~1968 Favilla F-5

1960s Favilla F-5 guitar #81170

Here's one you don't often see...likely from the 60s up to about 1970 perhaps, it is a Favilla F-5. The guitar has solid mahogany back, sides, top and neck (the back and top are each one piece instead of the more traditional 2-piece book-matched), the fret board and bridge are both Brazilian rosewood. 14 5/8" across the lower bout with a scale length of 25". The top is ladder braced and all of the interior bracing is original and in good condition (including the bridge plate). The body of the guitar is crack free as is the neck. The original lacquer finish shows fine crazing throughout and some nicks and dings around the edges. When the guitar came in to the shop it had the following repairs done: removal and replacement of the original pickguard, reglue of the bridge and repair of a hairline crack between the pin holes. In addition, the original nut had a rather narrow E-to-E spacing so the nut slots were filled and the nut re-slotted to allow for a more comfortable string spacing on the 1 11/16" nut. The fret board shows some minor wear as do the frets but there's plenty of crown left for dressing and the current amount of wear has no impact on feel or intonation. The neck profile is a substantial "C" shape, similar in profile to many other brands from the same era. The neck is straight under tension (thanks to the steel "T" bar neck reinforcement, the same kind Martin used through '65) and the action currently is set at 6/64" and 5/64" with just under 3/32" of saddle showing at the low E and 1/16" of saddle showing at the high E. Intonation is good. The guitar has tone that is characteristic of ladder braced guitars, that is, it is weighted toward the midrange and treble end of the tonal spectrum. Volume and projection are very good. Think something like the Kalamazoo KG-14...woody and bright. Comes with what is likely the original hard shell case. $995