James Ashborn was making 50 guitars per month in his Connecticut factory before the Civil War! My friend and customer, John Quinn, brought me his Ashborn Style 2 to replicate. It's a beautiful little parlor guitar, only 11 1/2" wide, 3 1/2" deep, 24 1/2" scale.

The Running Dog Ash(re)born looks like the original, except that friction tuning pegs will not be available and the purflings and rosette are more subtle. My version is X-braced to accept steel strings and incorporates the 150 years' worth of improvements in intonation, adjustment, and durability since the original was made. Pyramid bridge, slotted headstock, Waverly tuners standard.

This is a sweet little Parlor guitar, with a singing, melodic tone.It sits comfortably in your lap and the short scale makes playing it a joy. Compared to the Running Dog Parlor, the Ash(re)born feels more antique: it's smaller, quieter, and lacks the robustness of the Parlor's tone. It's perfect for contemplative solo playing.


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