Help identifying age of an Esteso

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turnermoran

Posts: 391
Joined: Feb. 6 2010

Help identifying age of an Esteso

Hi all - A student of mine recently came into possession of an old family guitar that has been left in a hot garage for years. Such a shame. Check out the pictures. Any thoughts on approximate value and age? It's hard to read the date. Also, there are numerous cracks. There appears one on the soundboard that runs up to the bridge and may continue through the bridge plate but is obscured by the top plate. It looks like it was previously fixed, but my instincts are that it would take $800 roughly to restore the whole guitar tô a playable state. Probably more. Who knows. Would it be worth it?
Label is unsigned.. can't tell if it's a student model or of an age in which they were not normally signed.

Pegs turn smooth and look well fitted. Neck is a bit back bowed. But has not had tension on it and who knows how long.

My gut feeling is that it would be regarded as a "historical piece" and take a labor of love to restore it for sake of having a cool old guitar, but value wise it is not worth a ton of money.

Pics

https://www.dropbox.com/sh/tv4iwuxpivequ39/AAANys8DVfcUjH00WDJUgCdza?dl=0

Thanks!

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Jul. 8 2017 19:02:01

beltri

Posts: 74
Joined: Sep. 28 2006

RE: Help identifying age of an Esteso (in reply to turnermoran)

No tengo dudas sobre la restauración de la misma, es posible quite el presupuesto no vaya más allá de 800/1000€....y aunque se trata de una guitarra de segunda, la edad la convierte en muy apetecible musicalmente. Saludos

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Jul. 8 2017 23:09:09

jshelton5040

Posts: 1500
Joined: Jan. 17 2005

RE: Help identifying age of an Esteso (in reply to turnermoran)

Is the date 1966? What is all that white stuff around the back braces? The guitar appears to be decent shape but no one can judge whether it's worth restoring without examining it person.

_____________________________

John Shelton - www.sheltonfarrettaguitars.com

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Jul. 8 2017 23:51:40

estebanana

Posts: 9351
Joined: Oct. 16 2009

RE: Help identifying age of an Esteso (in reply to turnermoran)

The back is cracked right through the back strip. It's certainly dried out.

_____________________________

https://www.stephenfaulkguitars.com

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Jul. 9 2017 3:02:53

RobJe

Posts: 731
Joined: Dec. 16 2006
From: UK

RE: Help identifying age of an Esteso (in reply to turnermoran)

Domingo Esteso died in 1937. I attach a 1945 label which shows how the “4” was written making it easier to interpret your label. Your guitar is dated 1944.

“Vda” on the label stands for “viuda” which means “widow”. Translated the label reads “Widow and Nephews of Domingo Esteso”. She provided the “Esesto” name and the workshop in Calle Gravina. The nephews made the guitars. These nephews were Faustino and Mariano Conde. Mariano was the father of Felipe and Mariano junior currently selling guitars under their own names. Esteso’s wife Nicolasa Salamanca used to varnish his guitars - she might even have varnished this one for her nephews.

The Spanish Civil War 1936-1939 reduced guitar making in Spain to a tiny trickle. Young men in Spain were too busy killing each other. Production was not much improved during World War 2. This guitar is a very early example of the cooperation between Nicolasa and her nephews.

So the good news is firstly that the guitar represents an interesting bit of history and secondly that with a bit of loving care these old guitars are often delightful to play (although not meeting the demands of modern professionals). The less promising news is that the label is unsigned, possibly indicating a guitar of lower quality in terms of the wood used.

If you have any work done on it, make sure it is a luthier who knows something about guitars of this period. It would be easy to fall into the hands of a repairer who would lessen rather than enhance the value.

I have seen good signed examples of the period advertised for $5500 (1944), £3650 (1947) and 8000 euros (1945 classical). I do not know if they sold at these prices.

Rob