1940 Favilla 0-size 14-fret Guitar

Update 2021: This guitar sold back in 2015 but is back here for resale as its owner is downsizing and changing directions. I've updated the photos, added a video clip, and updated the 2015 description where necessary. It came back to me playing just as it left, however, so I'm thankful that it's been nice and stable... now back to that description...

I previously worked on this for a customer (in 2014) but when it came back (in 2015) I did all the work on it that I wanted to do in the past to turn it into a perfectly-playing box. As a bonus it also sounds even fuller and more responsive than it did before which is just extra icing on the cake.

This was made by Favilla in New York and the original tuners and basic build date it to the early-to-mid 40s. It's essentially Favilla's take on a Martin 0-18 14-fretter with a solid spruce top and solid mahogany back, sides and neck. It's 0-sized which many folks would call "parlor-sized" but in truth it's a hair larger than a traditional "parlor" guitar.

The top is fan-braced which gives it a sound somewhere between an x-braced small-body Martin on the mids and high-end and a ladder-braced parlor on the low-end. You get a ton of rich sound but also more sustain and warmth vs. ladder bracing. It's also hecka loud for its size and suits fingerpicking astonishingly-well (sort of like a Larson-made guitar would). It's sweet but very clean, clear, and crisp.

Repairs included: pulling the frets, leveling the board, refretting, a light bridge shave and new bone (compensated) saddle, spruce bridge plate cap installed over the original bridge plate, tuner lube, small cleaning, and setup. 

Made by: Favilla

Made in: New York, New York, USA

Top wood: solid spruce

Back & sides wood: solid mahogany

Bracing type: fan

Bridge: rosewood

Fretboard: rosewood

Neck wood: mahogany

Action height at 12th fret: 3/32” bass 1/16” treble (fast, spot-on)
String gauges: 48w-10 extra lights

Neck shape: slim-medium C

Board radius: flat

Neck relief: straight

Fret style: medium-modern

Scale length: 25 1/4"

Nut width: 1 5/8"

Body length: 19"

Body width: 15 1/4"

Body depth: 3 3/4"

Weight: sdfsdf

Condition notes: the only "playability" issue with the guitar is that the neck is relatively thin for its time and I can only suggest using extra lights (46w-10) or lighter gauges to keep this stable over time -- maybe 50w-11 for detuning a little. It had 11s on it when it came back after 6 years and the neck was still spot-on straight, so I suppose that says something! It doesn't really need anything heavier anyway as the long scale gives it plenty of volume and the light bracing means the lighter gauges still drive the top nicely. This all makes it much more suited to fingerpicking than flatpicking, though.

Oh, and as you might expect, the finish shows weather-checking and minor wear and tear (scratches) throughout, though it is relatively clean for its age. There are a few longer marks here and there, too. But still! It even has its original Grover tuners which are worth a good amount in themselves these days.

Replacement parts are nut, saddle, frets, and pins. The endpin was drilled for a jack at one point and now it's filled and has a normal endpin in it. There are also two repaired minor dryness hairline cracks next to the back center seam. They're good to go...

It comes with: a ratty old chip case that serves for light duty use.