I took advantage of a family trip to Rochester last month to visit Bernunzio’s, to check the place out and more specifically to look at their bowlbacks. They seem to be one of the few retail outlets that keeps a good number of bowlbacks in stock.
They were very accommodating and I played a good section of their mando wall. Certainly worth a visit if you’re in the area. The only bowlback that took my fancy has since been sold (a Ciani). As I was getting ready to leave they said “you might want to try this one out too” and handed me a Gelas mando from the 1920s. Bernunzio’s describes it thus: “ca. 1921. extremely interesting, French made instrument with tear drop shaped body; Curly European maple back and sides; amazing double spruce top with interior vibrating chamber; oval sound hole 13-1/4 inch scale with neck joining at the 10th fret.” It’s a bizarre mando with a double top. The fretboard rests on the upper level, which extends to the soundboard and slants down towards the flat full top of the instrument. The result is that it looks like it has a reverse cant, like a “typical” old bent-top instrument but backwards; it bends in rather than out (there is actually nothing bent, it just looks like it). It has a very unique and cool sound and I was quite taken with it.
Thanks to Alan’s posting about his new Octofone, I found out that Bernunzio’s was having a clearance (thanks Alan!) . This was marked down about a third, and I just took the plunge and ordered it.
A web search reveals little about the maker, other than he was French and made guitars and harp guitars as well.
Can anyone provide more info about these? Thanks for whatever info you can provide.
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