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NMM 10871.  Guitar by French American Reeds Manufacturing Company (Mario Maccaferri),
New York, ca. 1953-1964. G30 model.
Arne B. Larson Estate, 1988.

Note: Click on any image below to see a larger image.


NMM 10871.  Guitar by French American Reeds Manufacturing Co, New York, ca. 1953-1964 Bass side view Treble side view Back view

NMM 10871 is the G30 model guitar with a flat top but arched back. The guitar is preserved with its original hangtags explaining the various parts of the instrument and how to care for it. A Certificate of Guarantee, which had never been completed or mailed, protects the purchaser for one year against defects in manufacture, materials, and workmanship.

As stated in the accompanying materials, "The Maccaferri guitar is a fine professional musical instrument and should always be treated as such." As is common sense for the care of any musical instrument, the company cautions, "DO NOT put it on or near a hot radiator, or stove, or wherever constant heat exists." While a wood guitar could suffer cracks or finish damage from such treatment, the Styron guitar could actually melt!




Peghead and Inscriptions

Front of peghead Bass side of peghead Treble side of peghead Back of peghead

Head: dark red and black marbleized Styron with ivory Styron face, enclosing worm-gear tuner mechanisms; gold, recessed foliate decoration on face. Tuners:  six nickel-plated steel worm-gear machine tuners with white pearlized Styron heads.

Inscriptions:  In raised dark red and black marbleized Styron cursive lettering on headstock:  [star] / Maccaferri

Crest on front of peghead

Crest in raised, dark red and black marbleized Styron on headstock, two M's inside shield under crown, star suspended by a ribbon below (left)

Dark red Styron raised disk under strings on top, the lettering recessed:  [star] / M (right)

Raised lettering on tuner heads:  M

In raised lettering on top at bottom end of fingerboard:  PAT. PEND.

Raised disk under strings with M monogram



Front, Back, and Bottom of Body

Front of body Soundhole Back of body

Body:  Soundboard:  ivory Styron. Back:  arched dark red and black marbleized Styron; recessed line along center joint. Ribs:  dark red and black marbleized Styron; integral with back. Inlay:  none.

Bridge

Neck heel

Bridge:  integral with top; black Styron saddle (compensated); string balls fit into recesses at end of bridge.


Bottom of Guitar

Bottom of guitar




Neck and Fingerboard

Front of neck Back of neck

Fingerboard:  dark red and black marbleized Styron; integral with neck; 21 brass frets (including one at nut); single ivory Styron dots behind 3rd, 5th, 7th, 9th, 17th, and 19th frets, gradually smaller toward high end of fingerboard; double ivory Styron dots behind 12th fret. Nut:  ivory Styron; integral with head face. Pick guard:  none. Trim:  Heel cap:  none.

Neck:  dark red and black marbleized Styron; integral with head; six ivory Styron circles inset into back of neck. Click on close-up of neck heel at right to see a larger image.

Neck heel


Interior:  Linings:  none. Neck block:  none; aluminum bar extends from neck to end. End block:  aluminum plate with two cut-out circular holes. Top bracing:  7 spruce fan braces and one spruce cross brace.


Measurements:  Total guitar length:  930 mm (36-5/8″)
Back length:  439 mm (17-9/32″)
Upper bout width:  252 mm (9-29/32″)
Waist width:  223 mm (8-25/32″)
Lower bout width:  337 mm (13-1/4″)
Rib height (including edging) at heel:  87 mm (3-7/16″)
Rib height, at waist:  87 mm (3-7/16″)
Rib height, at end block:  87 mm (3-7/16″)
Head length:  169 mm (6-21/32″)
Head width, top:  68 mm (4-7/32″)
Head width, bottom:  76 mm (2-11/16″)
Neck length (nut to ribs):  317 mm (12-1/2″)
Neck width, nut:  47 mm (1-27/32″)
Neck width, heel:  56 mm (2-3/16″)
Soundhole length:  119 mm (4-11/16″)
Vibrating string length (nut to bridge edge):  high E:  621 mm (24-7/16″); low E:  624 mm (24-9/16″)


Return to Checklist of Stringed Instrments by Maccaferri

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Most recent update: March 24, 2014

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