James Ashborn was an American Luthier who made a popular line of parlor guitars between  1851 and 1856.   Located in Wolcottville, Connecticut, Asborn’s factory produced a total of approximately 1500 instruments in the years prior to the American Civil War.   His characteristic early instruments were noted for their fine tone and modest price.  Ashborn was among the first luthiers to make use of Brazilian rosewood veneers, which he believed provided the best  in sound box reflectors and also enabled the use of flat back panel design which resisted cracking very well.  Ashborn also used a patented style of violin tuners in a number of his instruments as well as open mechanical tuning machines in conjunction with slotted head styling.   Bridges were of walnut with a diamond  rectangular style and uncompensated brass saddles.   Necks were multi-wood designs with characteristic ice cream cone heels.  

The Hanalei Moon version of Asborn’s parlor guitar offers the same size , shape and box depth, but in most other ways is a thoroughly modern creation.   The body is made of solid woods rather than being veneered and the bridge is ebony with bone compensated  saddle.  The neck is a multi-wood design with modern classical type heel.   The soundboard incorporates a modified Torres style fan pattern for bracing support and is arched with a 28’ radius.  The back is also arched, necessitated by the use of solid woods.   The fingerboard is of ebony with paua abalone position dots.  The Bridge styling is the “moustache”, reminiscent of the earlier Baroque period  and the head shape is the famous European figure eight of Lacote and Fabricatore.   Peg heads are violin style tuners, but hidden inside is a very modern innovation, the planetary gear system with a 4:1 reduction.  The neck is a mortise and tenon bolt on design and uses a two way truss rod.

Vital Specifications:

Back and sides:   Quarter sawn fiddleback Red Maple

Soundboard:  Sitka Spruce

Rosette and purflings:  Honduras mahogany

Neck: Mahogany with maple and ebony pin striping.

Length over all:   37”                                 Scale:  24.625”

Body Length:       17 ½”                            Nut width:   1.906”

Box Depth:            3 ½”                              Width at fret 12:   2 ¼”

Upper bout:   8 ¾”                                      19 Frets total

Waist :            7 ¼”                                       Binding and end graft:  Ebony

Lower bout:  11”                                         Tuners:  Pegheads 9mm Planetary

The Ashborn Parlor Guitar is produced on request in 3-4 months, and will cost under $1000 depending
on your choice of the woods used for backs, sides, soundboard and veneers.
If interested, please drop us a line!