Thomas Humphrey "#1"

The label inside the soundhole is a small patch of paper, about the size of a postage stamp. It reads, simply No. 1 For V.F. with Humphrey’s signature just below in somewhat faded blue ink. The identity of V.F. is lost to history, but we can be certain that V.F. received an instrument of the highest caliber from the newly formed Humphrey shop.  Early in his career, Humphrey was influenced by an apprenticeship with Michael Gurian. Thomas was the last employee taken on at Gurian’s New York shop before the shop’s move to New Hampshire. At Circle Strings Guitar Shop, we have two early Humphrey guitars, this example and one of a small group of steel strings made in 1974. The steel string guitar bears a striking resemblance to instruments made by noted New York luthier and repairman Lucien Barnes. It bears an almost identical body shape to the Fish guitar, an instrument made by Barnes for musician John Sebastian, now on display at the American Musical Instrument Museum in Scottsdale AZ. Hump