Barnes&Mullins Guitar 1890’s-1900’s

Description

This exquisite little Parlour Acoustic was made in the late 1890’s to 1900. Although it says  on the label it’s a French  Guitar by Henri Rivere guitar and Mandolin maker, it seems that this was a brand name, and was most likely made in Germany!

It is a very early Barnes and Mullins , who were founded in Bournemouth, on Englands South Coast in 1895.They specialised in Banjos, and soon began to manufacture their own Banjos as wells importing other instruments.This Guitar would have been one of their earliest imported guitars.

It is a stunning instrument, with a very small body , with gorgeous abalone pearl inlay floral design around the Rosette.It has classical strings ,as  a Guitar of this age  would originally have had gut strings and could not deal with the pressure of acoustic steel strings.

It has a Cedar top, Brazilian Rosewood back and sides and Ebony fingerboard and bridge !It has a gorgeous tone, and the body size gives it quite a soft, delicate sound !