1890s Bruno Spruce/Rosewood Parlor Guitar

I didn't have time to get a video clip of this little beaut, but it's one I fixed for a local buddy. It's spruce over rosewood, has violin-style purfling (no binding), is branded Bruno but likely made by Haynes in Boston or Bauer (considering the very thin tenon/butted neck joint and radiused fretboard), and is an absolute winner.

It needed a neck reset, saddle and pins relocation at the bridge (nothing there was placed correctly), fret level/dress, many back brace reglues and side crack and seam reglues, a new saddle, and setup work. These were made for gut strings when they were made and so I use normal classical guitar strings when restringing. A lot of people want to use steel on these but the bracing is really too light for that and they don't sound great with steel, anyhow -- too thin and wispy.

The neck profile on this is a soft V with not too much depth and it's a pleasure to play. It feels almost modern.