Bowlbacks of Note

[vic-victor]

A 1912 Russian catalogue scan saying "Embergher copy" and the actual mandolin of this type found in Russia.

[Jim Garber]

Rara Mandola Nicole e Raffaele Calace 1888? http://r.ebay.com/gGsvDw

That is also a fairly early one (1888) and one with both Nicola and Raffaele -- I guess they were still talking to each other at that point?? I wish they posted a photo of the label.

This label (below) is from an 1893 mandolin.

[brunello97]

Cool label, Jim. I like the looks of this mandola. It has one of my favorite MOP rosette designs. Looks like a couple petals of la madre are missing, though.

Mick

[derbex]

I was unsure about the ribs on this side and the bridge seems to have shifted head wards...

[Jim Garber]

I was unsure about the ribs on this side and the bridge seems to have shifted head wards...

I think the ribs would all be fixable but at a price. And it is hard to tell if the bridge is in the proper place or not. I would think this might take a bit of cash to get playable. Prob are other issues with it, maybe neck straightness etc.

[vic-victor]

http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/Mandolin-...item339cebffa0

Interesting top design. Lazzaro. Looks mid-20c.

[DavidKOS]

Muy cool, Derbex, thanks for the link. Here are some photos for posterity.

I've seen fancier Calace mandolas but this one is rough and ready. I dig the big pickguard. Some real damage to the bowl but it looks repairable. Hard to say about the neck.

Not cheap but maybe a lowball offer might snag it. Definitely worth getting playable.

Mick

I think the ribs would all be fixable but at a price. And it is hard to tell if the bridge is in the proper place or not. I would think this might take a bit of cash to get playable. Prob are other issues with it, maybe neck straightness etc.

I see not just the typically split ribs, but an actual broken rib, and I would think the neck has to be at least worked on to be really stable and playable considering the overall condition.

The bridge is just in the wrong place, I think. You can see a mark where the bridge used to be - if I've looking at the right picture - further toward the break in the top nearer to the tailpiece.

The frets looked worn, maybe playable, but if you are going to all that trouble to fix it I'd refret it now.

[Jim Garber]

http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/Mandolin-...item339cebffa0

Interesting top design. Lazzaro. Looks mid-20c.

DANGER! Bridge is currently located in the wrong place noting possible need for neck reset. I concur with mid-20th century.

[vic-victor]

Yep, and that metal plate at the back of the neck. Not worth buying, but funny top design.

[Martin Jonas]

Muy cool, Derbex, thanks for the link. Here are some photos for posterity.

I've seen fancier Calace mandolas but this one is rough and ready. I dig the big pickguard. Some real damage to the bowl but it looks repairable. Hard to say about the neck.

Not cheap but maybe a lowball offer might snag it. Definitely worth getting playable.

Mick

It now says "Best offer accepted". Did somebody here get it? If I'd seen it earlier, I might have made an offer -- a Calace mandola for less than 750 Euro is a good deal if the bowl damage isn't too severe (difficult to tell from the photos).

[Edit: Looking again, I think Jim and David may be right that there is rather more damage than just the bowl, and repairs may be open-ended.]

Martin

[Jim Garber]

Sold for €600. I really have to replenish my instrument repair fund! Or quickly learn how to do this myself.

[brunello97]

Sold for €600. I really have to replenish my instrument repair fund! Or quickly learn how to do this myself.

One of my dream trips, Jim, is for you, Eug and me and Victor (or any combination thereof) to go visit Martin. We go up in his attic and record some tunes. We all lug back 2 or 3 great mandolins. When we are done drinking beer.

I've seen a lot of broken bowls, but that side-puncture wound in the Calace mandola is really a CSI oddity. How does something like that happen?

Mick

BTW, the Porta della Mandorla, in Firenze was cleaned and refurbished a few years back. One of the most lovely doors in the world, I think.

[Martin Jonas]

One of my dream trips, Jim, is for you, Eug and me and Victor (or any combination thereof) to go visit Martin. We go up in his attic and record some tunes. We all lug back 2 or 3 great mandolins. When we are done drinking beer.

Anytime you want -- there's plenty of space and I'll get the beer in!

As long as it's not my mandolins you're lugging back...

Martin
[Seriously, if you're visiting the UK, get in touch and drop by!]

[Jim Garber]

Martin... I owe you a few beers or dinner, at least!!

BTW this is amazing or a scam... the pseudo Embergher No. 7 says it was bid on by 2 bidders for $13,000. Huh???

[brunello97]

Martin... I owe you a few beers or dinner, at least!!

BTW this is amazing or a scam... the pseudo Embergher No. 7 says it was bid on by 2 bidders for $13,000. Huh???

That is muy sketchioso. Looks like two bids by the same bidder. 13Gs and another safety bid.

The seller seems to have sold a fair number of various instruments over the years.

Strange turn of events.

Mick

[vic-victor]

Another 5 cents to previous Embergher in question discussion. Found this http://www.larkstreetmusic.com/images/*Embergher.jpg Seems to be another knock off.

[brunello97]

A Giuseppe Puglisi bowlback from Bologna on the ebay.

I may be alone in enjoying these multi-bound tops out of Catania. The action looks a bit sketchioso for me on a bowl.

Very simple label compared to what we are used to seeing from them. I am guessing is an early mandolin from Puglisi (or perhaps the work of a son?)

Mick

[vic-victor]

Lovely Puglisi. Giuseppe was making mandolins under his name from 1880 to 1906. After 1906 the family traded as G. Puglisi Reale i Figli.

[noyboy]

This mandolin recently on ebay at $499 BIN, seller in Germany. I have a very similar mandolin including an almost identical Romulus and Remus panel with the same leaves except slightly more delicate. Different soundhole inlay. Similar metal tailpiece overlay. Same classical guitar style machine heads and inlaid edge banding. Veneer strips on the back extend all the way from the bowl to the headstock/nut. Mine has a label inside reading: Fabbrica Strumenti Musicali a Corda, Giuseppe Garcano, Catania, Via Nuovaluce 6. This suggests that Musumeci is likely the exporter or company selling the mandolin, rather than the luthier.

(refers to a post on p 242)

[Jim Garber]

This mandolin recently on ebay at $499 BIN, seller in Germany. I have a very similar mandolin including an almost identical Romulus and Remus panel with the same leaves except slightly more delicate. Different soundhole inlay. Similar metal tailpiece overlay. Same classical guitar style machine heads and inlaid edge banding. Veneer strips on the back extend all the way from the bowl to the headstock/nut. Mine has a label inside reading: Fabbrica Strumenti Musicali a Corda, Giuseppe Garcano, Catania, Via Nuovaluce 6. This suggests that Musumeci is likely the exporter or company selling the mandolin, rather than the luthier.

(refers to a post on p 242)

This post?

An interesting bowlback from a Catanese maker I am not familiar with: Francesco (I assume from the stamp) Musumeci. That is if he was actually the maker.

Musumeci bowlback

While not for the purists here, it seems nicely appointed (though I'm not a big fan of R + R imagery in general) though the detailing craft isn't particularly crisp. It does have a nice body shape with a bit of the nice reverse curve towards the neck. I like the patterning cut in the tailpiece / sleeve guard. A hybrid of design elements that doesn't completely hang together for me.

Mick

[derbex]

ANTIQUE ALUMINIUM BOWL BACK 8 STRING MANDOLIN WITH LABEL http://r.ebay.com/QJ1YiE - they didn't have carbon fibre back then.

If it didn't work as a mandolin you could always fry your breakfast in it

[brunello97]

Thanks, Derbex.... I was just about to link to this mandolin.

We've seen aluminum bowls before from the US (and maybe UK)--but this label: Joseph Ficarra and the Port Said location label are new to me, though I'm pretty sure we've seen the PS labeling come up. Maybe Haney will see this and weigh in.

Not the fanciest aluminium bowl but I find these fascinating. I know AL is a super abundant element but the material aluminum remains very un-earthly to me for some reasons. We work with it a lot but it retains its fascination.

Some photos of the bowlback--with very DeMeglioid top.

Note the muy cool one-piece zero fret / string spacer that we were recently talking about which was a feature on some Ceccherini mandolins (as well as others....)

Mick

[derbex]

Depending on quite how old the mandoline is aluminium might have been quite a high grade material, I don't think production really ramped up until WW1.

I noticed the nut -it does look pretty identical to my Ceccherini. Tailpiece looks more like my deMeglio, which has a two piece brass nut/zero fret.

[Graham McDonald]

Maybe of German origin. Paulus in Markneukirchn were offering aluminium bodied mandolins around 1906 with a similar screw attachment of the neck. The only other Port Said music shop label I have seen is one on an old (originally) 12 string flatback I have. It is from G.De Liso in that city.

Alternatively someone had a DeMeglio with a smashed bowl and they found a local metal worker to make an aluminium body?

Cheers

[brunello97]

Maybe of German origin. Paulus in Markneukirchn were offering aluminium bodied mandolins around 1906 with a similar screw attachment of the neck. The only other Port Said music shop label I have seen is one on an old (originally) 12 string flatback I have. It is from G.De Liso in that city.

Alternatively someone had a DeMeglio with a smashed bowl and they found a local metal worker to make an aluminium body?

Cheers

And then shipped it to Egypt where it got stoved in again.

I think I remember that 12 string, Graham...Did you post pictures of it? I will check in my files when I get back home.

Mick