c.1965 Unmarked Portuguese Guitar

This is an absolutely gorgeous (in sound and looks and construction) Portuguese guitar that I recently restored (fret work and setup and some new improvised hangers for the tuners) and am now delightfully strumming each time I pass by the store's instrument rack. I've strung it slightly heavier than normal for a lower tuning than the usual DABEAB. I've tuned it ADGCEA (a fourth above guitar) for more intuitive playing on this side of the ocean. It would sound great in traditional tuning, too. This thing has such a rich palette and would be totally suitable to any kind of tuning you could dream up with 12 strings and 6 courses.

It came with a faux-leather tennis-gear style case, too, which is always a stroke of luck because these guys are hard to find cases for. The woods are all-solid, the construction is very nice, and after setup it plays deliciously -- under 1/8" at the 12th fret. It's silky and has that very radiused "modern" feel typical of Portuguese guitars.

Original brass watch-key tuners. Bone nut & nicely carved bone bridge. (Rosewood?) fretboard.

If you look closely you can see two brass hinges I've modified to hang the tuners from. The usual friction-held tongue clasp was slipping off and this feels much, much safer to me.

Nickel-silver frets in great shape.


Soundhole with nice "rope" binding. Check out that bone bridge.

Overview. Large, wide body is typical... and gives this a resounding, super-sustained, super-big tone.

Detail.


Headstock.


Back... lovely wood!



Really glowing wood on the back/sides/neck.


Again...


Side.


Side detail.


Side detail...


And brass tailpiece.