Here’s an interesting guitar that came from an email through the contact page.  CG lives in the UK and “purchased the guitar at a street market in London UK in the late 1980’s”.  He’s been a musician for 50 years and has “done nothing to the guitar since I bought it, other than use a soft brush to remove dust”.

Description

It is parlour size with two labels inside.

One label has the words:

MARIO MACCAFERRI
Fece a CENTO Anno.1928 – (28 hand written in pencil)

The other label has the words:

N. 011 – (011 hand written in pencil)
ANTICA FABBRICA ROMANA DI STRUMENTI A CORDE
Ditta ORIAZIO PALMA
SPECIALITA RIPARAZIONI GARANTITE
ROMA . CORSO VITTORIO EMANUELE, 274 . ROMA

The guitar appears to be a budget instrument.
I purchased the guitar at a street market in London UK in the late 1980’s

‘Cento 1923-1928-Early Instrument Catalog’ there is the inclusion of a ‘Short-scale Guitar’, item No.7. This would fit the body size, however the measurement from the nut to the bridge on the guitar I have is 24.5 inches, which is closer to full size scale.
As a musician myself for the last fifty years I have come across many guitars, ranging from low budget instruments to the very best on offer from makers such as Gibson etc.
 
So it is fairly clear to me that the guitar I have is closer to the ‘price friendly’ end of the spectrum, whilst also being attractive to look at with impressive featured wood on the back veneer, as well as the top wood on the body. I’m not sure what the top wood is. It is also a robust construction, now about 92 years old, with no signs of structural deterioration, apart from a slightly bowed neck which is to be expected from a neck with no truss rod and metal strings, especially of this age!
 
If you can excuse my speculation,I would hazard a guess that this guitar was created to be possibly a widely attainable and desirable guitar, with affordability, good looks, durable and enough precision in the construction for it  to played without hindrance. It would surely have made an ideal gift for any aspiring youngster at the time, or a musician in need of a respectable looking, working instrument which won’t break the bank.

“Made in Cento year 1928” (28 hand written in pencil)

Number: 011

“ANCIENT ROMAN FACTORY OF STRING INSTRUMENTS

ORIAZIO PALMA company

SPECIALTY REPAIRS GUARANTEED”

Shows detail of the back board construction.

the inlay on the top board has clearly been deliberately removed (partially), I’m tempted think it is the name “Mario” or “Maccaferri”, although I guess it could also possibly be “Mastro” –  as used in later years.

the string beads / ball ends are old – the first two (1&2) and last two (5&6) are solid and appear to be made of bronze. The third string bead also appears to be bronze but with a central hole, and the forth string bead appears to be brass, also with a hole, much like modern ones.
It is possible that the solid (without a hole) four bronze bead strings are original, with the third string being replaced at some point with a newer (with hole) bronze bead string and the fourth string being replaced with an even newer (with hole) brass bead string.
It makes sense to me that with manufacturing developments to add a hole in the design would mean less material and less cost. Of course brass is less expensive than bronze.