Name of Instrument: guitar

Maker / Brand:

Stearns Catalog #: 1126

Country of Origin: Germany

Region of Origin: Europe

Instrument Category: Chordophone

Date of Fabrication: late-19th C.

Location: CHO L 3

Description: This Double-Necked Guitar has evidence that the neck block originally only had a single, central neck, however, there is not evidence that a fingerboard was glued to the table surface in the center. It is possible that the instrument has passed through Leopoldo Franciolini’s hands as the body is well made, but the neck is only mediocre (search the catalog for "Franciolini"). It has a spruce table with bird’s eye maple sides and back. The right and left necks are joined together at the neck block and peg boards. The right fingerboard has no frets; the left has eighteen nickel-silver inlaid frets. The peg boards are angled back slightly; the left has six metal peg shafts, the right has six machine pegs (all on the right side). There are twelve strings that fasten to a black-painted pin bridge on the lower table.

Research: Dr. Bruce Mitchell Smith