Finely made parlor guitars have been on the rise in recent times, as boutique builders of today have a look back at ideas that had or had not been achieved. Guitars like this unmarked example, simply cannot be made today without costing over twice what this one is listed for currently. We have had a similar guitar to this once in our past, stamped by N. B. Curtiss, a NYC based inventor and musican who ordered/branded instruments in his name. This example was likely built by Lyon & Healy, but similar guitars were provided by Gerhard Almcrantz, a Chicago guitar maker who produced high grade instruments around this time. 

 Ladder braced, and built with a Sitka top and Brazilian rosewood back & sides, and Honduran Mahogany neck with an ebony fingerboard - the most striking thing are the presentation grade details in this instrument. Abalone trimmed top and fingerboard, which has star and diamond inlay work. Exceptionally beautiful floral marquetry with butterflies and hummingbirds on the back. A very comfortable guitar to sit with, it is built with a 24.25" scale and sits with a 12.75" lower bout, in traditional parlor guitar fashion. Sonically, it is very pleasing with a nice balanced and open tone - singing melodies in every registered, this guitar has been well maintained over the years. It plays with even low action, that measures 6/64" in height at the twelfth fret. 

 The guitar has had its fair share of repairs in the last century, having likely been used for quite some time before landing with its last collector owner. There is evidence of a neck reset, which was well done resulting in very playable action (currently strung up with silk & strings). An ebony shim is present under the fingerboard extension, and the drilled hole in the fingerboard at the 13th fret is visible, with some blow out from the ebony. The binding on the neck indicates that this was likely nibbed in a Gibson fashion, which was at some point taken down, likely from a past re-fret (with accurate thin and flat fret wire). It has a replaced nicely made bone nut. The bridge was likely reglued in its past, and at the time of the neck reset the saddle was replaced with a nice and very tall bone saddle. Top cracks are present but have been sealed. It appears to have a long and likely original maple bridge plate which looks in fairly good shape. The bridge pins are all likely replaced, with one being a hair mismatched. Replaced tuners present, with accurate reproduction plate, albeit with chrome plating. 

 Comes with a hardshell case.