Picked up an old C. Bruno

[chriswhewell]

Couldnt resist it at the antique store. The back was loose but everything else ok, so I carefully removed the back. I'm trying to identify its year, etc. I looked on this site's 1889 C. Bruno catalog but its not in there, the tuning machines appear more primitive. I put a link to a pic of them below. The patent date on the tuning machines is 9/22/1874. Body measures 19" X 13 7/16"

http://www.cjelliottmusic.com/1.jpg
http://www.cjelliottmusic.com/2.jpg
http://www.cjelliottmusic.com/3.jpg
http://www.cjelliottmusic.com/4.jpg

If anyone has an idea of how I can find the year / model I'd be curious to know !! Serial # on headstock is #5934.

The tuning machines are really cool, you pull them out, like the one in the middle in the pic above, thread the string in, then hand turn it until it becomes taught, then push it in and use the knobs to tension. Time saver !! The patent is US Patent 155,352 to Hiram White. In the 1889 Bruno catalog, guitars having the dimensions of this one were described as being "concert guitars". My guess is that its probably from around 1880, but that's just a guess. Its had the soundboard cracks obviously previously repaired, and the body had split but was also previously repaired. Whoever did the most-recent glue job on the back plate was a little sloppy though, probably why it came loose. I carefully removed the slop. It played when I got it though. Sounded pretty decent, although the soundboard bracing stinks compared to today's standards. Kinda makes me want to modernize it, but I best be leavin it alone and just re-glue the back on her.

thanks alot,

Chris

[Spud1950]

That should be a nice guitar once you get it fixed up.C.Bruno was only a distributor.They never actually made anything. From what I've read,they were founded in 1834. Some of the earliy C.Bruno branded guitars were made by C.F. Martin. That relationship ended and over the years their guitars were made by many manufacturers,such as Oscar Schmidt, Stromberg, Harmony and even some European makers. In the 1960's and 1970's they sold Japanese made guitars. I'm no expert,but to me your guitar does look to be in late 19th century,early 20th style. I can't find any info on how to decipher their serial numbers. You'll probably need to find someone who is very knowledgeable about antique guitars to give you info on the exact date and who actually made this guitar. Those tuners are very cool.The forerunner of modern day locking tuners?

[chriswhewell]

Thanks alot Looking at the 1889 Bruno catalog on Vintaxe, I couldn't see any headstocks that had those kind of tuners - they kinda stick out. They are a bit more complex than other tuners, probably cost a little bit more.

Since the patent on the tuners is 1874, and they were possibly eliminated from production to keep costs down, my best guess is that the guitar dates from some period between 1875 and 1888. Of course they could have been added later but that doesn't seem likely, the screw heads aren't marred at all and by all appearances these tuners look as thought they were original equipment. It suggests also this is an American-made guitar, although I guess its possible it was imported and the American-patented tuners added later, but that seems unlikely. So far my best guess is that its American made, sometime between 1875 and 1888. 1875 because the patent is dated september of that year, and 1888 b/c the 1889 catalog was probably put together in 1888.

[viking]

l have guitars back to 1816 and are from all over l would say look for levin as it was a very old company from sweden. the braceing and tuners could more likely be from europe . l have at times found out from researching patten numbers. but companys like o.s. made them in the us as well as in germany , if you decide to sell let me know.

[viking]

l think its a gut string guitar due to its braceing and even tho the parts are american patents that doesnt preclude it being made in sweden . or else where than the usa companys back then were not exclusive as now. bruno got them from all over.

[chriswhewell]

yeah, given Bruno's modus operandi, it could have been made anywhere. I've read where the os ones had inlays on frets 5, 7, 9. This one has them on 5, 7, 10. The closest thing to it I've seen after exhaustive internet searching is the one in the video below. I say that because the neck abuts almost all the way to the soundhole, and it has 19 frets. But the one in this video has no inlays in the neck and the kid never lets us see the headstock. I haven't been able to find a single guitar having those tuning peg machine setups. Knobs are bone, hardware is brass.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cJ-knRPods0

[chriswhewell]

Well, I took out my jeweler's screwdriver set and the screws holding the tuning machines to the neck came out under moderate force. Here's a couple photos below. The headstock is dimpled to accommodate the rivets on the back plate, looks like an OEM setup, but who knows. Any ideas what's best to use to clean the area on the headstock that was under the plate ? Right now I'm thinkin of just spit on a rag. I'll use gumout on the machines to get the ages of grime out, being carful to not get any on the bone, then just a drop of sewing machine oil between the shafts and the sleeves in which they reside. What kind of wood is that anyhow ?

http://www.cjelliottmusic.com/5.jpg
http://www.cjelliottmusic.com/6.jpg
http://www.cjelliottmusic.com/7.jpg
http://www.cjelliottmusic.com/8.jpg


Here's a link to White's patent, if anyone's interested in readin it:

http://www.cjelliottmusic.com/155,352.pdf

[doctor Guy]

[chriswhewell]

[chriswhewell]

yee haw !! The back plate is glued back on, and she has new strings - sounds GREAT !!

[chriswhewell]

here's that old guitar in action

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nn6kw9MSKW8