View Full Version : Japanese bowlback
mandoisland
Dec-13-2006, 1:15pm
Hello,
I have recently bought a nice sounding Japanese bowlback without a label from ebay, and I would like to know if anyone does know the brand / maker of this? It looks like a better quality instrument, and the sound is good and reminds me to my Calace mandolin. In the meantime I have also found a picture showing EDGAR FABIAN FORERO VALDERRAMA a mandolin player from Columbia important mandolin players from Columbia (http://www.laboratoriocultural.org/revista/archivo/1/bandolistasbogota.html)
who obviously plays the same or a very similar instrument.
Maybe someone here in the message board can help me.
greetings
Michael
mandoisland
Dec-13-2006, 1:17pm
Another picture showing the bowl. The bowl is made from rosewood and very rigid and inside fitted with paper (with some japanese letters on it)
mandoisland
Dec-13-2006, 1:18pm
The headstock.
Nice-looking instrument. I'm especially liking the graceful lines of the armrest; I could do with bone buttons on the tuners, though, rather than plastic. All in all, a bit of homage to the Calace ideal.
If you could get a picture of the Japanese text, there's at least one fellow who posts here who could read it, I believe.
Yep. Get me a picture, and I'll tell you what it says.
Jim Garber
Dec-13-2006, 7:32pm
Sort of looks like an upper-end product of the Suzuki factory. Looking fwd to hearing the translation of the label.
Jim
mandoisland
Dec-14-2006, 9:46am
Hello, unfortunately it is no label, just a piece of a newspaper - and just a proof that this mandolin was made in asia. As far as I know the Suzuki mandolins do normally have a label, I did also not find a Suzuki that looks like this mandolin.
Looks like a scrap out the help-wanted section of a newspaper. The Horizontal text through the middle means "solicitation for full-time employees", and the vertical text is rich in numbers: probably salaries.
Jim Garber
Dec-14-2006, 11:41am
Ah, the seller was a musician who finally found a real job and sold the mandolin http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/smile.gif
Jim
billkilpatrick
Dec-14-2006, 3:28pm
sy ... in éire.
THE TRUTH COMES OUT ABOUT THE "LABEL"
From my Japanese wife, she says that the "label' is some kind of employment ad in a newspaper. It says that they are looking for someone about 23-30 years of age with a range of salaries based upon age and experience.
Regret, this has nothin' to do with the mando (: http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/biggrin.gif
mandoisland
Apr-04-2007, 9:52am
Recently I found that the picture of a classical mandolin shown on the German Wikipedia page about mandolin was very similar to my Japanese mandolin. Today I tried to find more details about this instrument and was led to the homepage of Bodo Klecksel
Homepage of Bodo Klecksel (Nagelpage) (http://de.geocities.com/bodoklecksel/mando.htm)
Ther I found the following information:
Torella Modell M-20 Ansichten der klassisch italienische Rundbauchform mit schönen Palisanderstreifen, handgefertigt in Japan, laut Zettel von M.Hashimura,1980
Looking for the name Hashimura I found another picture album with a mandolin by Hashimura:
Hashimura mandolin (http://entertainment.webshots.com/album/347324308pPMraw?track_pagetag=/page/photo/entertainment/music&track_action=/MediaInfo/AlbumTitle)
Those mandolins were sold under the brand Torella in the 80s.
The head of my mandolin is different, but everything else is very similar.
Maybe I'll find also more information about this Japanese builder?
Bob A
Apr-04-2007, 10:23am
Nice tenacity in your searching, Mandoisland. I admit to being surprised at finding non-industrial-sized Japanese builder; I admit to near-total ignorance of things Japanese, as well.
If I may divert your thread, in your searching for information, have you come across anything regarding the Japanese luthier who took over Pasquale Pecoraro's tools and molds, and was building Embergher instruments for the Japanese market? (Yoshihiko Takusari).
Despite the input we receive from all over the world, I suspect much of what could be known is still well hidden.
billkilpatrick
Apr-04-2007, 2:06pm
you happy with it? what's it sound like?
mandoisland
Apr-04-2007, 3:15pm
As I said in my first message, the sound of this mandolin is very good, typical Italian sound, similar to a Calace mandolin. I like to play this mandolin and will keep it.
Jonathan
Apr-04-2007, 9:15pm
Welcome to the Japanese bowlback club, Michael. I bought a new Fujimaru mandola in Tokyo in 2002 while there on business, and have been very happy with it. Their instruments pay respectful homage to the classic Italian models.
Bruce Clausen
Apr-21-2007, 7:09pm
I guess I'm in this club too. I picked up a nice handmade Japanese instrument a few years ago. Work is not really fine, but it plays and sounds very good. Looks a lot like the mandolin shown above, but with a fleur-de-lis head shape, and a very dramatic sweeping shape to the soundhole and inlaid scratchplate-- very Japanese looking to this untrained eye. Handwritten label reads S. Watanabe, Tokyo anno 1968 (plus Japanese writing). Anyone know anything about this maker?
BC
Can you post a picture of the label? I can at least help you read it. As for Watanabe, I know nothing, except that Watanabe is about as common as "Brown" or "Rodriguez".
Bruce Clausen
Apr-21-2007, 8:31pm
This will involve the cooperation of my daughter (and so may take a while).
BC
Bruce Clausen
May-10-2007, 6:29pm
Here's that label. A daughter can be an excellent thing.
BC
Bruce Clausen
May-10-2007, 7:24pm
The hole and scratchplate; I see now that what I took for a Japanese motif is in fact one of the traditional Italian styles.
BC
Bruce Clausen
May-10-2007, 7:27pm
Back: 19 sculpted rosewood ribs.
Bruce Clausen
May-10-2007, 7:31pm
Here's the full front view. The neck by the way is veneered with rosewood. Cheap machine heads are covered by an abominable plastic plate. Can anyone tell me if this is recognizably based on a particular Italian builder's model? Thanks.
BC
It doesn't seem to me to follow anyone specifically; the arrangement of tuning pegs on the peghead is reminiscent of Calace, as is the armguard. The soundhole with its D-shape has been seen on some Calace models, also on Cristofaro. Many folks don't care for the shape, but I find this one nicely fluid and not at all unattractive. It's not uncommon to find the neck veneered in rosewood, at least on Italian instruments. I can't make out the neck shape very well, but it seems to be more Neapolitan than Roman.
Probably safe to say that it was heavily influenced by the better Neapolitan makers. Not too surprising, Given how heavily the Japanese mandolinists were influnced by Calace.
All in all, a handsome mandolin. How's it sound?
Bruce Clausen
May-11-2007, 12:51pm
Thanks, Bob. I don't have much to compare it with, as it's pretty well the only really working bowlback I've ever played. But it sounds just fine to me-- clear, bright, full, loud, balanced right up to the top F#. Action is very comfortable, too. I'm used to a heavier built, longer scale, wider necked instrument, so I don't feel completely at home on this one; but I get it out every few days to remind myself what a real mandolin sounds like.
It doesn't sound like the builder ever became known outside Japan. Maybe he (she?) went to work for one of the guitar outfits?
Does the Japanese on the label divulge any additional information?
BC
Plamen Ivanov
May-11-2007, 1:13pm
The soundhole with its D-shape has been seen on some Calace models, also on Cristofaro.
And also on some Puglisi and Herwiga models. I like the outlook.
mandoisland
May-11-2007, 3:01pm
Hello, I have never before seen a mandolin by Watanabe, but the builder is listed in the mandolin cafe builders database:
Name:
Watanabe, Hiroaki
Company:
Address:
5-43-5 Takinogawa
Kita-ku, 114-0023
Tokyo
Country:
Japan
Link:
Phone/fax:
Phone: 03 3916 8528 Fax: 03 3916 8529
Comments:
Japanese Stringed Instrument Maker's Association web site.
Update:
November, 2003
ID:
346
Bruce Clausen
May-11-2007, 3:22pm
The JSIMA website lists that Watanabe as a lute builder (which is close enough to mandolin), but our builder is S. Watanabe, if I'm reading the label right. It is a very common surname. Perhaps the label gives the full name in Japanese?
BC
mandoisland
Aug-18-2007, 2:49am
Another mandolin by Hashimura (branded Torella M-50):
I was offered another mandolin by Hashimura, and I bought it last week. The sound is again very nice, typical italian, very bright in the high region. It was built in 1980. The neck has a slight bend, but the overall condition is very good.
mandoisland
Aug-18-2007, 2:51am
Here is the back of this mandolin.
Bruce Clausen
Jul-09-2010, 11:47am
This seems a good time to revive this old thread, what with new names and faces appearing in the Top Classical Builders thread. Could Hiin, K. Wong, Dave H. and any others share their Japanese information here as well?
I still play the Watanabe I mentioned earlier in this thread. Anyone know if he still builds?
vkioulaphides
Jul-09-2010, 4:11pm
Nice-looking, "Romanesque" Japanese mandolin, Michael! Thanks for posting these images!
Cheers,
Victor
Mr.Watanabe builds some of mandolins that are used in our club (the one we used collectively before we buy our own).
I think the S from S.Watanabe stands for Seiji, the maker's first name.
I don't know whether he still active or not, but online shops that I usually visit doesn't list his name.
A website do list his name, but only sells old instruments.
I attached some pictures of my Kawada mandola, if anyone interested.
Bruce Clausen
Jul-09-2010, 5:13pm
Thank you for the information about Watanabe, Hiin.
Your mandola is a beautiful instrument! There seem to be many fine builders in Japan. It's too bad for us outside Japan that most of the website information is given in Japanese only.
vkioulaphides
Jul-09-2010, 6:22pm
Lovely! I believe that my comrade-at-arms (bassist-by-day, mandolinist-by-night) Jonathan Jensen owns and plays a Japanese mandola, too. Judging by his previous commentary on this instrument, it must be a fine one, indeed!
Interesting, also, that sickle-shaped peg-head; I've only seen such a shape on domras. (Let us please steer clear of lame, Cold-War-era jokes... ;-)
Cheers,
Victor
K. WONG
Jul-09-2010, 8:50pm
I don't have much to add, only that Takusari is the luthier who inherited Pecoraro's tools and is building Embergher mandolin in Japan for 20 years. When you entered his site, it may be interesting to know that his Embergher 6 is not as expensive as the top model of the other luthiers.
Ochiai is very popular in Japan, many Japanese use it. naturally, they do not use the SS, for it is very expensive.
As to Kadma, I do not know much about him except that Kizoh Sakakibara, who is my favorite soloist, uses it.