1856 Tilton Guitar

[Danny]

For comparison (or for money) a period guitar with it's period case.

More pictures at

http://www.elderly.com/vintage/items/20U-11855.htm

Dan Wykes

[toccoa42]

Any idea how common the metal tail piece was? Or were pegs more universal?

[Danny]

Any idea how common the metal tail piece was? Or were pegs more universal?

Lynn -

From all the period guitar photos I've seen, both pins and tail pieces were in vogue, pins were more common. But this is a question for an expert on historic American guitars.

Apparently this guitar had it's tailpiece replaced so don't know what the original tailpiece would have looked like - perhaps smaller and less fancy.

btw Tilton made some fine banjos as well.

Dan Wykes

[Deuceswilde]

It could be that metal tail-pieces were something characteristic of Tilton's guitars pre and during the ACW. http://www.google.com/patents?id=HQBSAAAAEBAJ&dq

Do you have photos of confirmed other makes of guitars before or during the ACW utilizing a metal tailpiece? Also, are any examples of guitars other than the "Tilton Improvement" in extant that have documented original metal tailpieces? They seem to catch on on cheaper instruments in the 1880s and gain in popularity after 1900. The reason I ask is that I don't know the answers. I do know that a awful lot of guitars had them added around 1910-20 to compensate for the destructive tension of wire strings, but a lot of times they broke anyway. I also don't know if we can say that they were popular or common without further research. Seems that if one had a Tilton, or a replica of a Tilton that follows the shape, (they are a bit different from Martin's standard design) including the center bar with medallion, obviously that is correct. Otherwise more research is needed.

[Danny]

...Do you have photos of confirmed other makes of guitars before or during the ACW utilizing a metal tailpiece?...The reason I ask is that I don't know the answers...more research is needed.

Joel - When I checked my photo collection I couldn't find other makers that used plates, but I did find pics of another 1856 Tilton, with perhaps the original metal tailpiece intact - see attached

Dan Wykes