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Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada
Mr. Clancy... 1851 Concert Guitar
OK. This is spectacular. Completely off of the grid. Built in 1851. Luthier unknown. This instrument came from Ohio and was owned by Mr. Clancy. He started the very first music conservatory in North America. He eventually gave this instrument to his star pupil and she willed it down the line. It is still in the same family. When they brought this to me to be restored a historian had already put together the history of the instrument. It is rumored to have played for presidents. I was extremely honored to be chosen to work on this instrument. It was a challenge as there is no modern day material on it. Not glue, plastic, metal... anything. The technique used to build the instrument and the design was unique to the luthier. He even made his own glue. The finish is ship shellac. The binding is bone of some sort. The frets are hard as nails and have never been replaced. The filler on the neck is again a style of glue used on ships. The purfling is all wood and has 6 different trees in it. All from Ohio area which is where the guitar originated from. With the help of a luthier there I was able to reproduce the exact purfling using the same techniques. This is by far the loudest guitar I have ever played. It is also the very best sounding. In all my years of playing guitar I never experienced anything like this. From old Martins to old Gibsons. They are not even in the same league. This is by far the best instrument I have ever had the pleasure of working on.
I would like to thank the family for trusting me with such a piece of history and their family heirloom.
Before
Top Plate Attachment
The top plate was completely detached from the rest of the guitar. Before I even started to take pictures I wanted to get the instrument stable. I applied hot hide glue and started there.
Missing Purfling / Top Plate Cracked
I went down to my local hardware store and asked if they had any purfling from 1851 and they said no. I was very disappointed in them and don't shop there any more. I had to make it from scratch and make it look like it belonged on the guitar.
Missing Binding / Back Plate Attachment
Same story. Same hardware store. Sorry we don't have any bone binding from 1851 either... Zero help. Off to find my closest dead whale. I also had to glue the back plate together with hot hide glue.
Cracks on Back Plate
Also needed a lot of attention. The crack was filled once by a luthier back in the day and then covered with ship shellac. I was able to re activate the old glue.
Fret Board Wear.
You'd be worn out too if I played you for 170 years. Filled with ship glue that I was able to re activate.
Internal Bracing
I am trying to show the bracing that was also off from the inside. All of them had to be re attached.
Neck Detached
Neck was also coming off.
Purfling install
The Purfling
This purfling was hand made for this instrument by a luthier in Ohio. The missing bone binding is already installed and I am about to install the purfling.
purfling installed
Seriously...
Purfling installed and reliced to match the guitar finish so it looks like the repair was done way back then. It couldn't have turned out better.
Installing Missing Purfling / bone binding
Rear Purfling replaced
Purfling is installed and I am about to install the new bone binding.
Rear binding installed
Binding install complete
New bone binding installed and reliced to match the existing binding.
custom made Tuners
Set 1 of 1 custom machined tuners
These are a perfect match of what was on the guitar including the ivory peg heads.
neck joint
Looks like it should.
Neck joint was done with hot hide glue as well so all of the glue that was used on this instrument matched what they used originally.
enjoy the show
Mr. Clancy
The guitar took on the name Mr. Clancy. This job took 8 months to complete. I had to do the guitar justice and was not willing to compromise in any way. Made in 1851 by a unknown luthier it was a absolute honor to work on it. It turned out better than I could have ever imagined and all the material used was true to the day it was built. It is by far the best instrument I have ever played or heard. Nothing compares to Clancy.
I would like to sincerely thank the family for choosing me to work on it and allow it to be posted on line for all to see.
Rsm