Vintage Guitar Research

Am looking for info on a c.1898 Bruno Made in USA, Lyra model acoustic "parlor" guitar. It may have been a guitar that could have been purchased from a Sears or Mont. Ward catalog?

I'm going to try it out tomorrow - a friend acquired it from someone and they're not certain of it's value, etc. My friend sent me photos...so I'll have to ask her if I can post some back here. The only issue I can see from the photos is that the bridge has been glued on (and terribly). Not sure if it's the original bridge...but it looks like ebony and the pegs too - they have MOP inlay. It's a plain-looking model, not too many embellishments and of course, I'm just interested in how it plays/sounds.

Not too much coming up in google searches so we're kind of at a loss there and would appreciate any info you guys may have, thanks!

[Bill]

Tom Wheeler's Book "American Guitars - an Illustrated History" is a good resource. Also George Gruhn and Walter Carter's book on vintage guitars. I interviewed George Gruhn (gruhnguitars.com) and Stan Jay (Mandolin Bros - Staten Island) for my documentary on guitar builders. You won't find two more knowledfgeable fellows in the world. Gruhn has an appraisal service (fee).

[Yuri]

You might also try Elderly Music in Lansing Michigan which has vintage department & website.
They may also charge for an appraisal but you might first try contacting them first and attach some photos? Can't hurt...

http://www.elderly.com/vintage/UIL.htm

I found this during a search:

C. Bruno & Son was founded in Macon, Georgia
: in 1834 and the company has been in the music
: distribution business up until the present day
: (they are currently a part of Kaman Music
: Corporation). In 1838, Charles Bruno and C.F.
: Martin entered into a partnership to produce and
: distribute acoustic guitars that only lasted one
: year. These acoustic guitars are labeled with both
: names, and were produced in New York. Throughout
: their history, Bruno musical instruments were
: manufactured by other companies and then
: distributed by C. Bruno & Son. In the 1960's,
: Bruno imported their instruments from Japanese
: manufacturers.

I've now found names for other Bruno's guitars such as 'Stella' (from the 50's). Since I now know that they were a distrubutor and didn't produce the Lyra...it will be interesting to find out what company did. Kaman should have the company history...so we'll contact them.

We've dated the guitar from family records, so that helps a bit. Can't wait to find out how this old guitar sounds!

Tried out this guitar and despite some condition issues (and aged strings), it produces a nice mellow sound. The major issue is the bridge, which had been poorly re-glued is lifted/separated...due to the strings never being loosened. However, this occurrence appears to have saved the neck. The neck is straight, but could use a slight adjustment. Don't know if a truss rod was used in these guitars anyway, and I saw a wood block in the interior -where the neck is attached to the body. I'm thinking no truss rod - the weight of the guitar is very light.

[Yuri]

Pam,
Looks like an instrument worthy of saving. If the neck is not warped and frets properly dressed the 'action' can always be improved upon at the nut & the saddle (bridge).
Most of these acoustic instruments had mahogany necks and various makers, including Martin, used a square tubular non-adjustable truss rod to stiffen up the neck and resist the bowing from string tension. As I don't see any access to a truss rod on the headstock and you say you only see a wood block at the attachment point through the sound hole, I suspect this instrument is not adjustable - as you suspected.
The bridge can be re-glued (hot hide glue strongly recommended) after the wood surfaces are properly cleaned.

[Cathy]

Who knows what they used for glue on the bridge repair. My concern would be splintering the top while trying to get the bridge off. Then you pretty much have a stick of firewood.

I think the only way to take the bridge off is to have it done professionally. If the bridge is tight and the top isn't bowed, I'd probably leave it as is, and just try to trim the extra glue off around the bridge.

If you have an electronic tuner, it might be a good idea to test the intonation on various frets up and down the neck. One of those IntelliTouch tuners, which just clips on the headstock, works quite well. They're fairly cheap. I think I paid $14.95 for mine a few years ago.

The next question is cost. Where it's not really a brand name instrument,and considering the sloppy glue job, I wouldn't give over $50 for it. You can buy a decent new guitar for $150. I tried out an OM size offbrand a few months ago that played and sounded as good as my $4000 Martin. Grrrrrrrr!

Cathy

[Cathy]

What kind of wood is it made from? Is it solid wood, or laminated?

Cathy

[Cathy]

Here's some info on Lyra Brand guitars. I'm not sure of this, but I think some models were made by Stella. http://www.solie.org/earlsguitars/lyra1.html

Cathy

[Bill]

The tuning gears, metal strings, and bridge pins make it much later than the turn of the century I think.

The body is mahogany.

[Cathy]

I does look like mahogany. A lot of older guitars were made out of mahogany, before it became a rare wood. I used to have a 3/4 solid mahogany guitar from Sears & Roebuck. The strings were about 1/4 inch above the neck, and it was awfully hard to play. I remember getting blistered fingers on my left hand. I'd like to have it now, though, knowing what I know about setting up guitars. It would have been pretty sweet if I'd have taken the nut and bridge down and made it playable. I think Dad threw it on the rockpile in the woods and lit it on fire, after it sat in the closet for years.

The Lyra definitely isn't rosewood. Rosewood has inky dark streaks throughout the grain.

Cathy

[Cathy]

Mom did it too. I remember at the age of five fooling around with an old fiddle. It was missing a tuning peg and only had a couple of strings on it. It was a Stratavarius copy, one of probably hundreds, and probably wasn't worth a lot of money, but I bet Gramp broke it in just right. It ended up on the rockpile, too.

My aunt used to have a National dobro in the loft of her old barn. Sadly, that's another vintage instrument that's missing.

When I was a kid, my aunt had an old Vega banjo that had 'Archie Brumford, 1923' written on the head by pen. I borrowed it for a few years, and took it to Vyner's music in Bangor to have some work done on it. The drooled over it for awhile, then ofered me $850 for it. Of course, I couldn't sell it, because it wasn't mine. It had a leather case, shaped like a banjo, with red felt inside. The outside of the case had vines and flowers tooled into the leather. I asked my cousin what ever became of it. She thinks it's probably up in her attic. I'd dare to bet it isn't much good now.

Cathy

[Cathy]

I read in one of my Martin books that all old parlor guitars were set up with nylon or cat gut strings, because they had no truss rods, and steel strings would either warp the neck or heave up the bridge and body. The steel strings may be the reason the bridge lifted.
Too bad it's such a sloppy glue job. The rest of the guitar is in remarkable shape, considering the year.
I used to have a hand made classical from Spain. I had a hard time dealing with the wide neck, and after several years stored in my bedroom closet, I finally gave it to a young man who worked for me. He's still using it today.

Cathy

[Cathy]

I'm a history/archeology buff too, and have been since taking art history in college long ago. I've read just about every book in the public library about the Egyptian, Mesopotamian and Roman civilizations, and just read a book about native Americans. I found the part about the native American's around Maine, mostly Maliseet, to be very interesting, especially their religious beliefs. Most tribes, all across the US and Canada, believed in a great flood, which they were the sole survivors of. Sound familiar?

Cathy