1836 Panormo
Number 3098
Rescued from a charity shop in the Cotswolds this lovely old guitar has come to the workshop for restoration and to find a new owner.
Set up as a steel string slide guitar, the first jobs were to remove the steel strings, the oversize nut and the hand-made aluminium string holder.
The lovely Baker tuning machines were removed and cleaned.
The back is not well attached to the body and shows signs of having been previously removed. It was relatively easy to remove.
With the back removed a good photo of the label is possible, 1836.
Previous repairs are revealed inside the guitar. On the left, near to the sound hole, parchment patches reinforce a glued up crack. Centre, a thick paper sheet reinforces a large area. On the right, two wood patches were pulled into the guitar through the sound hole using cotton. All these repairs would have been done through the sound hole.
Straightening the back and gluing up loose bars.
Home-made clamps close a very long split in the side and the area is then reinforced with linen.
Using go-poles to reinforce soundboard splits and place thin hardwood pieces where the bridge pins fit.
The original glue for attaching the back needs to be removed. Fortunately, the old hide glue softens with water. The applied cotton is wet. Later the glue is easily removed with a warm cloth allowing the back and body to be re-united.
Once together it was time for last repairs. Here one of the bars has shrunk less than to body and has pushed through the side. A small bit of rosewood veneer hides this well. The photo on the left shows the thick coating of old wax which covered the entire instrument and was so difficult to remove.
Bridge and endpin.
A local saddler did a wonderful job reconditioning the leather case that came with the instrument, adding new hinges, hasp and leather handle.
Strung with Aquila Nylgut, the guitar has a wonderful tone.
Dimensions:
String length: 632mm
Overall Length: 935mm
Width of upper bout: 227mm
Width at waist: 176mm
Width at lower bout: 287mm
Height at upper bout: 88mm
Height at lower bout: 92mm
Nut width: 44.5mm
Height of first string above 12th fret: 4.0mm
Height of sixth string above 12th fret: 4.3mm
Weight 1125g