Post a Picture of Your Bowlback (or any others)

**Jim Garber** · May-25-2010, 6:56am

The scroll on the mandola reminds me a lot of early banjos (see below).

As for Embergher mispelling... I have a feeling that he was a thrifty craftsman and had a stamp made with the mispelling and did not want to spend the extra money to have it corrected until later. Either that or perhaps people mispronounced his name with the "h" so he left it off intentionally.

This mandolin is pretty appealing to me because it is early which means that the signature is actually Luigi's and more likely he did the bulk, if not all, of the work on it. I also found out that this mandolin by its serial number was in the shop, maybe even on the bench next to the celebrated Embergher mandoliola (mandola in US terminology -- tuned CGDA) owned by Silvio Ranieri. As you can tell, I love getting into the minutiae of these vintage instruments, each with their own story, hidden in the details.

**Bruce Clausen** · May-25-2010, 11:34am

Originally Posted by Jim Garber

As for Embergher mispelling... I have a feeling that he was a thrifty craftsman and had a stamp made with the mispelling and did not want to spend the extra money to have it corrected until later. Either that or perhaps people mispronounced his name with the "h" so he left it off intentionally.

Emberger (no 'h') is the German form of the name. An Italian would need to add the 'h' to get his neighbours to pronounce it correctly. So Luigi may have used one form of the name for his signature (local use), another for his trademark (international use). Maybe.

BC

**Jim Garber** · May-25-2010, 11:42am

That is quite possible, Bruce, esp in the early days. The only thing is that during the Period of Mispelling all examples have that stamp and so he would not have distinguished between domestic or export. Perhaps, once he became known everywhere he changed it to the correct spelling for where he lived (Arpino, Italy). Who knows?

**Schlegel** · May-25-2010, 11:46am

Originally Posted by Bruce Clausen

Emberger (no 'h') is the German form of the name. An Italian would need to add the 'h' to get his neighbours to pronounce it correctly. So Luigi may have used one form of the name for his signature (local use), another for his trademark (international use). Maybe.

BC

I think this is very likely. In the north of Italy, they are pretty familiar with the German tongue, you will see Germanic names and foods, but when you go south, and Rome is very southern, not so much.

**Hiin** · May-25-2010, 1:03pm

Originally Posted by JeffD

Hiin that is a lovely instrument. I love that scroll. Litte touch of uniqueness. I was looking at a picture of a Kawada D-60 mandola, with the scroll on the peg head in the conventional direction.

Kawada makes some beautiful instruments.

Thanks.

Actually my mandola was the first time instrument that made by Kawada with such unconventional scroll direction. He said he was worried everybody would consider it is strange and will be hesitant to buy it (Japanese people are very resistant to change, they prefer do things the way things were until now).
But my friend and me liked the design. The shop owner told Kawada and he made one more instrument like this for my friend. Seeing how this design has been a hit among mandolin players in my club, maybe it wouldn't be so uncommon anymore in Japan in years to come.

**ShannonSunshine** · May-25-2010, 1:10pm

Just got my Calace back from Carlo Greco (what a great guy!), I had ivoroid peg buttons put on and chrome bushings put in the peg holes, which were previously misaligned.

She sounds great now too (thanks, Carlo!): Partita No. 3 Bouree, second half

**Jim Garber** · May-25-2010, 1:13pm

Nice mandolin and nice playing, Shannon.

**ShannonSunshine** · May-25-2010, 1:22pm

Thanks, Jim! Scrolling through this thread and seeing all the beautiful instruments you own makes me realize how badly I need a job...

**Dfyngravity** · May-25-2010, 7:18pm

Nice mando and nice stack stone wall too.

**brunello97** · May-25-2010, 9:32pm

Originally Posted by Schlegel

I think this is very likely. In the north of Italy, they are pretty familiar with the German tongue, you will see Germanic names and foods, but when you go south, and Rome is very southern, not so much.

It is not just the Italians who struggle. "I would like to buy an Embergher."

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iUCDhvbQFmU

Mick

**Fliss** · Jul-31-2010, 10:41am

I've already posted pics in the "classical, medieval, renaissance" area of the forum, but my purchase of a 1910 Calace is a good excuse to post in this thread too

Fliss

**Jim Garber** · Sep-08-2010, 8:22am

Originally Posted by Jim Garber

Here is another interesting one -- at least to me. Not sure of the maker but it is pretty ornate for an American bowlback.

See mine on post #6 (page 1). Here is a pearly bowlback very similar to this pearly one with the same harp player inlay on the pickguard.

>>>I just realized that you can click that small icon in my quote and go right to that quoted post. Nice feature.

**Jim Garber** · Sep-08-2010, 8:26am

Here is an image of that mandolin on eBay.

**Margriet** · Sep-24-2010, 9:48am

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Here is my new Embergher nr 3, 1947, bought in Milano, in August. We had to make a new bridge, we copied the old - broken- one. Hendrik van den Broek will work on the frets and the varnish. I enjoy it a lot, playing! It feels like new, though you can see that it has been played in the past. Maybe VERY long ago.

Also today we succeeded in making a Ranieri model plectrum, of old tortoise. To play with a plectrum like that is really an experience, it is very light and clear. You can see the brand new-made plectrum on the photos.

Thanks a lot to Alex Timmerman, who explains on his website www.embergher.com exactly how to make a plectrum like that, and for his enthousiasm and support. Also thanks to cafe, where I could read threads about plectra and where people share their knowledge and experience.

**Jim Garber** · Sep-24-2010, 10:12am

Margriet: Congratulations!! That one is in amazing condition. Enjoy it!!I believe that the Emberghers from that era are exceptional since they were most likely made by by master Cerrone. I have played a few from that time... wonderful!

**vkioulaphides** · Sep-24-2010, 11:17am

MAGNIFICENT! Enjoy, enjoy, enjoy!

Cheers,

Victor

**Jim Garber** · Oct-26-2010, 8:34pm

I just got this mandolin labelled Rohlfing and Sons, Milwaukee, Wis. It looked like it was in pretty good playing shape and also reminded me a lot of Larson instruments, tho I do not see any reference to this brand as having been made by Larson. I do have a very similar set of jpegs in my files from a Maurer. Please bear with me to look and compare. Note especially the 'collar' at the base of the neck joint and the style of the clasp on the bowl. The inlays on the headstock and the pickguard are very similar but i suppose those could be purchased from one source.

**Jim Garber** · Oct-26-2010, 8:36pm

Not the fanciest of these but nicely made, high quality IMHO. Here is the rest of pics for this one.

**Jim Garber** · Oct-26-2010, 8:39pm

Now here is the Maurer that resembles this one. Fretboard inlays are a little different and the pickguard has a pearl border, otherwise eerily similar.

**brunello97** · Oct-26-2010, 9:01pm

Diego, I am feeling a strong Larson vibe. In any event, that is one clean bowlback. I love that collar detail. I have an L+H bowl which has one, not that it has prevented the neck from going south. Now there is the issue about the potential serial number strategically located on the soundhole brace? Any sign of that?

Mick

**Schlegel** · Oct-27-2010, 9:06am

Jim, also check out this thread for a Stahl which is certainly a Larson http://www.mandolincafe.com/forum/sh...t=larson+stahl

Almost identical to yours.

**Jim Garber** · Oct-27-2010, 9:17am

Yes, different headstock shape and the purfling is more colorful but same engraving on the gear cover, similar collar at the neck joint and ivoiroid on the inside of the soundhole on all of these. I plan on contacting Bob Hartman and see what he says. And i plan on restringing tonight and seeing how it sounds. I may see about doing a repro bridge since the one on their is not original -- you can see a lightening of the top where the old bridge was.

**brunello97** · Oct-27-2010, 9:33am

Glad this arrived looking so good, Jim. What type of strings do you plan to use? Any sign of a SN there on the soundhole brace?

Mick

**MikeEdgerton** · Oct-27-2010, 9:35am

I'd say they were made by the same company.

**Jim Garber** · Oct-27-2010, 9:39am

Mick... I looked for the SN and didn't see anything on either brace near to the soundhole. I figure I would first try GHS A240s ultralights then Dogals 92b which sound wonderful on my Vega. I also have a set of Pyramids I should try sometime. I can't recall the gauges tho. I don;t want to waste the expensive strings tho at first.