Home Forums Guitar Discussion Acoustic Guitar Crafton guitar

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  • #25041
    ismail
    Participant

    Hello,

    I am new to this site. I live in Switzerland and have just found an acoustic guitar in my grand father’s house. He used to play it in a swiss jazz band, back in the 1940s. It’s a Crafton handmade swedish guitar. I searched on Google about this “Crafton” manufacturer but there is approximately nothing. Maybe this brand does not exist anymore.

    The text on it says “detta instrument är ett äkta crafton svenskt mäster hantverk” which seems to mean “This instrument is a genuine Crafton Swedish master craft”.

    I wanted to know if any of you guys knew this brand, if it’s any good and if it is a good kind of guitar to start playing with. I always loved the guitar and this is the occasion to learn playing it.

    Some pictures are in http://www.temp.free.fr/crafton

    Thanks.

    Ismail.

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    • #79952
      Anonymous
      Guest

      Hi,
      I adquiere an very old but in good shape Crafton
      From my grandma some years ago
      Recently 2 upper tunning pegs are not working
      Its there any online store that i can buyan original 3 inline pegs
      From Crafton?
      Thanks in advance
      Allan

    • #78173
      Anonymous
      Guest

      Hi, I have also a Crafton guitar and I was wondering what would be a good price to sell it. It’s serial number is 5100. Where can I find the value for this guitar ?

    • #77218
      Anonymous
      Guest

      I own one too. It was my fathers. Real bad shape since my father cracked the side and repaired it himself with wooden strips. The lacker is all sticky.
      I wonder if it’s worth restoring.

      • #102138
        Anonymous
        Guest

        Hi there,
        do you still have the crafton guitar you mentioned?
        If so would you like to sell it? Can offer a very good price for it,
        get in touch: [email protected]
        cheers.

    • #76788
      mgcef
      Participant

      Though I really doubt anyone will read this, much less the owner of the crafton guitar (nice one, by the way!), I’m gonna post this anyway.
      That guitar you’ve got there, is most likely named “13a”.
      I happend to have bought myself a crafton about six month ago, and managed to get in contact with the guy from Gothenburg(well, at least that’s what his accent told me) who seemed to know just about everything about this company. Great guy.
      T’was finished on october 13th, 1947. number…11 of 27 that day? something like that. Perhaps 23 of 27.

      The difference between mine and yours, is mine’s got a mahogany brown finish on the spruce top, to match the mahogany neck, sides & back, as well as one “missing” inlay on the 3rd and 9th fret.
      Sold for about 85kr. I’m afraid I don’t know how much that would translate to in these days. 🙂
      From that I gather yours is a 13a.
      Although, I might accidentally be switching the design of a & b in my mind – it might as well be 13b.
      And do take care of that guitar of yours!

    • #76784
      magnus
      Participant

      Ismail,

      Crafton is a swedish company, which started with guitar manufacturing in my home town Gothenburg in the early 40:s. Thr manufacturing ended in 1953. After this there have been some Crafton labeled instruments manufactured in Asia throughout the years but none of the same class as the local made.

      There is a guy in Sweden who posesses the entire build & delivery log from the early Crafton production. If You look up the seriel no, probably stamped intor the top of the headstock, I can help You get all details of Your guitar.

      The Crafton company is still around but solely as importer of musical instrument gear since many years.

      They made some amazingly beautiful Archtops in the late 40:s. Take a look on the homepage of Vintage Guitars in Stockholm, in the gallery of sold instruments.

      /Magnus

    • #76755
      BruceM001
      Participant

      Hi – I’m sorry I can’t be of any help with your question about Crafton guitars specifically, but the guitar looks to be in very good shape for its age. It appears to be fairly high quality from the pics – one would assume that if it was used professionally that it was at least good enough for that.

      I would take it in to a good guitar tech to get an opinion on the neck and the condition of the frets, etc., and do any maintenance on it to get it to top playing condition. (Short of refinishing, etc, which I definitely think you SHOULDN’T do – it looks gorgeous as is and it would reduce any $ value it has. That would almost be a crime!).

      If I had MY grandfather’s guitar, I would definitely keep it and care for it, and if I didn’t know how to play I’d at least try to learn. Start reading up on how to care for old guitars!

      Lucky you!

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