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Guitar

Date1953-1957 ca.

Place MadeNew York City, New York, United States, North America

ModelC5 Classical

Serial No.6038

SignedBranded on inside of back: FAVILLA / NEW YORK.N.Y.U.S.A.

Stamped in gold ink on head: [Favilla crest, the lettering on banner at center] FAVILLA
MarkingsIn stamped on inside of back below signature: 6038
DescriptionThe Favilla C5 Classical guitar features an all-mahogany body and likely tapped into increased interest in folk music during the 1950s. The instrument features mahogany lateral braces and seven spruce fan braces on the inside of the top, a feature it has in common with the NMM's Villar-branded guitar played by Bob Dylan. Villar is listed as being made by Talmar, Inc. in the Bronx in a 1960 Grossman catalog, and may be the same as the brief Favilla venture of the same name. Another unusual feature of the Favilla C5 is the unkerfed mahogany linings. According to Thomas Favilla, serial numbers were stamped on the inside of the back in the company's guitars between 1953 and 1957 to comply with a federal excise tax on musical instruments during that period.

Stringing: six Nylon strings
Soundboard: one-piece mahogany
Back: one-piece mahogany
Ribs: two-piece mahogany
Head and neck: one piece mahogany; two tuner roller slots
Heel cap: none; neck heel does not extend to back of guitar
Binding: none
Fingerboard: rosewood; 19 nickel-silver T-frets; translucent plastic dots behind 3rd, 5th, 7th, 9th, 12th, 15th, and 17th frets
Nut: bone
Bridge: rosewood tie bridge; bone saddle
Tuners: two sets of nickel-plated steel worm-gear machine heads with aluminum rollers and ivory plastic heads
Endpin: none
Rosette: 11-ply purfling strips set in from edge, three dark hardwood strips at center surrounded by alternating light and dark strips on outsides
Varnish: clear
Linings: mahogany with beveled edge
Neck block: mahogany; beveled edges
End block: mahogany; beveled edges
Top braces: mahogany lateral braces above and below soundhole; seven spruce fan braces
Back braces: three mahogany lateral braces
DimensionsTotal guitar length: 975 mm (38-3/8")
Back length: 473 mm (18-5/8")
Upper bout width: 261 mm (10-9/32")
Waist width: 230 mm (9-1/16")
Lower bout width: 346 mm (13-5/8")
Rib height (including edging) at heel: 89 mm (3-1/2")
Rib height, at waist: 95 mm (3-3/4")
Rib height, at end block: 102 mm (4-1/32")
Head length: 179 mm (7-1/16")
Head width, top: 73 mm (2-7/8")
Head width, bottom: 65 mm (2-9/16")
Neck length (nut to ribs): 322 mm (2-11/16")
Neck width, nut: 51 mm (2")
Neck width, heel: 61 mm (2-13/16")
Soundhole diameter: 96 mm (3/25/32")
Scale length: 636 mm (25-1/32")
Vibrating string length (nut to bridge edge): 639 mm (25-5/32")
ProvenancePurchased by Esther Alexander (originally from Atlanta, Georgia) when she lived in New York in the late 1950s. The guitar was likely purchased new in 1958 - 1959, but may have been made several years before that. Ms. Alexander enjoyed attending musicals during her time in New York and may have been inspired by the music scene at that time to purchase a guitar for her own enjoyment. The guitar was played by her and her son, the donor, Ken Cancelosi.

Credit LineGift of Ken Cancelosi, 2025

Object number15894

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