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Seth Taylor
Feb-13-2016, 10:37am
143618143619Don't know much and can't find out much about it. Any help 143616
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Seth Taylor
Feb-13-2016, 10:44am
143617

Jim
Feb-13-2016, 10:57am
Those look to be interesting tuners, a good pic of the machine head might help some of the experts here tell you what you've got.

Seth Taylor
Feb-13-2016, 11:02am
143620143621

MikeEdgerton
Feb-13-2016, 11:10am
Those are Portugese tuners.

allenhopkins
Feb-13-2016, 12:14pm
Well, Catania is in Sicily, and Castania Ruggero is a known label (page on Italian Neapolitan Mandolin Makers (http://www.mandolinluthier.com/neapolitan-makers-alphabetic-4.htm)) The bowl is rosewood, and the "fire stripe" celluloid pickguard might indicate 1920's-'30's.

The Portuguese tuners are a puzzle; there are several other Castania Ruggero mandolins found in Google search, and all have "standard" tuning machines. Perhaps a special order instrument, for a Portuguese buyer? Hard to say. These tuners require strings with loops at both ends, not generally available.

mrmando
Feb-13-2016, 12:23pm
Those Catania builders, they'd try anything once...