World's Oldest Guitar.

I really must admit that European instruments are not my strongest suit, so I won't try to embellish this little photo gallery.
Last week when I was visiting with the folks at the Roberto-Venn School of Luthiery in Phoenix, we had a surprise visit from Frank Koonce. Frank is an instructor at Arizona State, and is the proud owner of what may well be the world's oldest surviving full size guitar. Believe it or not, this thing is over 400 years old!
The guitar has been attributed to Belchior Diaz, a Portugese builder who probably made the instrument around 1590.
Frank was gratious and allowed us to handle the guitar, and answered all our questions as we checked out this amazing instrument:
http://www.frets.com/FRETSPages/History/Diaz1590/DiazViews/fk2.jpg
That's s head instructor, John Reuter, standing in the background.
This is a ten-string, five course instrument with a fine ornate peghead:
http://www.frets.com/FRETSPages/History/Diaz1590/DiazViews/fk3.jpg
Instead of regular metal frets, it has tied ligatures like those on a lute:
http://www.frets.com/FRETSPages/History/Diaz1590/DiazViews/fk4.jpg
The instrument has been through a lot of restoration over the years, including a top replacement:
http://www.frets.com/FRETSPages/History/Diaz1590/DiazViews/fk5.jpg
All the work has been done to a high standard of originality, and the instrument looks much the same as it did when it was made, around 1590.
It seems hard to believe, but this may be the original parchement rose:
http://www.frets.com/FRETSPages/History/Diaz1590/DiazViews/fk7.jpg
If that's true, then it's got to be just about the oldest surviving parchment rose on any instrument!
The multi-ribbed back and the neck are ebony with ivory inlay and the top is spruce.
You'll see this guitar featured in Tony Bacon's "Ultimate Guitar Book."
http://www.frets.com/FRETSPages/History/Diaz1590/DiazViews/fk6.jpg

Source (http://www.frets.com/FRETSPages/History/Diaz1590/diaz1590.html)

Ebony and Ivory, live together in perfect harmony...

sorry. Awesome guitar though, I didn't think they moved past the lute stage until much much later than the 1500s.

I will bet that the wood is dry,dry, dry. Unless it has been kept in a humidity controlled environment, it probably sounds very bad.

Wow, talk about craftsmanship.