The guitar has been the most popular plucked string instrument throughout Europe since the early 19th century. This is a typical example of a 6-string guitar.

• Pictures
• Talk by the player
• See and hear the guitar being demonstrated
• History
• Technical details
• Other recordings

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Pictures

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Talk by the player

• about the guitar in Edinburgh

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The sound of the guitar

• untitled piece (from the Georgina Gregory MS, Edinburgh, Aberdeen University Library, Forbes-Leith Collection 24, c 1840)

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History

• Maker: Louis Panormo.
• Place: London.
• Date of making: circa 1840.
• Serial number: 2888.

Previous ownership: Philippo Virini, a friend of Sor who taught and played in London.

Current ownership: Gift of Wilfrid Appleby, 1985.

EUCHMI Acquisition number: (2522)

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Technical details

• English name: Guitar.
• Type: 6 strings.
• Overall size: 929.
• Body length: 450.
• Body width, upper bouts: 229.
• Body width, waist: 175.
• Body width, lower bouts: 287.
• Body depth: 99 (bottom) – 89.5 (neck joint).
• String length: 633.

Technical description: One piece soundboard of spruce. Dendrochronological analysis of the soundboard shows that the last dated tree ring is 1827. Bridge of ebony, the main section 92mm long and 24mm wide. Exclamation mark terminals at either end, the dot having a mother-of-pearl eye. Treble dot missing. Bridge pins of ebony with mother-of-pearl eyes. Soundhole 85mm diameter. Purfling of alternate strips of rosewood and maple (two of each) then two wider strips of rosewood, and then alternate strips of maple and rosewood (three of each). There is then a band of soundboard wood, and then further thin strips of rosewood/maple/rosewood/maple/rosewood. The soundboard is edged in rosewood, with alternate thin strips of maple and rosewood (two of each) inside. The back and sides are rosewood. There is a band of rosewood at the bottom, edged on either side by maple/rosewood/maple strips. In the centre of this band is a wide ivory end button. The back is one piece, veneered onto a spruce backing. The heel and neck are of Honduras Cedar with a the heel flowing smoothly into the neck. The neck joins the head with a V joint. The head is maple. The are brass machine heads, with ivory rollers and buttons. The nut is ivory. The neck is 315mm long, 45.5mm wide at the nut and 58mm wide at the body join. The fingerboard is rosewood and there are 18 frets.

Inscriptions: Printed label inside the instrument reads " LOUIS PANORMO / The only Maker of / Guitars in the Spanish Style / 46 High Street / Bloomsbury / LONDON / Guitars of every description from 2 to 15 Guineas". There is a handwritten serial number "2888" to the left of the word "LONDON", and the owner's signature "VIRINI" appears on the treble side at 90 degrees to the printed text. The machine heads are stamped "BAKER".

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Other recordings

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All material on this website is copyright.
© Edinburgh University Collection of Historic Musical Instruments, 1999-2003, 2008.

This page updated: 29.10.08