1867 post Civil War Parlor

[Ray Ussery]

Thanks to everyone for their comments. :>)

Ken,

Not to worry, I would NEVER take your comments "The wrong way"...I feel very confident that you would only have the best of interest in mind for me OR the guitar. I'm in the process of contacting Gruhn and Elderly today and see what they have to say....as well as the Luthier that does most of the instrument repairs in this category for Dream Guitars.

John,

I fully understand your comment on the CA thing..I KNOW better...sheeeesh, that's why you have to seal the top against CA around the rosettes etc....I wasn't doing well when I wrote that...running a pretty high fever...shouldn't have been there in the first place..I guess..
I DO appreciate your comments though, didn't want you to think I had completely "Lost it"!

[Dave Bagwill]

Ray - hey, I've completely 'lost it' and nobody even noticed :-)

[Ray Ussery]

Ray - hey, I've completely 'lost it' and nobody even noticed :-)

I didn't want to say anything ...but Tony and me were just talking about U>....BRAHAHAHAHAHA...
No Honestly..if your like me, you'll "Find it" just as soon as you remember "What it was" you lost and go buy another one! So be patient! :>)

[Ray Ussery]

Well when I last cussed and discussed this Old Lady, just wasn't sure what to do with it, as a tribute to my Aunt (By marriage) and her mother who played the guitar extensively during the middle to late 19Th Century and early 20th century on and until her death I believe in 1933.

Ken made a excellent point that the guitar should be in a conservator's hands for a full restoration being from 1867. I agreed whole hardly.

The fellow who is documenting the number of there guitars left, years, serials numbers and location along with the history of it's birth to date lives in Australia....but gave me the name of one who lives in Boston and does restoration on these guitars as well as others made during this time period. VERY amiable and friendly person who lives and breathes these old guitars even though he's retired. .

I sent him my pictures and ask him how much it would cost to have this thing restored...about $3500 GULP! I know full well I couldn't do that and he knew that as well because of my response...but he said that the guitar was worthless really in it's current condition. and that it seemed a shame to just let it go to pieces and be lost forever.

We talked for quite a wile and finally he said that I should maybe consider doing it myself....and that he would help me as I went along...all I had to do was call him...I had doubts but not many choices...I wanted the guitar saved also so decided to take it on.

I called him and had a long talk and he supplied me with do's and don'ts to begin with...we collaborated a good bit...I prepared the neck for installation...using two 3/8" dowels in the neck center top and bottom. Drilled all 4 holes by hand and low and behold...they all lined up and when installed everything fit perfectly. After checking and rechecking and a lot of praying...I regled the neck assembly. Having no truss rod or visable bracing, it was amazing that the neck fit perfectly with no humps, fret flaws or any other problems that I can see at this time. I do have to cut some spruce for the top and make a patch at the sound hole where it meets the fretboard extensioon. That will have to be cut and carved by hand and an extremely fine wooden decorated wooden ilaied circle all of which consists of an area about 1/2" wide and 2.5 inches long. That should be fun.
No pics...maybe soon. I think it was pretty diecent of him to volunteer to help me put this thing back together with no cost involved. I DO intend to make it right with him in the end though...that would only be the fair and right thing to do. There are STILL good people in this world...it does my heat good to find one once in a while. and I get to learn as well...dosen't get much better than that.! :>)
So that's where we are now...be adding more as we go along...Thanks for looking. and listening.

Ray

[Ray Ussery]

OK...well, I'm back more or less...boy this stuff that's going around is tough let me tell you....anyway, with bits of time here and there and some serious help from the older fella in Boston I've made some progress...so thought I'd pass along some pics if they turn out ok...it's dirty so try to look the other way...I still have to thin out the top patch on one side yet and match the finish and color..and of course the embellishment around the sound hole..I matched the grain fairly well....still have one spot on the finger board where the piece was lost but I think the rest has been a winner so far and so does he.
I set him a tiny piece of finish I found to try to verify the finish... he thinks it may be shellac and possibly done with french polish on the top at least...we will see..he has testing equipment to find out what was used and he says the sample of the spruce and finish is big enough. I have some serious cleanup to do now and then to the hard stuff....
OK...shut up Ray...it's pic time:

[Dave Bagwill]

There is something endearing about these real old venerable instruments; even when they are a little rough they carry a certain dignity. I'm glad you've taken on the task and thanks for sharing the pix.

[Ray Ussery]

Thanks Dave, as you probably noticed, the frets had been replaced on the extent long ago...of course have no reason why, but they are "T" frets to the 12th at the body...this may be a clue as to why the neck tore out so badly...if who ever replaced the frets didn't support the top and the finger board extention, he may have broken it all to pieces and it took a while and big strings to tear it up! Just guessing... .02

Ray :>)