Post a Picture of Your Bowlback (or any others)

[Margriet]

I have put a set of Aquila Nylgut mandolin strings on my mandolin and it sounds really sweet. Gina

Hi Gina,
I phoned with Alex Timmerman and he confrims that usually these kind of mandolins were stringed with brass strings, some of them twisted.
The earlier Neapolitan mandolins had often gut strings for the highest ones, the e. These Eulry 's are from later date and at that time they were stringed with all brass.
I do not know how much it means for you to be historically accurate, but I thought you might want to have this information.
Good to hear that you are playing and enjoying your mandolin ! I wished I could play mine as well, I am curious to hear the sound. Patience......time will come.
Margriet

[brunello97]

Hallo to all, I'm new here. I hope I soon can post some photos of my Fratelli Carabba bowlback (a 130 years old instrument).

Hello, Porthos....welcome to the Mandolin Cafe. Where in Itay are you from? I (and others...) would love to see your Carraba. I have only a few in my files and they are great looking mandolins. Very interesting design stylings.

The curious flourish of the scratchplate shape on my F. Vinaccia makes me wonder if they used something as complex as tortoise shell pattern or perhaps something more elegant as wood veneer. I think I will cut one of each and have a look on the mandolin itself. The wine grape/scroll idea does sound good. (Though the Garibaldi bust is a great challenge. Think of the beard! Also we in America don't know enough about Queen Margherita-except for the pizza! She deserves some attention....)

Sì, siamo stati qui per fare il vino da alcuni anni. Non sappiamo mai cosa fare con il vinaccia. Abbiamo intenzione di fare ad una distilleria in modo che possiamo fare la grappa. Forse quest'anno ...

Mick

[porthos]

This is my mandolin. I think it is datable near 1900 (so its age is 110-120, not 130), because the label quotes the Palermo International exposition of 1891, and another "Esposizione italo americana" (Genova 1892).
When in 1975 i got it, I restored the neck (broken near the headstock) ad made a new fretboard. Afterwards, i had to glue two minor breaks in the back.
The other parts are all original.

[porthos]

I live in Catania (yes, the city of Carabba, Puglisi, Sgroi, and many other craftmans-luthiers of the far and near past). Two other images:

[Gina Le Faux]

Hi Margriet,
Thank you for the information about strings. I would like to get a set of strings that are correct for the period my mandolin was made. I do like the softer tone and lack of tension that Nylgut strings give, but I'd like to see what brass strings are like. I will record something on my mandolin and post it shortly. There are still repairs to do on my mandolin, one of the bar frets is missing and when I was restoring the fingerboard I had to fill the hole the fret was in. Now I need to make a fret and set it in place and I'll be able to play some music. How much work does your mandolin need to make it playable?
Gina

[Margriet]

Hi Margriet, I would like to get a set of strings that are correct for the period my mandolin was made.

I would like as well. We will need to study or ask f.i. Eugene, Alex or maybe Eric (etbarbaric).

I will record something on my mandolin and post it shortly.

Nice, I am looking forward.

How much work does your mandolin need to make it playable?

I do not know exactly. We have the issue of removing the mechanics and filling and making holes for the pegs. The strings are too high above the fretboard; we will need to make a new bridge etc. It is not on the "priority list".

I wonder if we should open a new thread, about these mandolins.

Best, until later,
Margriet

[brunello97]

I live in Catania (yes, the city of Carabba, Puglisi, Sgroi, and many other craftmans-luthiers of the far and near past). Two other images:

Thanks, Porthos, for posting these. That is a beautiful mandolin. Very curious tuner arrangement on the headstock. Carraba mandolins are extraordinary. I see a very tapered bridge. Is the fretboard also tapered 'Roman' style? The neck appears rounded in profile rather than the Roman v-shape. Can you describe the sound of the Carraba? What music do you enjoy playing?

I am thrilled that we have someone from Catania to join us at the Mandolin Cafe! We know some things about Catania luthiers, but not nearly enough! I think Sicilian mandolins are very lovely and unfortunately get somewhat overlooked here. Credo che ci sia un po 'di snobismo qui, sbilanciata verso Embergher, Vinaccia, Calace ecc.

I have a Puglisi mandola and have always loved their exuberant design styles. Our friend Plami (from Bulgaria) is also a Puglisi aficionado. Do you know much about the history of the company? They made so many mandolins in so many styles. In my opinion they have a very fascinating approach towards design.

Again, welcome to the Mandolin Cafe. We are glad you found your way here and hope you continue to join the conversations.

Mick

[Graham McDonald]

Coming in late to this conversation, but looking at Gina's mandolin, it could well be a mid 19th century instrument. The fingerboard extending over the soundboard is one clue that it is of that era. There is a French catalog from around that period which showed mandolins with pegs, even though mechanical mandolin tuners were around from the 1830s or so. The soundhole decoration does rather look mid 19th Spanish as well

Just some thoughts

graham

About a year ago I bought an interesting mandolin from an antique dealer in the UK where I live. The mandolin was labelled "Sentchordi Hermanos, Valencia". The Sentchordi workshop was in operation between 1861 - 1905 and they made guitars and bandurrias and after extensive research we found no evidence that they made any mandolins. When I first saw my mandolin I thought it was either a late 18th century Neapolitan mandolin or a copy of an instrument from that period and I assumed that Sentchordi had made it. When I had a good look at the instrument I couldn't work out the connection with Sentchordi as the mandolin was a lot earlier than 1861. The conclusion I reached was that like many other makers and dealers the Sentchordi brothers had inserted the label when they sold the mandolin. The search for the actual maker began and we couldn't find anything that bore any resemblance to my mandolin. It was a chicken and egg situation, we could not find out who made it because we had no makers name! Then, yesterday we had a "Eureka" moment whilst looking at some old threads on the cafe, we were looking for info on Lignatone mandolins. There amongst the posts was a picture of a mandolin that looked like mine and a makers name and a date. I will try and post some pics of my mandolin and I'll put some more information about it's construction and materials.

[porthos]

[...]I see a very tapered bridge. Is the fretboard also tapered 'Roman' style? The neck appears rounded in profile rather than the Roman v-shape. Can you describe the sound of the Carraba? What music do you enjoy playing?
Mick

The original (rosewood) fretboard was only 3 mm thick. When I made the new one (my first attempt in repair) I started from a 6 mm thick ebony barrel, that is too much. In fact, the action is high, and the fretboard ought to be reduced to 3.5 mm, and refretted. It is hard to use this instrument for agility performances in higher positions.
The neck is V-shaped (a bit rounded V after my treatment) and covered with veneer.
The sound (I hope my poor english helps) is very powerful, loud and crisp, with a good sustain, but it is possible to obtain a ppp tremolo still sounding and present.
I like folk (root) music of my country, and I lead a little amateur group. I'm not a professional player, but we are able to make people dance until they say 'stop, stop, it's too fast'...

About Embergher, Vinaccia and Calace: They are considered real high-class luthiers, i.e. people think that every instrument with those labels is individually designed, and assembled under the direct supervision of the master, from the choice of the wood to the last screw.
In my opinion, it is true only for very few instruments, I think 1 or 2 per cent of the total.
Since 1850 to 1950 there were a big commerce of half-processed parts (primarily bodies and necks, in numbers of hundreds at a time, but also soundboards, pickguards, fretboards and inlays). So, an aristocratic-labelled instrument can be the result of a whole south Italy partnership.

Vice versa, most of the craftsmen in Catania, while working for the dirty money, really did know how to make quality instruments. Often the quality is aesthetic more than the quality of sound, but many of these "pride" instruments survive and play.

Puglisi (or Puglisi-Reale): I'll post a brief history of the company, that actually involves many years and many actors.

[brunello97]

Ciao, Porthos

From your post:

"Since 1850 to 1950 there were a big commerce of half-processed parts (primarily bodies and necks, in numbers of hundreds at a time, but also soundboards, pickguards, fretboards and inlays). So, an aristocratic-labelled instrument can be the result of a whole south Italy partnership."

......Though some folks here are skeptical, this is what a few of us have long suspected and expressed some conjecture about. Of course we wouldn't know for certain. Our Greek friend, Victor, has hinted at some inside information about this: Mandolini, come il vino siciliano, in direzione nord per essere imbottigliato in Toscana (o Napoli!)

"Puglisi (or Puglisi-Reale): I'll post a brief history of the company, that actually involves many years and many actors."

.....We would love to hear more, particularly about Puglisi and other Catania luthiers.

And of course about your music and that of your gruppo.

thank you for joining us,

Mick

[Gina Le Faux]

Hi Margriet,
It may be good to open a new thread re Eulry mandolins, or early mandolins.
What do you think?
Take care,
Gina

[Margriet]

Hi Gina,
that will be more "fitting" to the topic. I hope, that there will chime in more people. Maybe "early mandolins" is better, that way it can handle about more types, like mandolino's, Brescian, Lombardian, Milanese, Cremonese mandolins. I also was thinking to start a group. But I think a thread will be fine.

Margriet

[Gina Le Faux]

Hi Margriet,
That sounds good to me. When shall we begin the thread?
Gina

[Margriet]

Hi Margriet,
When shall we begin the thread?
Gina

Ha, yesterday....
I am available from sunday. Maybe the best is to start the thread within the classical section. Let us find a nice attracking title.
Cheers,
Margriet

[Gina Le Faux]

Here are some pics of another mandolin I have. I think it's an Embergher 5-bis model and I think it's a copy. Has anyone got any idea who made it and when it was made please?

[Ed Goist]

Wow Gina, that is a gorgeous mandolin!
Looks to me like it might have a Mahogany top(?)
Congratulations. Very nice.

[Schlegel]

That is not a bad-looking copy, actually, but the bridge and fretboard extension don't look quite right. I think it feels German. Peghead looks incomplete? Originals would have a square finial.

[Gina Le Faux]

Wow Gina, that is a gorgeous mandolin!
Looks to me like it might have a Mahogany top(?)
Congratulations. Very nice.

Thank you Ed. The belly is spruce and it looks like mahogany because of the colour of the varnish.

[Gina Le Faux]

That is not a bad-looking copy, actually, but the bridge and fretboard extension don't look quite right. I think it feels German. Peghead looks incomplete? Originals would have a square finial.

Hi Schlegel, The scroll has been broken off and I think the fingerboard is not the original one. The nut looks as though it has been moved back and a zero fret has been added. The fingerboard on this mandolin is flat and I would have expected it to have a radiused fingerboard. I don't know if the bridge is a replacement or it's the original, it's not a compensated bridge and it's not what I would expect to see on an original Embergher.

[Schlegel]

Yes, the originals are radiused, but a zero fret is normal for an Embergher-type mandolin. How is the sound? It does appear well-made at first glance.

[Gina Le Faux]

It is a very well made mandolin, but it's not playable at the moment due to a previous owner putting the wrong strings on it and the action is a bit high as a result. I could probably play it as it is but I would prefer to re-set the neck and put a better fingerboard on it first. There is a small belly crack that needs glueing and studding and I need to check over the inside and see if the struts to the belly are all ok. I have worked on hundreds of violins and quite a few flatback mandolins over the years, but I have not taken the top of a roundback mandolin before and I'm open to any advice as to the best way to do it.

[porthos]

Hello,

I intended to rush myself a little bit more in finding out informations about "Puglisi", in order to make a more comprehensive profile of the factory and the instruments, before to publish it. There`s still a file in my PC with the names of few people "to write to" in order to learn something new or to cross-confirm already known things, but Jim`s request and the hard days which come along my life, make me to share with you the results of my Puglisi research at the moment. I hope it will become more complete in the future.


The Company.

The Puglisi family has started to build musical instruments in Catania (Sicily) since 1820. Giuseppe(G.) Reale was born in 1852 and was the son of a piano and organ builder. In 1880 he has founded one of the largest Italian factories for manufacturing bowed and plucked string instruments. After 1906 the firm`s name appears already as "G. Puglisi Reale i Figli(o)". Figli(o) means "sons" in Italian. The sons are Concetto Puglisi and Michelangelo Puglisi. Michelangelo Puglisi ran the workshop successfully after 1909 and his son Salvatore also played a part in this. They were active makers of fine violins (mainly), bows, strings, guitars, mandolins and unique cellos. Unfortunately the factory was destroyed during WWII by bombardment in 1943. Although it was rebuilt and some noted instruments were built after this time, many of the original Puglisi family susbsequently migrated from Sicily to USA, Canada and Australia. After Salvatore`s death his son-in-law Buccheri took over the factory. Before he died he gave all the factory tools to Alfredo Privitera, who established the Privitera company in 1962, which makes the instruments like Puglisi used to make. The Privitera factory still exists in Catania and is located on "Via Scuto Costarelli".


The Instruments.

Most of the "G. Puglisi Reale i Figli" mandolins I`ve seen have very similar construction or even the same. No doubt for me - typical Neapolitan bowlback mandolins, 21 ribs - bowl and neck made of rosewood, ebony fingerboard, spruce top, oval hole. Ebony bridge with ivory on it, the headstock has a typical form. V-form neck, 28-30 mm. at the nut, flat fingerboard with 17 bars (usually with dots on 3. 5. 7. 12. ending at the hole) or over the hole extension with 26 bars. Butterfly inlay of a different kind is also very typical, but also decorations with flowers, birds, etc. could be found. The mandolins are often mother-of-pearl inlaid, cuts ornamented, but there are also plain instruments. The most mandolins have an oval seal on the top, behind the bridge with the inscription "G. Puglisi Reale i Figli Catania" and an Ant inside. This is a distinguishing mark of the "Puglisi" mandolins. Inside the mandolin there should be a label with the same ant mark, but round and the following inscription: "G. PUGLISI REALE & FIGLI; PRIMO STABILIMENTO ITALIANO PER LA FABRICAZIONE DI STRUMENTI A CORDA; MARCA DI FABRICA CATANIA". The year of manufacture should be written as well. Once I came across an information about 12-string, flatback mandolin made by Puglisi, but this isn`t confirmed by now. The Puglisi mandolins should be defined as a middle class instruments. They were made exceptionally for export. So, today you can find them all over the world - in every European country, Russia, Japan, USA, Australia, Brazil, South Africa. The last one, that I saw was in Uruguay. Of course, it depends on every single instrument, but I think the price for a Puglisi mandolin in a good playable condition should be around 200-300$.
The price of the other "Puglisi" instruments - violins and cellos is much, much higher.

I was trying to post a brief story of the Puglisi (Giuseppe, the father, and Michelangelo and Concetto, the sons) family of luthiers in Catania, but Palmen Ivanov from Sofia already did that.
Nothing much to add, except for some details.
The firm by Michelangelo and Concetto Puglisi (sons of Giuseppe) was founded in Catania on 4-4-1925, based in Via Carità 59 as a "Fabbrica di mandolini".
Both the two brothers also were violin makers, but they labelled the violins personally.
A few days later (25-4-1925) Luigi, another son of Giuseppe, established a firm also based in Catania, via Messina 184, as "Commercio di pianoforti e fabbrica di strumenti musicali a corda" (Piano trading and stringed instruments factory), ceased 1937.
A daughter of Michelangelo, Graziella Puglisi, on 12-6-1957 established a partnership with Francesco Catania (another recurring name in that years) to establish another firm that lasted only until 29-7-1959 when it was declared insolvent.
Another attempt by Francesco Catania and Graziella Puglisi was started on the same date, 29-7-1959, and ended with another declaration of insolvency on 30-1-1962.
At that time Alfredo Privitera, a former employee of Michelangelo from the age of 12, bought for a symbolic price the tools and the remaining wood and started his firm.
I personally know Alfredo Privitera, now in his seventies. He and his 2 employees fiercely fight the battle of entry level instruments against the almond-eyed competitors. His bowlbacks and flatback mandolins are very simple and cheap. They are serially and rapidly built but they have an exceptionally good sound and playability for their price.
I also tested a few very high quality mandolins he made with precious wood. From time to time he makes a few of them, and their sound and look are really exciting. He also builds bouzukis, banjos, mandolas and mandoloncellos.

[Margriet]

A daughter of Michelangelo, Graziella Puglisi, on 12-6-1957 established a partnership with Francesco Catania (another recurring name in that years) to establish another firm that lasted only until 29-7-1959 when it was declared insolvent.
Another attempt by Francesco Catania and Graziella Puglisi was started on the same date, 29-7-1959, and ended with another declaration of insolvency on 30-1-1962.

I have a mandolin with a brandmark "Graziella". I wonder if this is from the same atelier. To me it seems to be from older date, in the Vinaccia style.



Margriet

[brunello97]

I highly doubt this is from the same Catanian builder that Porthos is speaking about, Margriet. I have a label from a 'Graziella' which locates that particular firm in Napoli. (Thought there may be others, it is not an uncommon name....) This label is from a far more modest bowlback than yours, but as Porthos suggests it may have actually been made somewhere else and labeled in Napoli. Do you have an image of the label in yours?

Porthos, thank you for the update on the Puglisi story. It is amazing how long that tradition has lasted. Do you have any images of Alfredo Privitera's work to share? Is his shop in Catania?

Mick

[Margriet]

Do you have an image of the label in yours?
Mick

Thanks Mick,
Unfortunately I have no label, only that brandmark, that your's doesn't seem to have. It is a well made instrument, with (German silver?) between the ribs.

Margriet