Fine French boat shaped guitar labelled J.P. Michelot...Pari...

Estimate

£8,000 - £12,000

Fine French boat shaped guitar labelled J.P. Michelot...Paris, 1767, six strings converted from possibly four or five double courses - with adapted head, circa 1800; Back and sides: figured maple with tapering sides, in good condition aside from general wear and two small visible hairlines; Top: natural spruce, various repaired cracks and showing signs of general wear, centre bridge section replaced with six course ebony bridge block, sound hole with architectural rosette; Neck: ebonised, repairs to length of neck, reshaped and re-grafted head with friction tuners; Fretboard: ebony; Frets: twelve brass frets running into the table; Case: contemporary Boston hard case; Scale length: 590mm; Nut width: 48mm; Overall condition: good for age

*Ivory exemption submission reference TGGD75SY

Bearing a restoration label to the inner back inscribed 'Restored by Peter C. Kilhams, Holybourne, Hampshire, 1980'

Found in an Aberdeenshire farmstead attic around the late 1970s and was restored by Peter Kilhams shortly after. There is known French immigration within Aberdeenshire during the French Revolution, making it possible that this guitar traveled to Scotland with a French Family during this time. 

Jacques-Pierre Michelot worked circa. 1760-1800 in Paris, France. He established his workshop at the sign ‘A la Mélodie’, rue St-Honoré. He was chiefly a guitar and lute maker but also made instruments of the violin family. 

The boat shaped body is typical of the maker and it is thought that the string conversion could have been carried out by the maker circa 1800. 

Another guitar by the maker, circa 1775, that was gifted to Marie-Antoinette by King Luis XVI sold at auction for €78,000 in 2022.