Here’s a cool old Washburn parlorguitar. Plays well and sounds great!
1897 Style, New Model 111. Serial number dates the guitar to approx. 1903.
Adirondack spruce top, Brazilian back, sides & headstock veneer, Spanish cedar neck, Ebony fingerboard with original frets (in good shape).
Spanish Cedar neck with healthy “V” profile that I find to be very comfortable.
Original Ebony nut.
Newer Ebony pyramid-style bridge and bone saddle.
Golden Era restoration tuners in “relic” nickel.
Waverly “Galalith” bridge pins and endpin.
Ships in a new Gator hardshell parlor case.
Presently set-up with Aquila Alabastro normal tension strings to model the gut strings the guitar was originally designed to use. Given how lightly the top is built (original Washburn hybrid “ladder” bracing with a single cross brace at the upper bout, another at the bridge, and a single diagonal brace located between the bridge and the soundhole), I wouldn’t recommend using steel strings without first making appropriate modifications to the top bracing.
Neck has been reset. Action as presently set up is E: 0.11”, e: 0.07”
A few older top cracks (obvious in the photos), all cleated and stable.
One hairline side crack near the waist on the treble side, and another in the side near the end pin. The first is cleated and stable, the second is stabilized by the end block. Both cracks are clean and narrow, and difficult to see in the photos.
A previous bridge placement was a bit off and left some scarring to the top at the soundhole side of the bridge. Not sure of the history regarding the bridge, but the guitar intonates well with the present bridge placement. The original bridge plate/cross brace has been neatly supplemented and reinforced with a newer maple top plate.
Some minor dings, scuffs, and scratches to the finish throughout, but all-in-all the guitar is in good shape for a 120-year-old instrument.
Approx. Dimensions:
Nut width: 1 13/16” Scale length: 24 ¼” Overall length: 36 ½” Body length: 18” Lower bout width: 12 3/8” Upper bout width: 8 ¾” Body depth: 3 7/8” at end block, 3 1/16” at heel
