c. 1865 William Tilton

In or around 1865, Zogbaum & Fairchild, located at 10 Maiden Lane in New York City, acquired the rights to manufacture guitars using Tilton’s improvements. Thus, Tilton turned to Zogbaum & Fairchild to produce the c. 1865 Tilton “style 3” guitar in the Austin-Marie Collection. The guitar bears a metal patent plaque inside the sound hole with the inscription: “Wm. B. TILTON’S IMPROVEMENT, NEW YORK, Patented MARCH 4, 1856, ZOGBAUM & FAIRCHILD, NEW YORK.”

Tilton licensed his designs to other manufacturers as well – most famously to John C. Haynes & Co. of Boston. A Haynes & Co. catalogue from the 1870s shows seven Tilton models, from “No. 0” to “No. 6,” priced from $25 to $65, with a No. 3 (like the Tilton in this collection) costing $45, about the same price as a Martin model 2-20 or 1-21 from the same period.

The c. 1865 Tilton in this collection has rosewood back and sides with a neck made of mahogany. The spruce soundboard is aligned with the grain angled approximately 27 degrees off the vertical axis. This must have been for acoustical purposes, and because it would lessen the soundboard’s resistance against the pull of the strings, Tilton applied his patented silver-plated tailpiece and a wooden dowel between the two ends to relieve the tension on the soundboard.

Tilton’s tailpiece proudly displays an engraving of the silver medal he was awarded by the “American Institute of the City of New York for the Encouragement of Science and Invention” for his improvement to the guitar. Tilton offered to apply his tailpiece system to any guitar sent to his workshop. The resulting testimonials were numerous and impressive. Many prominent guitar dealers and teachers from all over the world, had their guitars – Martins included – modified to much acclaim.