1940-1953 Favilla F4 Parlor
Favilla Guitars Inc, was a family-run musical instrument company which produced quality string instruments for approximately 96 years until 1986. Originally called "Favilla Bros.", the company built guitars, mandolins, ukulele's and banjos.
By the 1920s, the company had expanded to over 50 employees. The company produced instruments in various New York locations, but around 1930 settled into the West 16th Street location where it would remain until 1959. At that time, Hercules (“Herk”) Favilla, son of John Favilla and a former vaudeville performer, took over the business and renamed it Favilla Guitars, Inc. Herk's older brother Frank had been running administrative affairs for the company since the late 1940s. John Favilla died in 1956, and when his son Herk took over in 1959, the company was moved to a larger facility in Brooklyn.[2]
In 1965 the company relocated again, this time to Long Island. Around this time, guitar production peaked at 3,000-3,500 per year. Herk's son Tom (b. 1942) worked for the company, and in 1970 began importing guitars from Japan under the Favilla name. (These instruments can be distinguished by their having the Favilla name in script on the guitar, instead of the full Favilla crest.)
While we have seen a handful of Favilla Ukuleles in the store, this is the first time seeing a guitar.
We were immediately enamored by the build quality of this guitar, and the sound rivaled that of other parlor guitars currently in stock.
Think of this guitar as a ladder-braced 00-17 with a 24" scale.
Since information on Favilla instruments is somewhat limited, we were lucky to find a Facebook page run by one of the family remembers. Due to its old style crest logo and "Favilla Bros. New York,NY USA" stamp it is estimated this instrument was made between 1940-1953.
This instrument is in great condition and all original considering it's at least 70 years old. Lovely finish checking. A perfect "couch" guitar.
A fresh bridge reglue by our own Mark Burin.
Outstanding instrument!
Gig bag included
- All mahogany construction
- Rosewood fingerboard and bridge
- 24" scale
- 1-11/16th's nut width