English Guitar
ca. 1785 (made)
| Artist/Maker | |
| Place of origin |
This version of the English guitar was played with keys and felt-padded hammers, a device which Chrisitan Claus, a London luthier patented in 1783 . The English guitar was very popular amongst ladies, and Claus's aim was to produce an instrument that they could play without damaging their nails on the wire strings, and which would make sounds like those of the now highly fashionable piano.
Object details
| Category | |
| Object type | |
| Parts | This object consists of 3 parts.
|
| Materials and techniques | Carved and planed pine body with brass frets |
| Brief description | part of guitar, English (London), 1783-90, Christian Claus English, Christian Claus, London, 1783-90 with five keys(?), part of guitar, English (London), 1783-90, Christian Claus |
| Physical description | 'Body and belly all of pine, with feather branding painted in red. Similarly painted simulated rose containing six diagonally placed holes through which small felted hammers spring out to strike the strings from below. Six small wooden keys on the lower left side of the belly actuate the hammers. Bridge missing. Ebony fingerboard with shaped end and twelve brass frets and three capotasto holes. Watch-key tuning. Finial broken.'. Anthony Baines: Catalogue of Musical Instruments in the Victoria and Albert Museum - Part II: Non-keyboard instruments. (London, 1998), p. 52. |
| Dimensions |
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| Marks and inscriptions |
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| Gallery label | ENGLISH GUITAR,
Pine soundboard and body, ebony finger board
England, by Christian Claus; about 1785
Museum No.: 240-1881.
The instrument is stamped on the back Claus & Co. Inventor, London. Patent-Instrument. It is displayed in such a way as to show Claus's keyed guitar mechanism.(ca. 1995) |
| Credit line | Given by Mrs Symes |
| Object history | This instrument was given to the Museum by Mrs Symes of Gorphwysfa, Upper Bangor, Wales in 1881. |
| Summary | This version of the English guitar was played with keys and felt-padded hammers, a device which Chrisitan Claus, a London luthier patented in 1783 . The English guitar was very popular amongst ladies, and Claus's aim was to produce an instrument that they could play without damaging their nails on the wire strings, and which would make sounds like those of the now highly fashionable piano. |
| Bibliographic reference | Anthony Baines: Catalogue of Musical Instruments in the Victoria and Albert Museum - Part II: Non-keyboard instruments. (London, 1998), p. 52 |
| Collection | |
| Accession number | 240-1881 |
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| Record created | October 17, 2007 |
| Record URL |
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