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Ditson / Bay State 2-27 Style F 12 Fret Parlor / 1897 / Guitar

Bay State was the brand name of high end acoustic guitars created by the John C. Haynes Company (a department of Ditson), which was founded in 1865 in Boston, Massachusetts. Soon after buying a bankrupt stock of instruments and moving into new premises, John C. Haynes & Co. began making instruments, with 1865 generally attributed to the commencement of production. Initially Haynes started making 'Tilton Improvement' guitars under license and also their own 'Excelsior' Label. The 'Bay State' and 'Hub' labels do not appear to have come into production until the latter part of the 1880's, the Bay State brand being named in honor of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. This Bay State Parlor guitar was made in 1897, just before the turn of the century. Bay State guitars from this era are known for their fine wood and intricate inlays and bridges although Bay State also constructed plain unadorned instruments. All guitars were gut string since steel strings were not widely known or used until the 1920’s. It was also an era before truss rods or any kind of neck reinforcements. The thing is though, this guitar has X-bracing so although it might have been sold with gut strings (the bridge also has a straight saddle), it can handle a light set of steelstrings with ease. As far as we can tell this is a Baystate style F with a 3-ringed fancy rosette, fancy backstrip and multi-layered wooden bindings surrounding the top and back. The back and sides are made out of a stunning set of Brazilian Rosewood which only has two very small repaired cracks in the back and two small repaired cracks in the side. The top is made of spruce which has been braced using X-bracing and is entirely crack-free. The mahogany neck has 12-frets to the body and has a distinct, very comfortable V shape, wide 48,5mm nutwidth and open geared tuners on the sides of the slotted headstock. The ebony bridge is newer and has a drop-in bone saddle with plent of height left. The frets have also been replaced at some point which means that, all in all, this guitar plays as great as she sounds. What is also unique about this particular guitar is that it has the Bay State label, but Haynes and Excelsior stamp on the back of the headstock, the reason for this is probably lost forever in the mysts of time.  The build quality of this guitar is very impressive, it has held together extremely well for over a century. Even the french polish finish shows only a few minor touch-ups. Condition is Very Good with a few repaired cracks in the side and way less than expected playwear and other signs of use, keep in mind that this guitar is 122 years old! Included is a newer hardshell case. Specifications Body Shape: Parlor Finish: Natural French Polish Body Material: Solid Brazilian Rosewood Top Material: Solid Spruce Lefty No Body Details: X-bracing, intricate 3-ringed rosette, multi-ply body bindings and trim Neck Material: Mahogany Neck Profile: V Fingerboard Material: Ebony Fingerboard Radius: 16” Neck Details: Rosewood headstock over- and underlay, pearl dot position markers Nutwidth: 48,5 mm - 1 15/16" Scale Length: 628 mm - 25 1/2" String spacing: 56.5 mm - 2 1/4" Bridge: Ebony (non original) Tuners: Open geared Pickup None Condition: Very Good Cosmetic Condition: Less than expected playwear and signs of use for its age Modifications/ Repairs: two repaired small side cracks two repaired small back cracks A few small finish touch-ups Refret Newer Bridge Tech Notes: None Travels in: Newer Hardshell Case Accessories: None
Instrument sold

The Fellowship Of Acoustics, Netherlands  

Contact name:
The Fellowship of Acoustics
Brands:
Martin, Gibson, Fender, Vintage Guitars, Santa Cruz, PRS, Collings, Rozawood, etc..
Languages:
English, Dutch and German
Specialties:
Fine, Vintage and Rare Guitars
Opening hours:
Monday - Saturday: 10am - 6pm.

ABOUT US

I have always been opposed to being trapped into a job eight hours a day to purchase the free time to do what I enjoy. That’s why i started the Fellowship of Acoustics. The fellowship of acoustics was founded by Rudi Bults, Guitarist and obsessed with tone and wood. The idea was offering real expertise when trading and selling the finest instruments in the world from our showroom in Bergentheim, Netherlands. Helping others find the right tools and enjoying an atmosphere that’s unhurried, honest and informative that’s my go. We are nothing like the "supermarket" style music stores, but specialize in string-things only. We are widely known for Flattop guitars but also sell electric, mandolins & banjo’s, amps, parts, and accessories. Our store has earned the reputation for being a great place to shop for the best products and service.
It is our hope that this new website - much more than a list of "gear" for sale - will serve as an example of our commitment to offering a more personal approach, a friendly atmosphere, and an ultimately more satisfying experience for our friends and customers.
If you have any questions just dial +31-523-232205 or e-mail info@thefellowshipofacoustics.com My name is Rudi Bults, and I’m always here to help out. Wherever possible, we would recommend that you visit our store and experience our instruments and service first hand. However, because of our high standards you can be confident of ordering online from us. We hope you enjoy your visit to our site, and welcome your feedback.

LANGUAGES

We do speak English, Dutch and German! Feel free to call in any of these languages and ask your questions! Call 0031-523-232205

 

WE BUY, SELL, TRADE, DO CONSIGNMENT AND APPRAISALS

 

We LOVE Guitars, and buy and trade for most stringed instruments. But we also do consignment, make appraisals for insurance or put you on our watch list. Please check the Buying & Trading page for details.

www.tfoa.eu
The Fellowship of Acoustics BV
Kanaalweg oost 36
7691CE Bergentheim
Netherlands
To order online: go to
http://www.tfoa.eu/the_store/
And choose your Guitar and purchase through the website.

Available methods of payment
# Paypal
# Credit Card (MasterCard/Visa/AmEx) only available for European Community and USA.
# Bank-Wire transfer

Call for Online Order+31(0)523-23-2205
our policy:
14 day money in return return warranty  Shipping cost, and Customs & import return costs -bothways- are buyers responsibility
1 year Guarantee on Used Guitars
5 years Guarantee on New guitars (or 'limited lifitime' if the Builder guarrantees such)

 
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