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Post by rogerh on Oct 20, 2009 9:55:25 GMT 1
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magnus
Allvetande
Samlar all m?jlig Goya....
Posts: 6,782
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Post by magnus on Oct 20, 2009 10:16:08 GMT 1
Kan inte see Ebay från jobbet men att döma av bilden så är det en Larson....
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Post by rogerh on Oct 20, 2009 10:23:04 GMT 1
Det är en annan byggare som i princip kopierat Larsson och gjort det bra dessutom. Från ca 1895.
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magnus
Allvetande
Samlar all m?jlig Goya....
Posts: 6,782
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Post by magnus on Oct 20, 2009 10:28:56 GMT 1
Det är en annan byggare som i princip kopierat Larsson och gjort det bra dessutom. Från ca 1895. Finns det något namn på denne byggare? Det är inte möjligen en annan svensk? Det fanns en Almkrantz i Chikago-området samtida med Larsons...
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Post by alfredsson on Oct 20, 2009 10:33:07 GMT 1
DESCRIPTION Labeled E. C. Brownson, Toledo Ohio. This guitar dates circa late 19th century based on tuners and other attributes. There is little or no published information on Brownson and he is not listed in Mugwump’s vast directory of American luthiers. I am consulting with the Toledo Library and the City Directories for additional information.
This guitar is unusually large for a 100+ year old instrument. Aside from the Lyon and Healy “monster” and a few instruments by the Larsons and Biehl, there are few surviving examples of early oversized American guitars. Clearly, this instrument is the product of a master luthier. Note the crisply carved heel; elegant end strip inlays; five different types of colored marquetry. The maker was knowledgeable regarding Larson techniques such as use of tension and curved bracing for tables. This is probably an important design element for producing an instrument of such large proportions.
Finest possible tone woods. The neck is Spanish cedar; fret board is clear, jet-black Gaboon ebony. The back and sides are light honey colored Honduras mahogany, clear and straight grained. The top is superfine-grain old growth spruce that averages around 35 lines per inch side to side. This wood shimmers with cross grain and bear claw figuring. You cannot buy wood like this today.
Finally, the tone is consistent with fine aged materials and craftsmanship. It has a large, well balanced voice with complex overtones. As you would expect, it has a huge bass response and is wonderful for finger style play. Original tiny thin bar frets are in excellent condition. Neck is straight and the set is rock solid. The saddle is low but the action is super-low, less than 3/32 inch on the bass side. Top has lateral bracing with a long narrow bridge plate. It came to me with light bronze steel. I restrung it with medium silk and steel (.50 - .11). It couldn't sound better. It plays effortlessly with excellent intonation; no buzzing or fret chatter. Comes with nice quality newer hard shell case.
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Post by rogerh on Oct 20, 2009 10:33:38 GMT 1
Allt står i eBay annonsen Ett klipp: - This brief bio was comprised using the Toledo city Directories and Lucas County census records: Edward C. Brownson was born in New York approximately 1864 one of four children. According to the 1880 census the family resided in St. Louis. (it is perhaps not a coincidence that this guitar was acquired near St Louis). At this time Brownson worked as a printer. Brownson first appears in the Toledo City Directory in 1895 where he is listed as a guitar maker boarding at 632 Hicks St (now Palmwood st.) along with his brother, an insurance agent. In 1899 he was listed as a musical instrument manufacturer. In 1900 he was listed as a musical instrument repairman living with his parents and his sister’s family. In 1930 Brownson reappears in the records as the proprietor of the Toledo College of Music. By 1934 he disappears from the records. -
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Post by danove on Oct 20, 2009 10:52:47 GMT 1
den e-strängen halkar av bara man tittar på den....
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Post by rogerh on Oct 22, 2009 13:36:38 GMT 1
Riktigt rolig Q&A i eBay annonsen. Läs nerifrån och upp - Q: I'd be happy to email you pics of my two Biehls. Believe it or not, I live only a few blocks from where Tony Biehl built his instruments in Davenport, Iowa. Ironically, I found one of the guitars in Texas and one in New Mexico. My email is r.wilming@mchsi.com And yes, my Biehl parlor has the fancy swoosh heel. The big Biehl lacks the swoosh, but has a fancy dark wood stripe that runs the entire length of the neck. Very cool. Rodger Oct-20-09 A: I think it is strange that such an accomplished luthier would have no record whatsoever nor any other reported sightings. I also know that it's sometimes hard to distinguish the real luthiers from the wanabes. Folks would buy a guitar and stick in their own label. eg., Haynes probably built guitars for at least a dozen so called "guitar makers" in New England 1880 -1900. The fact that Brownson listed himself as an instrument builder in the Toledo directories may not necessarily be a verification of truth. I really find it curious that he was living with his mother when he was past 30. I have a couple less than independant offspring on a similar track. They'll probably never actually create anything as long as they live-- but either one would take credit for building the Great Pyramid of Cheops if they thought it would help them meet girls. Q: Beautiful guitar. I own a little Biehl and a big Biehl. The big Biehl is nearly an exact duplicate of your guitar. If yours didn't have a makers label inside I'd of bought it thinking it was another Biehl. One difference is the tuners. Yours are older for sure.I've done some investigative work of my own and agree with your assessment as to your guitars age. I'd bet everything that yours predates 1900 even if only by a couple years. Rodger Oct-20-09 A: thanks for your comments. I havent seen maybe two Biehls in person and a long time ago. I had thought that there are differences in details of craftsmanship. I don't recall Biehl having the same sort of dramatic swoosh on the heel. Is there similarity in the end strip inlay? Any chance I could ask you to email me a photo or two of your instruments? Thanks again for your comments. Q: Hello. Always have kept my eye on your guitar listings, pretty good finds. Few questions. Do you really think this would be pre 20th century, given the larger dimensions? It seems perfectly reasonable that this could have been built Post 20's, especially given the obvious prairie state influence. How many lateral braces run along the top? Would it be too much to ask for you to sketch a simple diagram to email me? Also, between you and I. I am a professional musician, and I hand pick my guitars based on their tonal quality. Given that I own a few large Larson built x-braced guitars, and have in the past been happy with pre-war Martins, would I really be happy with this instrument? In your opinion, do you believe it could hold up to a meduim gauge steel? Seems unlikely given it's weight. Sorry for all the questions. I only ask because I respect your opinions. -Respectfully Oct-20-09 A: thanks for your letter. It is really more like a Tony Biehl than a Larson. Especially the general shape with squat lower bout and smaller upper bout... like a woman on a diet of beer and ice cream. Beihl's late 19th cent guitars were even larger than this one. Biehl was an Iowa luthier. I dont think it is a coincidence that all of the large body parlor guitar builders were located in the midwest. I had a brief notion that this guitar might have been built by Biehl for Brownson. However, the bio info appended at the bottom of the ad page confirms that Brownson was definitely a 19th cent luthier in his own right. I wish I had had this info when the ad was originally posted. I am afraid folks are missing this bio. However, in addition to Brownson's record as having an 1895 shop on Hicks st in Toledo, all of the materials in this instrument are late 19th century. These particular tuners with scalloped brass plates and peened on buttons with washers are practically a horizon markers for 1890s and are common on Lyon and Healy, Indianapolis Regal, and other midwest guitars. In addition these varieties of colored marquetry are rarely found past the first decade of the 20th cent. The same thing can be said of the use of Spanish cedar for necks. Most luthiers had gone to mahogany by 1910. Even the capo scars harken to those crappy old metal backed contraptions you see in the 1890s Lyon and Healy catalogues. Apologies for writing a dissertation. Obviously, the shorter answer is that the guitar is definitely late 19th cent. I curate all my parlor guitar photos and I am slowly but surely working up a manuscript on American Parlor guitars. This is certainly an interesting one and will definitely be included. Regarding your other questions about bracing and tone I recommend that you forward a phone number for further discussion. This is a very good design for a guitar and the results are manifest in the tone. best wishes-- Q: Is there a gap where the neck meets the body? Are you sure about the year? For a guitar more than 90 years old it seems to be in mint condition.Was it stored,buried,hidden the condition is pretty amazing. Oct-19-09 A: Please read the belated addendum on maker biography at the bottom of the ad. I will warrant this guitar is at least 100 years old. The heel joint is tight, excellent. This joint is very clean and It appears as though the neck has never been reset. I didn't mention in the description, there are two early counter sunk screws inside in the heel block. They had to have been installed by the maker. It would be impossible to put them in or remove them without taking off the back (which was clearly never done). With several repaired top cracks and capo marks this guitar is hardly in time capsule condition. I have been buying American parlor guitars for 35 years. Age is not a factor in assessing condition. I rate this around a 7.5. Above average for a 100 year old guitar. But I have sold some that were ridiculously clean. Whoever did the crack repairs deserves kudos. I'll bet it was a violin repairer. Guitar guys never do work this good and always bung up crack repairs with polymer glue. thanks for your interest! -
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Post by dparnell on Jun 2, 2012 23:08:09 GMT 1
I have a similar guitar made by this luthier, Edward C. Brownson. It's label refers to the guitar as "The Brownson". Your above description, describes my guitar's features pretty well. It's amazing that you were able to find the information you have, about this luthier. Were you able to get an appraised value on the guitar, or able to find additional background on the history of the luthier and guitar? Thanks, Don Parnell
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Post by rogerh on Jun 3, 2012 7:08:02 GMT 1
No, I did not buy the guitar but it was a really nice one and I would love to have one. Everything I found out about it was from the ad and from the Internet.
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Tyko
Allvetande
www.runessonguitars.com
Posts: 6,082
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Post by Tyko on Jun 3, 2012 10:55:03 GMT 1
Oj, det var en gammal tråd.....upptäckte jag efter att jag läst allting och ville se bilder på den fantastiska gitarren.....Det finns inga bilder sparade någonstans eller?
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