Manuel Segura Francesci

This is my Father’s old Classical Guitar – he has had this as long as I can remember and I have taken care of it as we are clearing and managing some of his goods.

The label inside contains the following:

Manuel Segura
Fabb. Guitarre
Roma E Jerez
Typo Francesci
No. _______
J.E.D & S. LTD. London

From what I can find out, these guitars were possibly Italian, made by S. Sgroi Silvestri of Catia (though some comments suggest the Seguras are actually Spanish) and imported by J.E.Dallas and Son’s Ltd in the 1950s. Graces Guide has a good overview of the J.E.Dallas company which started as a Banjo maker in 1873. I have found this catalogue entry from 1955 detailing the construction as mahogany body, pine soundboard and rosewood fretboard which agrees with my visual inspection. I am assuming the laquer is nitrocellulose. So far as I can tell the tuners are plastic, but the saddle and nut are of bone. The Francesci is the middle range model retailing for £7 19s (real price value £213.20 as of 2020).

It is certainly a very beautiful instrument, though a basic model of it’s time, and could be perhaps 65 years old – 1955 would have placed my father at aged 16 and I know he was interested in music from a young age.

I have strung this with La Bella 900-B black nylon/Gold Alloys.

Addendum: August 2024

I now have found the receipt for this – it seems it was purchased in 1968 and cost £10 10s

Stats:

Maker: Manuel Segura
Model: Francesci
Date: c.1955
Body: Mahogany Back/Sides, Pine top.
Nut/Saddle: Bone
Fretboard: Rosewood, Flat.
Strings: La Bella 900-B, Black Nylon – .028, .032, .040, Golden Alloy – .030, .035, .043, 86.41 lbs tension
Scale length: