c. 1840-1850 "Early Vienna school" SP/MP

This is a very interesting and well-preserved mid-19th century German six-string guitar likely (since it bears no label) made in Markneukirchen in Saxony. The back and sides are made of stained birds-eye maple veneered over spruce, typical of the era. The neck is the usual detachable German/Austrian Stauffer design made after the model of Luigi Legnani, and is attached to the body with a bolt through the heel. It is still fitted with the original machines - brass plates with bone knobs and they remain in excellent working order to the present day. This is a great example of the kind of guitar that was being developed in the pre-Torres era where builders were freer to experiment with structural and aesthetic details that we don't normally see as often today - the beautiful grape pattern in the rosette (which is itself a full circle) and bridge inlay made of mother-of-pearl for example, or the two piece sides bound on both the back and top with bone. It does have a few very old but well-repaired cracks, and has a few areas touched up with polish but is in otherwise excellent condition for its age and perfectly playable, needing no work whatsoever.