1830's Romantic Guitar Panormo School Fecit w Original Coffin Case!

Overall 892mm641mm scale lengthUpper bout 228Waist 178Lower bout 295Height at upper bout 79Height at lower bout 89Nut width 44mmString height at 12 fret high E 5.5 mmString height at 12 fret low E 4.7 mm.95 kiloSubway Guitars is pleased to present a historic piece from the early days of guitar history. The Panormo family in England is well known for their unique design features that advanced the art of guitar in their time. There were several Panormo family members that had their individual shops in London and they all used the same designs that bear their family name. It is difficult to say which shop this guitar came out of, because the label is missing. Nonetheless, it is easy to see that this was a high-end version as most aren't this highly decorated. It is in remarkably excellent condition for its age, and is definitely ready for its third century of play.The tuning machines are Rance branded and have metal buttons. It's remarkable that these early handmade tuners still work as intended.We inspected the inside with a mirror and a light and found ladder bracing on the top and a somewhat large bridge plate made of a darker wood possibly mahogany. There does not seem to have been repairs beyond an old top crack that was cleated long ago and a crack on the back which we recently glued and cleated.The overall condition of the guitar is remarkably good.There is a patch of finish wear on the back where it is held against the body showing that this guitar has seen many hours of play.The frets have been changed long ago from bar frets to early T frets with offset tang.It's likely that the headstock was replaced early on in its life. Most likely it had the old style violin tuners and the owner wanted to upgrade to the new style tuning machines. Funny how some things never changeTonally it is very different than modern guitars – there is less depth to the basses due largely to the smaller body, but the trebles are very sweet, and the sound is very direct across all the strings. "French style" Ladder bracing lends clarity and a brighter tone.It has a remarkably present sound. Amazing how loud this small guitar can be. The tone has been beautifully matured. The combination high quality maple and spruce on this guitar is pure magic. This is the perfect guitar for someone who is searching for a beautiful and yet different sound.This guitar is fully playable and plays easily all the way down the neck. The neck is straight and the action is comfortable. It has a bit longer scale length of 641 mm and a 44 mm nut width.It ships in its original Coffin case which is also in excellent condition. This guitar and case combo has obviously been used often, but never abused. It has survived the generations completely intact.They hang Panormos in museums. You should hang one too!