Early Romantic Guitar: Gallery of Dated Instruments

Legend

Photo (some with hyperlinks)
Year on the Label
Country
Builder
Photo Credits below
Comment
 This gallery shows only those instruments which are labeled with the maker's name, country of origin, and year of construction. Unfortunately, most period guitars have lost their label, or their label does not indicate a date, and the only way to guess at their identity and year is to compare them with labeled instruments. Experts can only guess if the label does not indicate the date, or if the label is missing, and their guesses often vary by a wide range. The guitars shown here are, to the best of my knowledge, authentic and verified. I cannot vouch for their authenticity, in fact, some of them look wrong for the year as noted in the comments - please write to me if you have ideas about any specific instrument shown here. Labels are sometimes fake. This will hopefully be a useful tool for anyone to guess at the age of their undated guitar by comparing to these examples.

Viewers, PLEASE submit photos of your guitars for this site! Guitars must be prior to 1870, and most importantly must be labeled and the label must state the date. Photos of replicas of dated, labeled guitars are also accepted.

1779-1790*

Note: Authenticity of guitars before the 1790's is often in question. This also corresponds to when Moretti's 6-string method appeared, in 1792. There are many fake labels, forgeries, labels removed from broken violins and inserted to guitars, and 5-course instruments which were altered to 6-string. Franciolini of Florentine was responsible for a number of 1780's fake labels. The 6-course (12 string) guitar was prevalent in Spain, and the 5-course (10 string) guitar was prevalent in France and elsewhere. At some point in time, double strings went to single strings, and the Spanish model of 6 courses was adopted. I have made every effort to show only instruments where the date is not disputed, but it is possible that some of the guitars on this page still bear unauthentic labels. If you are buying an instrument based on the label, beware of such fakes and check with experts.

Vinaccia 1779 - Museo da Musica in Lisbon, Portugal. This is the one that Sparks mentions having seen, in a footnote on p. 219. Lorenzo Alonso, 1785, Madrid Renault Paris 1789 1790 Fabricatore 1790 Pages
1779 1785 1789 1790 1790
Italy Spain France Italy Spain
Vinaccia Alonso Renault Fabricatore Pages
TH GM MQ SI MQ
Looks right
for 1779		 12-string
Sor cited		 Link with info 12-string

1791-1799

1791 Pages 6 Double Course 1791 Fabricatore Gioacchino Trotto fecit Anno 1792 accofto le grade di S. Demetrio 1792 Martinez GIUSEPPI FILANO 1794 1794 Fabricatore Carlo Bergonzi II (1757-1836), guitar 1796 Guitar after Benito Sanchez de Aguilera, Madrid 1797 1797 Fabricatore 1798 Fabricatore Josef Guera of Cadiz in 1798 1799 Fabricatore
1791 1791 1792 1792 1794 1794 1796 1797 1797 1798 1798 1799
Spain Italy Italy Spain Italy Italy Italy Spain Italy Italy Spain Italy
Pages Fabricatore Fabricatore Martinez Filano Fabricatore Bergonzi, Carlo II. Aguilera Fabricatore Fabricatore Guera Fabricatore
GG TH SI SG RA LF BK CT GW RA RA LF
12-string Link with label 12-string Napoli style
big pic link		 Violin maker in Cremona replica
12-string		 12-string
superb condition!

1800-1804

1800 Giovanni Battista Fabricatore Jacobus Jany, Vienna, 1800 Joseph Martinez, 1800, Madrid Zontini Marconcini Italian 1800 copy Carlo Guadagnini 1802 Moschini (Giovanni Antonio), Verone, 1802 Juan Pages 1802 1803 Kresse Fabricatore 1804 Fabricatore
1800 1800 1800 1800 1800 1802 1802 1802 1803 1804
Italy Austria Spain Spain Italy Italy Italy Spain Spain Italy
Fabricatore Jany Martinez Martoreli Marconcini Carlo Guadagnini Moschini Pages Caro Fabricatore
RA ZC GM ZC FZ RA MQ JW SG GW
Later bridge Vienna 12-string
Sor cited		 12-string Zontini copy Aguado played this style
Original condition		 Damaged
top		 6 double
courses		 later tuners

1805-1809

Jean Francois Aldric, Paris 1805 1805 Fabricatore An early example of an neapolitanian guitar bearing the orig. label; Gennaro Fabricatore Anno 1806 Napoli Strada S. Giacomo M. 20. Stained maple back and sides with some repaired cracks, spruce top with one hairline crack. 1806 Fabricatore and Replica 1807 Fabricatore Rivolta Giacomo, 1807, Milan Italy Silvestri Francesco, Verone, 1808 Juan Pagès, Cadiz 1808 (Bruxelles, MIM M1542), 63 cm, 6 choeurs 1809 Stauffer 1809 Stauffer
1805 1805 1806 1806 1807 1807 1808 1808 1809 1809
France Italy Italy Italy Italy Italy Italy Spain Austria Austria
Aldric Fabricatore Fabricatore Fabricatore Fabricatore Giacomo Francesco Pagès (copy) Stauffer Stauffer
HK EU MT CR MB LF MQ PMR NE BK
Link to restorer site
Rare, labeled & dated early Paris		 Link to big photo back..
side..		 Link shows
original and
making of the Crane replica		 Link shows
restoration		 Damaged
headstock		 Baroque style
rosette inlay		 Early Spanish
Favored by Sor		 Italian
Model		 Viennese
Model
pre-Legnani

1810-1815

1810 Antonio Monzino 1810 Renault 1811 Fabricatore 1812 Pons - Guiliani 1812 Weber 1812 Joseph Benedid Carlo Guadagnini 1812 1813 Fabricatore From Stephan Haas. Terz Guitar (58cm): JOHANN RUDERT in Wien Leopoldstadt, nächst der Schlagbrücke, No.507, 1814 1814 Fabricatore Guadagnini 1814 1815 Fabricatore
1810 1810 1811 1812 1812 1812 1812 1813 1814 1814 1814 1815
Italy France Italy France Germany Spain Italy Italy Austria Italy Italy Italy
Antonio Monzino Sebastian Renault Fabricatore Pons Weber Benedid Carlo Guadagnini Fabricatore Rudert Fabricatore Gaetano Guadagnini Fabricatore
MT RW BK PP RK OA MP CR BK BK IW GS
"Fabbricatore d'istromenti,
..Sirena in Milano - 1810"		 "Renault Luthier
rue d'Avoye no 63
a Paris, Marais 1810"		 Extensive Vine Inlay Gift of Napoleon
Owned by Giuliani		 Early German 12-string
Only 6 survive
Cited by Sor		 Early Italian model Similar to 1811 Terz guitar
Vienna		 Moustache bridge original? Large body style Extensive Vine Inlay

1816-1819

Shelly-Guitar-1816-Bottari_Pisa-Italy_Bone Pietro Castellani, Firenze Italy, 1817 Bastien Fils 1817 - Decorte Ertl Johann, 1817, Vienna 1818 August Horn, Dresden Enzensberger 1819 - Decorte 1819 Diehl
1816 1817 1817 1817 1818 1818 1819 1819
Italy Italy Belgium Austria Spain Germany Austria Germany
Ferdinando Bottari Pietro Castellani Bastien Fils Ertl Johann Caro Horn Enzensberger Diehl
PB DO GW LF SG RK GW RK
Given by Shelley to Mrs. Jane Williams
and forming the subject of one of his poems		 Similar to Fabricatore Rare Belgium guitar Classic Viennese style 12-string Probably later headstock Staufer style

1820-1822

1820 Joseph Kieger Romantic Guitar after Lacote 1820 Grobert Paris 1820 (Paganini-Berlioz guitar) Brune 1821 Gaetano Guadagnini II restored Pons 1822 1822 Fabricatore 1822 Fabricatore
1820 1820 1820 1820 1821 1821 1822 1822 1822
Austria France France Spain France Italy France Italy Italy
Lacote Grobert Recio Clement Gaetano Guadagnini II Pons Fabricatore Fabricatore
GC WE MW ?? BK RB OA EU BK
Vienna replica replica Dubious if
original tuners.
Lacote's teacher

1823-1824

Lacote 1823 - Sinier Lacote 1823 - Kresse Lacote 1823 - Pasquale Bianculli Agustin Caro, Granada Spain 1824
1823 1823 1823 1823 1824 1824 1824 1824 1824
France France France France France France Austria Spain Germany
Mougeot Lacote Lacote Lacote Lacote Lacote Krasny Caro Matthes
GW SR BK ?? MQ SR BK JP Ulf Widlund
locking
wingnut
tuners		 later headstock,
bridge		 later
fingerboard?		 Exc. Condition,
locking wingnut tuners		 typical Viennese guitar Agustin Caro,
Granada Spain, 1824		 F.A. Matthes,
Berlin Germany, 1824

1825-1827

1825 Bausch Terz Dresden Pons 1825 - Sinier Lacote 1826 with original case, ex-fine condition Decacorde 1826 Lacote 9-string 1827 Lacote Panormo - 1827 Panormo - 1827 Gaetano Guadagnini - 1827 Gaetano Guadagnini - 1827
1825 1825 1826 1826 1827 1827 1827 1827 1827
Germany France France France France England England Italy Italy
Bausch Pons Lacote Lacote Lacote Panormo Panormo Gaetano Guadagnini Gaetano Guadagnini
BK SR SR MQ MF CG OA CG JV
Terz Lacote's
teacher		 Ex-fine
orig. case		 Decacorde
10-string		 Coste student
9-string		 Later Head Large Body Original Missing Bridge
Click link
Luthier copy (right)

1828-1829

Genarro Fabricatore - 1828 Gaetano Guadagnini - 1828 Guadagnini 1829 - Watchorn Thumhardt 1829 - Kresse Lacote 1829 - Vichy GIUSEPPE SCIALE 1829 - 7 string Luigi Legnani model front - Johann Georg Staufer, Vienna, 1829)Luigi Legnani model back - Johann Georg Staufer, Vienna, 1829) Guillaume-Martin, 1829, Paris
1828 1828 1829 1829 1829 1829 1829 1829
Italy Italy Italy Germany France Italy Austria France
Genarro Fabricatore Gaetano Guadagnini Gaetano Guadagnini Thumhardt Lacote Scialè Staufer Guillaume-Martin
RA ?? ?? BK IC FD EU RK
Fabricatore builds a
Guadagnini style		 Rare Italian 7-string Very important:
Luigi Legnani Model		 Very important:
early Lacote associate
G. Martin is not CF Martin

1830-1831

Lacote, 1830 Panormo, 1830 Grobert, Paris, 1830 Decacorde 1830 Lacote Watchorn Lacote copy 1830 Front Lacote 1830 Gaetano Guadagnini 1830 1830 Fabricatore
1830 1830 1830 1830 1830 1830 1830 1830 1830
France England France France France France Spain Italy Italy
Lacote Panormo Grobert Lacote Lacote Lacote Benedid Gaetano Guadagnini Fabricatore
OA MF MQ MQ IW JW MQ MP LS
Lacote rare bridge,
patent tuners
nice purfling		 Fine Panormo
see link		 Lacote style Decacorde
10-string		 replica Possibly owned
by Aguado		 12-string Big body "Scroll" headstock
also on Stauffer

1832-1834

Bregenz 1832 A. Guiot 1832 Lacote 1832 Pons 1832 1833 Fabricatore - Crane Lacote 1833 Lacote 1833 Diehl 1834
1832 1832 1832 1832 1833 1833 1833 1834 1834 1834 1834 1834
Austria England France France Italy France France Austria-USA Italy Austria Italy Germany
Bregenz A. Guiot Lacote Pons Fabricatore Lacote Lacote Martin-Stauffer Pacherel Anton Stauffer Filano Diehl
RK CF SR OA CR MQ BK ?? ?? BK MB RK
Odd
Pear-Shape
75 years before this was common		 Ornate
Panormo Builder		 Ornate
Lacote's teacher		 terz guitar 1830's rare
Lacote bridge		 Headstock
replaced 1840's		 Staufer style
year unverified		 Extensive
vines		 Unusual
Shape
Nothing like it

1835-1839

Lacote 1835 Manuel Gutierrez 1836 Huel, Rennes, 1838 Laprévotte (Etienne), Paris, 1838 Antonio de Lorca, Malaga, 1839 Antonio de Lorca, Malaga, 1839 Lacote 1839 Lacote 1839 7-string Gaetano-Guadagnini
1835 1835 1835 1836 1836 1836 1837 1838 1838 1838 1839 1839 1839 1839 1839
Italy Spain France Spain France England England England France France Spain Spain France France Italy
Gennaro Fabricatore Juan Perfumo Lacote Gutierrez Lacote Panormo Panormo Panormo Huel Laprévotte Lorca Lorca Lacote Lacote Gaetano Guadagnini
MT AT PW CG FF ?? ?? CM MQ MQ OA DL CR BC RA
Machine tuners Cádiz school Lacote tuners Torres
teacher		 Stunning
example		 Restoration Link Lacote style Aguado style Later tail piece,
later head		 Original
configuration		 Orante
Later head?		 Lacote tuners 7-string

1840-1844

Boulanger 1840 J Guiot 1840 Rue de Louvoice No 10, Lacote, Luthier à Paris, année 1841 Guerra 1842 Por Manuel Alcazar, Calle Large num.1768 Jerez 1842. 643 scale, 4.8 nut. Luigi Filano 1842 Krasny 1843 Panormo 1844 J Guiot 1844 Etienne Laprevotte, Paris - France, 1844Aguado playing similar guitar
1840 1840 1841 1842 1842 1842 1843 1844 1844 1844
France England France Spain Spain Italy Austria England England France
Boulanger J. Guiot Lacote Guerra Alcazar Luigi Filano Krasny Panormo J. Guiot Etienne Laprevotte
MT MT MT MM MT JK BK IW GW MT
Arched top and back Panormo Builder Brazilian Rosewood
back..		 Terz Guitar Panormo style:
Originally Spanish!
back..
face..		 Believed to be
owned by
Thomas Cole		 Vienna Guitar Unusual Panormo:
flamenco style?		 Panormo Builder
Fan-braced
Panormo style		 Hand-written
label date
Aguado style

1845-1849

Guiot 1845 Baum 1845 Lorca model 1847 John Ray D & A Roudhloff from Paris, Manufacturers of Guitars, No 81 Charlotte Street, Fitzroy Square, London, 1847 Panormo 1849
1845 1845 1847 1847 1847 1849
England Germany Spain Spain France England
J. Guiot T. Baum Lorca Lorca Roudhloff Panormo
GW MT JR SG MT IW
New Style
Pre-Martin
X-bracing inventor?		 Germany assumed Replica Original Period Imported to UK label
back..		 Extra Fine

1850-1859

Rene Lacote 1850 Lacote 1852 Torres 1852 Guerra 1852 Mariano Ussano 1859, Napoli
1850 1850 1850 1850 1850 1850 1852 1852 1852 1856 1857 1859 1859
Spain Italy France France Spain Spain France Spain Spain Spain Spain England Italy
Danino Filano Lacote Lacote Campo Gonzalez Lacote Torres
(not authenticated)		 Guerra Recio Torres
(not authenticated)		 Panormo Ussano
RA OA CG MQ SG SG MQ MQ GM DL YU NE OA
Federico Danino
Cadiz		 Fabricatore style
purfling		 Madame Pratten
style		 Coste-style
7-string		 Later neck? Pre-modern
Torres		 Jose' Recio Top, back cypress Fabricatore influence

1860-1870

1860 Karl August Glaesel Germany, studied in Vienna Eladio Molino Malaga 1862 Brune Lacote et Cie 1862 Brune Lacote et Cie 1862 First Epoch #18, Torres 1864 - courtesy of Jimmy Westbrook G. L. Panormo, London 1864
1860 1862 1862 1862 1863 1863 1864 1864 1865 1868 1870
Germany Spain France America Peru Spain Spain England England France Spain
Glaesel Molino Lacote CF Martin Farfan Torralva Torres G. L. Panormo Boosey & Sons Lacote Munoa
CL JP RB OA OA GM JW MT OA DR GM
Karl Glaesel
Markneurkirchen, Germany
see back
Wappenform style		 Eladio Molino
Malaga, Spain		 RE Brune collection X-Bracing
"parlor" guitar		 Rare South American First Epoch #18 London,
Panormo Family		 Madame Pratten
owned
English guitar		 Latest Known
Lacote

1880-1920: Examples of Post-Romantic Non-Torres classical guitars

1889 1900 1913 1915
Casini - Italy Jérôme Thibouville-Lamy - France Karl Schandl, Bavaria (Germany),
1913: Staufer style terz guitar
Panormo-style head		 Vinaccia - Italy
Staufer clef headstock
moustache bridge

The French/Lacote and German-Viennese/Stauffer designs continued to be made in the 1880's on through at least the 1920's. In particular, German guitars continued in the Stauffer design strongly throughout the early 1900's, and the terz guitar was popular, based on surviving insruments and published repertoire from 1900-1920 (e.g. Eggers, etc.).

Classical guitars did not widely adopt the Spanish Torres design until at least the 1920's. There are thousands of turn of the century guitars with no labels or dates, so be careful when buying! You may think you are getting an unlabeled guitar, the kind Sor would have played (1800-1840), but later learn it was made much later (e.g. 1880-1910). However, if you don't care so much about the date, if the later guitars were made with the same style and construction as earlier guitars, they will have the same sound and playing character, and the same antique tone. If the guitar sounds and plays well, who cares when it was made.

More Information

Two German sites with galleries:
Leipzig Museum Guitars of the 17th century till the 19th century and Leipzig Museum Guitars of the late 18th century and the early 19th century

Another good gallery is the Musical Instrument Collection of C.V.F., Canada which is now on-line.

Christof Hanusch (Berlin) gallery page which shows many beautiful instruments which are informative of the guitar styles of Germany: www.christofhanusch.com - available in English and German.

Rainer Krause collection: www.antique-guitars.de

Guitar collection of Brigitte Zaczek: http://www.spinnst.at/BZ/.

Granary Guitar Collection: www.granary-guitars.com

Fine Antique Guitars: www.fine-antique-guitars.com

Photo Credits

I wish to thank the following parties for the use of their photograps:

?? Unknown Source - Please contact me to identify
A8 Accademia 800 Instruments Page
AT Alex Timmerman
BC Brian Cohen - Soundpost, England
BK Bernhard Kresse, Germany (Also thanks to the Brigitte Zaczek collection)
CF Musical Instrument Collection of C.V.F., Canada
CG Classical Guitar Centre Ltd.
CL Clifford J. Lueck
CM Carbone-Milan: 1838 Panormo Restoration
CR CRANE Homepage by Makoto Tsuruta
CT Clive Titmuss
DL David LaPlante
DO David Osborne
DR David Rasko
EU Edinburgh University Collection
FD Francesco Diodovich
FF Fine Fretted String Instruments
FZ Fabio Zontini
GC Guitar Classics
GG Granary Guitar Collection
GM Guitarras Manzanero
GS The Guitar Salon
GW The Guitar Workshop, Belgium
HK Hans Kockelmans
IC Interencheres
IW Ian Watchorn, Australia
JK John Kingsley, Research Fellow, Thomas Cole National Historic Site
JP Jose Palacios
JR John Ray
JV Jose Verdi
LF Lorenzo Frignani
LS Lehmann Strings
MB Marco Battaglia
MF Museum of Fine Arts Boston
MM Michael Murro
MP Maccari-Pugliese Duo
MQ Musee de la Musique
MT Music Treasures
MW Matthias Wagner
NE Sebastián Núñez & Verónica Estevez
OA On-line Auction (EBAY, Christie's, Sotheby's)
OM The Old Mandolin
PB Philip Bone: "Guitar and Mandolin"
PMR Philippe Mottet-Rio (Anselmus)
PP Paul Pleijsier
PW Pioupiou's web
RA Raymond Attard
RB Richard Brune
RK Rainer Krause
RW Robert Williams
SG Spanish Guitar Shop
SI STUDIA INSTRUMENTORUM MUSICAE
SR Sinier de Ridder, France
TH Dr. Heck - Stalking the Earliest 6-String
WE Wolfgang Emmerich
YU Yale University Collection
ZCZavaletas Collection
ZCZavaletas Biographies of Historic Spanish Guitar Makers

Guitars Through The Ages JW The Guitar Museum - James Westbrook.

My sincere apologies if I've overlooked anyone. Please write to me if I've overlooked crediting your photos and I will add credit them immediately. In some cases I have lost track of where I obtained the original photo, as I have thousands of them on my computer, and I will be glad to identify the source. I have not yet had time to list which guitars came from which sources.

The editor especially welcomes comments and ideas for this web site.
Please send an email to Len if you would like to contribute text, links, photos or information.

Primary Email Contact: Mail@EarlyRomanticGuitar.com Mail@EarlyRomanticGuitar.com

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