View Full Version : Mandolin needs identity
Acquavella
Nov-17-2006, 11:22am
Hi everyone,
Here is a challenge for those of you who like to identify old mandolins. My mother bought this mandolin for me during a visit to London about a year ago. The instrument is not playable nor is it restorable. It is a wall decoration in my music room at home. There is no label and its looks to have been used as a cricket bat at one point. I have always been a little curious about the maker and year. I thought the cafe would be the perfect place to satisfy my curiosity.
Personally, I think it is a Vinaccia from about 1920s. What does anyone think?
Acquavella
Nov-17-2006, 11:23am
Here are some more pictures.
Acquavella
Nov-17-2006, 11:26am
Some more pictures.
Acquavella
Nov-17-2006, 11:28am
.......and another pic.
Acquavella
Nov-17-2006, 11:29am
......the last picture.
Eugene
Nov-17-2006, 12:16pm
Looks like a Stridente...or any number of decent ca. 1890 working-class Neapolitan mandolins.
Acquavella
Nov-17-2006, 4:30pm
Thanks Eugene. The only reason I thought it might be a Vinaccia is because of the two-tone binding along the edge of the sound board. Stridente sounds more likely. I doubt I would be lucky enough to stumble upon a Vinaccia in a London street market. Thanks for your input.
Martin Jonas
Nov-17-2006, 4:39pm
This binding is quite common on Neapolitan bowlbacks, and there were an awful lot of makers that used much the same sort of styling. I have a very similar Ferrari, but there were lots of others. This one is too crude for a Vinaccia (and really also for a Ferrari and a Stridente) -- the reminiscence comes from the fact that many builders took their design cues from Vinaccia. I'd also put this earlier than you, 1890s probably.
If it were a Vinaccia, fixing may be worth it, but as it isn't, it won't (unless it has sentimental value for you).
Martin
If it were a Vinaccia, fixing may be worth it, but as it isn't, it won't (unless it has sentimental value for you).
Or unless you decide to have a go yourself, on the basis that you can't wreck it, and could learn a lot, and end up with a useful and pretty bowlback at the end of it?
I'll bet you could get a lot of guidance from helpful folks at the "builders and repairs" area of the Cafe! http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/smile.gif
Fliss
dave17120
Nov-18-2006, 4:09am
Most Strdentes that I have come across, use the butterfly scratchplate...... however, here are a couple of 'hopeless cases' from my workshop, on the left, a Mario Casella, and on the right, one marked 'Durro'. Both with fronts almost identical to yours, but the backs are both rosewood.
There seem to have been so many makers out there?!? Dave
Acquavella
Nov-18-2006, 6:39am
Quote: "This one is too crude for a Vinaccia".
Yeah, I agree. Although I should say that it looks as if this mandolin was a really nice instrument at one point in time. The inside of the bowl is blacken and the top is a little worse for wear. I believe this mandolin was in a fire as some point. I tried to get a picture of the inside of the bowl but camera wouldn't do it. It might very well be a Durro as it looks almost identical. The body of the Durro seems to be a little wider.
Either way for 5 pounds its a decent wall decoration. Thanks for all the suggestions.
Eugene
Nov-18-2006, 7:50am
Most Strdentes that I have come across, use the butterfly scratchplate...
That isn't necessarily indicative. #I've come across a number of Stridente pieces without and plenty of non-Stridentes with; e.g., <a href="http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ANTIQUE-ITALIAN-MANDOLIN-BY-STRIDENTE-NAPOLI_W0QQitemZ280019193512QQihZ018QQcategoryZ101 79
QQcmdZViewItem" target="_blank">click here</a>.
dave17120
Nov-19-2006, 3:59pm
Absolutely, couldn't agree more, but I did say most. I do in fact have a stridente in the shop at present without any lepidopteran adornments....
........ if there's is one thing I've learned about bowls, there seems to be no standard anything. Dave