Town: Cádiz
Country: Spain

Strings: 6 (trebles made of sheep gut and basses of silk with silver winding)
Tuners: 6 wooden pegs
Bridge: Lute-like tie bridge
Top: Spruce wood
Back and sides: Spanish Cypress
Total length: 935mm.
Upper bout: 213mm.
Waist: 172mm.
Lower bout: 276mm.
Sound box depth - increasing from heel to base: 92mm. to 103mm.
Scale (sounding string length): 623mm.
Fingerboard width at nut: 52mm.
Finish: French polish
Condition: Fine.

Juan Perfumo (Cádiz, ±1800 -1860) was a carpenter and woodcraftsman born in Cádiz. As far as is known today he was active as a guitar and bandurria maker from ±1830 till his sudden death in 1860. His first atelier address was 'calle de la Cruz Verde No. 11' as is pointed out at labels in the oldest known guitars by this maker. Juan Perfumo's guitars were highly appreciated because of their typical Spanish sound (a clear and singing treble with a deep and warm bass) and found their way to Spanish customers as well as to international musicians. Known for instance is that they were exported to Europe, South America and Japan. Today a dozen instruments by Juan Perfumo are located. It is recorded that Juan Perfumo drowned at sea on March 31, 1860.

This particular instrument made in 1835 is one of the oldest Spanish six-string guitars known to exist made by Juan Perfumo. It was made in the same style as guitars by Perfumo's colleague and townsman Juan Pagès (1741-1821) and refers to the Cádiz School of guitar making. Juan Pagès and his brother Joseph Pagès (174- - after 1819) were among the first luthiers who experimented with thin(er) sound tables for their guitars that were supported by three, five and seven fan placed bracings. The instruments of the Cádiz school of guitar makers were regarded among the best guitars available at the time. Both Juan and Joseph Pagès were highly respected for their instruments and mentioned in their writings by respectively Fernando Sor and Dionisio Aguado, two of the most famous 19th Century guitarists, as their favorite guitar makers.

As is seen in his 1835 guitar Juan Perfumo followed this 'fan bracing' concept for he placed five bracings of wood in a fan design similar to the system found in the guitars the Pagès brothers. This idea of ensuring the vibrations caused by plucking the strings to spread from the bridge over the essential parts of the soundboard inside the sound chamber, to be as sound productive as possible ànd to strengthen the top was copied by many makers all over Spain. Abroad this fan bracing concept and the sound chamber design was also adopted. Something that can best be seen in the guitars by the London based Louis Panormo. For the English market he advertised himself on the labels in his guitars and business cards as 'The only Maker of the Spanish Guitar'.

The sound of this 1835 Juan Perfumo guitar is very pure; on the one hand it is vibrant, still referring to the Baroque epoch with its clear sounding double strung guitars, while on the other hand it captures - with its deeper, fan braced and larger sound box - already the deep and warm sound so characteristic for the Spanish concert guitars made some decennia later in the 2nd half of the 19th Century by Antonio de Torres and Vicente Arias.

This 1835 6-string Juan Perfumo Spanish guitar is perfectly restored and fully playable. In the past I have used it in concerts to perform the famous Luigi Boccherini guitar quintets with a Baroque string quartet (period instruments of the violin family played with period bows and strung with gut-strings etc.). It is also an excellent instrument to perform the beautiful guitar music composed by i.e. François de Fossa, Fernando Sor and Dionisio Aguado. All being contemporaries of Juan Perfumo who make this guitar all the more interesting for today's performers.

Alex Timmerman - 2008.

For more information please write to the following email address: aetimmerman@yahoo.com

For Sale: Jose Recio, 1853

This guitar is for sale and requires restoration by a professional luthier to be playable. It is an important guitar of the Spanish school, with the original case intact. After restoration, this guitar would be a fine addition to an historic guitar collection.

The inside label reads: "Hecha en Cadiz por Jose Recio, calle de Sta Elena, n. 330; 1853."

Besides the 6 tuners, the headstock has a 7th hole near the top (looks like it was for an additional peg or for hanging the instrument on display).

Contact Frank Siegel for more information and photos at: fsiegel@comcast.net

** SOLD **

8-string Ries copy by Bernhard Kresse
** SOLD **

"The Flower" - attributed to Jerome Thibouville Lamy (JTL), circa 1890
** SOLD **

LOUIS PANORMO guitar, 1834
** SOLD **

Gary Southwell Lacote Model Guitar

** SOLD **

Bernhard Kresse Terz Guitar, Stauffer model
** SOLD **

Lacote, Paris, 1868
** SOLD **

Nicolaus Georg Ries, Luigi Legnani model, Vienna, circa 1840
** SOLD **

Two 19th century guitar copies by Mikhail Fedchenko
** SOLD **

2004 Panormo replica by Michael Thames
** SOLD **

Joseph Lagarenne - circa 1850
** SOLD **

Louis Panormo guitar, dated 1831
** SOLD **

Antique guitar, Restored and Playable.
** SOLD **

Hans Van Loben Sels copy of Panormo
** SOLD **

Markus Dietrich copy of Thomas Furst (Fuerst) 1812 - Terz or normal guitar
** SOLD **

Serafino Casini, Florence-Italy 1889, ex Doug James
** SOLD **

Jose Guerra 1842 Terz Guitar, Cadiz, Spain
** SOLD **

Lacote-style original 19th-century guitar
** SOLD **

Panormo copy by Simon Ambridge
** SOLD **

19th Century French School Guitar - "The Flower"
** SOLD **

Bernhard Kresse Stauffer / Legnani Model.
** SOLD **

Antique 19th Century Viennese Stauffer Style Guitar - Restored
** SOLD **

19th Century Guitar, Lacote School
** SOLD **

Antique Guitar, Restored: "No 5. Lacote, Paris 1828"
** SOLD **

Lacote style antique guitar

** SOLD **

Kenny Hill London Model 1999: Guitar after Panormo.
** SOLD **

Gary Southwell: 10-string Guitar after Scherzer

** Warning: Nigerian Scam Alert **
Several people from Nigeria or West Africa have contacted people who advertise on this list, asking to buy a guitar with a check for thousands of dollars over the price of the instrument and have the seller wire the remaining money to Nigeria. Don't do it - the check will bounce - this is a way to steal your money! Thanks for this tip about the Nigerian scam from the Dartmouth lute site
See 419 Scam Explained
See Secret Service Scam Description
Do not reply to anyone from Africa wanting to buy a guitar. This is a known scam. Usually they want to send you a check for more than the purchase amount, from someone else who owes them money, and they ask you to send them the remainder. Regarding the Nigerians, I imagine the scam works several ways. First, they hope you will send the instrument before the check arrives so they can steal it. Second, they hope you will send the instrument after the phony check arrives AND you send them a good check, stealing both the instrument and the money. They're out nothing but an email (no cost), and postage for a phony check. If they send you a check, it will bounce. If one out of 300 people falls for this scam they've made a good return. This scam in various forms is one of the top 5 industries in Nigeria, possibly conducted by corrupt government officials.

Policy Statement: If you wish to list your guitar for sale, contact the Editor with the pertinent details. The Editor reserves the right to decide whether to list your guitar. Digital photos are required, which you provide. The editor reserves the right to edit the description, and to edit the photos to reduce their size.

Disclaimer: The Editor of this web site, EarlyRomanticGuitar.COM, makes no endorsement of any items listed here for sale by third parties. I do not personally know these sellers, nor can I vouch for their products. These are listed here for convenience and research purposes only. If you choose to engage in a business transaction with these vendors, be sure to conduct your own due diligence. If you run into a problem with these vendors, this web site and the editor is in no way responsible or liable. This web site is in no way affiliated with any vendor listed, except where explicitly stated. Any seller should also use caution to verify their buyers, and beware of fraudulent buyers or false individuals posing as buyers in order to obtain bank account and identify information.
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