View Full Version : Rafaele disantino
Does anyone have information on the luthier R. Disantino? I think he might have learned his trade at the Calace atelier, but I'm far from certain. The only example of his work I've seen has a fairly plain label without signature or date.
Jim Garber
Oct-10-2004, 3:30pm
No further info but I have these pics from the same guy in France who sold me my Casini mandolino (I can tell by the cloth in the background).
Jim
Jim Garber
Oct-10-2004, 3:31pm
Here's a few more shots of the same mandolin. No full frontal, tho.
Also, it looks like Carlo M has one on this page (http://www.oldmandolin.com/mandolins1.htm) (scroll down).
Jim
Looks exactly like the one in question.
For what it's worth, the string pegs are quite wide. I was at my wit's end trying to figure how to get the loops over the pegs. Tried pushing them with a screwdriver - odd how tempered wire refuses to stretch. Tried grasping them at the winding with a pair of pliers and untwisting the loops, but it's near impossible to see which way to twist, as they're covered with thread. Finally used a hemostat as a reamer, working it around in the loop until it widened enough to slip on.
I still can't believe the wire didn't break. (Dogal Calace 92B).
Sounds pretty good.
Jim Garber
Oct-10-2004, 3:45pm
Bob:
So this one is yours?
Jim
Probably not. Mine came from Italy, and has two top cracks paralleling the fretboard, which I don't see in the photos. But very similar.
Jim Garber
Oct-10-2004, 7:25pm
Looks similar to other Calaces with the offset soundhole. Could be allieve or just a copyer. I await the voices of the experts...
Jim
Jim Garber
Oct-10-2004, 7:33pm
For what it's worth, the string pegs are quite wide. I was at my wit's end trying to figure how to get the loops over the pegs.
Hi Bob:
Granted I have no experience with this. I assume you are talking about the tailpiece pegs, right? The Stridente's measure about 5mm in diam at the widest. Are yours even wider?
Jim
String loops were bigger back then. I can't remember offhand, but there is a brand of strings that still has the larger loops. Alternatively, you make another loop by threading the string through the original loop. It's a bit sloppy looking but could work. Last solution is change the tailpiece. Looks like a nice mandolin, how does it sound?
I'd thought of looping but was afraid that the string would snap from the excessive bending.
The sound is quite nice, rather trebly than not, and bell-like. While the bass is loud and pleasant, it is not thick, l;ike the Calace, but rather more distinct. Nice balance overall, and loud overall. It demands precision in fretting, for some reason, to achieve the best tone. (This might have been induced by my local luthier, who crowned the frets for me. They were high, but flat as a board. The 90 degree angles were wiping out my fingertips).
It is lighter in weight than the Calace, and does not have the same gravitas in tone - these two observations may be directly related. I strung them both with Dogals, deliberately, to be able to A/B the instruments. While it may look similar to some Calace instruments, it does not have so similar a tone. I do not know hpw it would compare to a Calace of similar design.
It's an interesting instrument, and while it did not overwhelm me at first play, it has grown in my esteem.
I'll dig out the metric rule and give you some figures later.
As promised, the string posts are a whopping 6 mm in diameter; the width at the nut is 27 mm; the scale is 340 mm.
Those who might have an interest in interesting construction details would be fascinated to learn that the fingerboard extension is not supported by a dedicated brace. In fact, the soundboard of the mandolin was left intact beneath the extension, and the soundholes cut out on either side.
I was surprised to note this when peering around its innards the other eve. The edges and corners are precise and sharp; it must have been a difficult job. I suspect the pickguard was in place and the whole sandwich sawed thru at one go.
Even though the top is not too thick, it does seem to make some structural sense to me. The strength of the long fibers would certainly help prevent the dipping of the board with age.
BTW, the top bracing is also asymmetric rather than parallel, but the divergence is not great.