If Peter Piper Picked a Pecoraro

[Bob A]

Well, all, the day I came down with the Big Flu a Pecoraro was delivered unto me. Until recently I've been unable to begin dealing with it, but now it's time to face the music.

Here's the details: 34 fluted maple ribs, 29 frets, slotted peghead without the scorpion-like recurve, 6 pearl snowflake position markers and one tiny pearl dot at fret 24, the Embergher-like scroll scratchplate, multiple white and black binding, thick ebony board. Very plain tuners, plastic overlay on peghead (black) with white plastic inlay. It is interesting to note that the fluting is deep and bold, and continues through the entire length of each rib, unlike my Martin.

Inside, the bowl is wood-lined, with 3 labels. The center and presumably main label reads:
Laboratorio Strumenti a Corda
Pecoraro Pasquale
Allievo Embergher
Specialita per Concertisti

Above and slightly overlapping is a white label with typing in red:
"Liuteria Classio Romana Italia"
Master Luthier and pupil of Luigi Embergher
Specialist for professional
Mandolinist and guitarist
Leading European Virtuoso
(Signed, in green ink) Pasquale Pecoraro 1963
194 Venner Rd, Bydenham
London SE26 England

Below main label is a white paper label, bordered with green and red framing lines, with an ink inscription in a calligraphic hand, quoting Mozart: "Come, dearest mandoline, come / Thou shalt my only solace be / #Thy silver strings my soul / will fill with joy, and / love and ecestasy" [sic] / #Mozart, anno 1 (remainder of date is covered with white-out).

So much for the instrument. Now for the problem: it needs a bit of work. The binding is separating near the tailpiece (that marvelous hinged double-tailpiece with the tiny little latch), not a big deal; the frets need a bit of dressing (grooves in a & e string on first six frets) and kicker: the string spacing of the string pairs at the bridge is so wide as to lead me to think it's only barely playable. (That is, the distance between the strings of the individual courses is quite wide, not conducive to tremolo).

I confess that I have not strung it up. The robust construction and the reasonably late date (1963) lead me to believe that Lenzner Consort strings would not be too heavy for the instrument. My habit is to have the instrument set up professionally with the strings I intend to use. I have only one set of Consorts, and don't want to waste them until a simple source can be found. (Marc Woodward was thinking of selling European strings thru Belmando, which would simplify the situation). The big deal is the bridge. Do I have the thing re-cut to a spacing I'd find more comfortable, or preserve it and have a new one fabricated (I'm thinking of African Blackwood, per Alison S's account of the improved tone on her Embergher)? Do I send it off to Neverland or is it something simple enough for a local luthier to accomplish? I'd really like to play the thing this year, of course, but the thing is to get it done right.

Being totally unfamiliar with Roman mandolins, I am unsure of whether the spacing issue is something I should be looking at as a problem, or whether it is supposed to be particularly wide at the bridge. I can see problems with tremolo from the current spacing, but I may be missing the point by altering it.

I have to say that the instrument feels solidly-constructed in hand; the graceful compound curves of the bowl as it swoops toward the neck joint are pleasing to the eye, hand and mind. It is surprising that such a solid-feeling instrument has such a tiny neck block, extending from the neck joint at fret 10 to a bit past fret 12. (Forgot to mention: the instrument is signed in pencil as well, on the wide binding strip inside the bass side of the bowl - Pecoraro Pasquale).

Instrument hails from an English collection, has little playing wear aside from the frets. Obviously it was played as-is, feeding my confusion about the #spacing of the pairs. I'd be inclined to believe that someone who owned and played high-end instruments would know what (s)he was doing.

So. A call for opinions and advice, if you please.

[Tom C]

If Peter Piper posted a pic of the Pecoraro for presentation, some particular people
would like to purple...place....piper...Doh!

[vkioulaphides]

Sounds lovely, Bob. Again, Alex would be the best consultant on this— alas, a terribly busy one at that.

It sounds like a thing of beauty. Having seen as many mandolins with untenable, unplayable setups as I have, I am not surprised at the description of yours. Would the previous player him/herself been correspondingly competent to the quality of the instrument? A tenuous link, at best...

Bass-paws and all, I have steered clear of Romans— except a witty brunette who I have been dear friends with for some 20 years # http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/wink.gif

Do report on how the instrument actually (and eventually) plays, won't you?

[Bob A]

Ah, Victor, has your lady friend been warned of Roman hands, and Russian fingers?

Some day I'd like to post some pictures, but life's too short to spend it buying enough computer hardware, reading manuals, connecting cables, wondering about the hidden meanings lost in the cracks between English and Japanese translation, figuring out the various buttons to push, and so on. Peter Piper would rather get Pickled with his Pecoraro, perhaps pluck some particularly peppy pieces, even peck peevishly upon his keyboard, perchance.

[Jim Garber]

Here is the one Pecoraro jpeg I have. I think this one was up on ebay some time ago. Bob, is yours like this one or plainer or fancier. This one is from 1996. It does remind me somewhat of my Pandini. Elements of Embergher. (No Roman jokes here, tho.)

Jim

[Alex Timmerman]

Hello Bob A,

Congratulations with your Embergher/Pecoraro mandolin! I think a long lasted wish has come true for you.

I´m sure the Bronze Lenzner (Consort) strings will be excellent on your instrument.

My advice on the bridge issue is to keep it as close to the original way as possible. If you want to change it, for the reasons of playability you mention, I would keep the old one as it is and put it somewhere safe, and ask a good (local) luthier to exactly copy it (wood, thickness, hight, etc.).
Your luthier can than make it exactly as high as you want the strings to lay above the fingerboard (measured above the 12th fret) and place the strings with the space between them you like best.

These little things can cause tremendous problems if an instrument is not played for a (longer) period. Please take care; don´t change anything that can´t be brought back in the way these fine instruments were original designed. I have seen many unnecessary drastic alterations that only show that most luthiers do not understand the fine characteristic of the Roman mandolin. Especially in the case of the instruments from the Embergher atelier nothing is done without an idea behind it.

One should always keep this Golden rule in mind: the best instruments are also the most vulnerable.


Unchanged Embergher mandolins with original bridges have mostly a string-height at the 12th fret - from the lowest- to the highest string (pair) - of ± 2mm, always ascending a little towards the G strings. This string-height is usually excellent on Embergher mandolins.

But of course this can be altered to the taste of the performer depending on how he plays (normal or strong).

If you like, I can look up the spacing of the strings of a pair and the space between the pairs.


Many greetings,

Alex.

PS. Jim, the seller of the Pasquale Pecoraro on your images had misread the date on the label. The instrument was actually made in 1966.

[Jim Garber]

Alex, is Sgr. Pecoraro still alive and making instruments?

Jim

[Alex Timmerman]

Hi Jim,

No, he died somewhere in the nineties I believe (have to look it up to be exact.) Last summer when we (The Consort) gave concerts in Italy, I met his Widow, daughter and grand-daughter in Arpino. It was a great time.
Here is a link to the flyer with Luigi Embergher, his fellow workers, his apprentices in his atelier and our concert-progamm.

Just click here, but wait a little because the loading of this Webpage takes some time. (http://www.federmandolino.it/concerto.html)


Best,

Alex

[Bob A]

Jim, the instrument you picture is somewhat fancier than mine, particularly in the peghead area. Mine is a simpler slot-head, without the additional fillip at the end. Otherwise they are very similar, even to the decorative pearl buttons on the clasp, is it? except for mine being maple.
The tortoise guard is plastic, as are the binding and headstock overlay. Personally, I find it a little cheesy-looking compared to tortoise, and I'd prefer a nice wood binding, but I doubt it affects the tone or playability.

Alex, thanks for the sound advice. I would appreciate measurements of string spacing, if you'd be so kind. The bridge on mine is topped with a thin strip of ivory or bone, though others I've seen pictures of are solid wood. Mine also has some compensation - will that be necessary with Consort strings?

I believe I read (in Sparks) that when Pecoraro died, he had no apprentices, and his tools etc were sold to a Japanese luthier, who was, at the writing, using them to make Roman-style instruments in Japan.

[Ali]

I believe Pecoraro died in 1988 (or 89 perhaps). He made me my first good instrument in 1985.I did 4 newspaper delivery rounds a day for the whole summer holidays becuase my Mum said I had to pay for half of the instrument. At the end of the summer I only had a third of what I needed and I went to my Mum in tears beacuse I had worked so hard and saved every penny I'd earnt but at 15 here you're not allowed to get a proper job so I was being paid a pittance! Anyway Mum just smiled and told me to keep my money - she was only testing to make sure I really wanted the instrument! I was so excited to be getting an Embergher family instrument and my Mum booked a family holiday in Rome to go and pick it up. In the end it was delivered before the holiday but we did go and visit him. He was a dear old made who was very ill - terrible breathing problems - Ive NO idea how he managed to make instruments at that time. He lived in a very modest apartment on the outskirts of Rome and had a massive chunk of a Maple tree chunk seasoning in the middle of his living room!!
When I first saw it though I was really upset because all the other Pecoraro's I'd seen at that time had the Dragon inlay in the pick guard. He'd put flowers in it because it was for a little girl! - which was sweet I guess but.....It was a lovely instrument - very loud and clear..... then I fell in love when I was 18....... with my 1933 Embergher....
ALI

[Ali]

By the way - that second label - that London address in SYDENHAM ( not Bydenham) - its in South East London (not far from where I was bought up).... I should know more - but Venner Road rings a bell - think one of the main London dealers had a shop there - maybe Clifford Essex or someone...... not sure...... but there was a mandolin maker/repairer called Marco Roccia who lived in Brixton when I knew him which is not all that far from Sydenham and he used to work for Clifford Essex - so don't know if there was any connection there.......

[Eugene]

I really enjoyed the tale above, Ali. #Do you still own the flowery Pecoraro?

On your Pecoraro, Bob, congrats! #...And get well soon, Pecoraro in hand. #I, of course, agree with Alex. #A marvelous feature of mandolin is the unattached bridge. #Have one made to more comfortable spacings and preserve the original when/if the time comes for resale. #I'd love to see a picture or two.

[Jim Garber]

A marvelous feature of mandolin is the unattached bridge.
Please excuse my ignorance, Eugene, but whatis an unattached bridge? Aren't most of the birdges on these instruments unattached?

Jim

[Eugene]

Exactly, which is why it's a marvelous feature of mandolin. Typical guitar bridges (excluding archtops) aren't so readily swappable.

[Jim Garber]

I guess it was the department of redundancy department... sort of like those eBay listings that say 8-string Neapolitan mandolin. #http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/smile.gif

What type(s) of bridges are on these Pecoraros/Emberghers? Are they simple wood with bone compensated tops or with bone inserts like the high end Martins and Vegas?

Jim

[Bob A]

The bridge on my example is of a piece with the rest of the instrument: it is a thin, graceful carved sliver of wood topped with bone or ivory. It is compensated by means of delicately-cut concavities; its shape is a compound of curves, deliberately asymmetric. Looks simple enough, but it's the kind of simplicity that takes a lifetime to be able to toss off casually.

Alex implies that there is musical purpose to the design, and it may well be so, but there is also an artistic delight , I think, in the shaping of all the curves on this instrument. The instrument stimulates the urge to fondle: the blending of the bowl into the neck; the neck itself, with its deep V, which fits the hand and fairly asks it to swoop bridgewards; the recurve of the top into the neck - it's not easy to describe, but I've derived much enjoyment just handling the thing.

I too have supported the arts thru newspapers. A friend and neighbor was a violinist, later concertmaster of Rochester Phil - I'd do his route on days when he had a lesson. In exchange I got to hang out when he practiced. He was kind enough not to notice any lachrymal leakage when he played Mendelssohn's concerto in E minor. Piece still grabs me.

[Jim Garber]

I am still thinking of Ali's tale... it shows the true emotions involved in becoming a musician. Also, I loove her description of Sr. Pecoraro and his workshop. Ah, the passions of music and of instrument making. That is why we are all here, right?

Jim

[Jim Garber]

I am trying to get a handle on the Pecoraro bridge design. Bob A, is there any way to get a photo up?

The Pecoraro jpeg I posted looks like it has a pretty conventional bone-topped bridge.

Jim

[Bob A]

I'll see if I can get my daughter to do something with her cybercamera. The bridge looks like ones I'e seen photos of on high-end Emberghers, at least to an untrained eye that wasn't, at the time, paying attention to detail.

The bridge in your photo does look a bit clunky: thick, wide and rectilinear.

[Jim Garber]

Is this sort of what you are talking about? This is from a '25 Embergher.

[Bob A]

That's close, Jim, but to envision mine you'd need to imagine the bass section rising to the top without the shoulder; the treble section descends without a shoulder as well; it's as though you drew a line from the top edge tangent to the curves at the ends of the bridge, and filled it in. The top has a thin strip of bone/ivory; the compensating cutouts are as pictured.

[Jim Garber]

Ah! very sculptural... I think I see. I hope to meet this and many other of these instruments this fall at CMSA (hint to all who are going).

Jim

[vkioulaphides]

Ali, what a wonderful story! Now, if I can instill in MY daughter what your mother instilled in you...

You must also not underestimate the very significant, moral by-product of your upbringing in this respect: Having made a pittance delivering newspapers then, imagine how incredibly lucrative it must seem to be a classical mandolinist now!

http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/laugh.gif

Cheers,

Victor
(who-makes-less-as-a-musician-than-the-local-newspaper-boy/girl)

[Alex Timmerman]

Hi Bob A,

As promised here some measurements of string distances on bridges as found on Embergher Soloist models.
I measured several original bridges and because the string distances vary, I show the average distances here.
Perhaps this can give you and your luthier a starting point to work from.

Indeed, Embergher instruments are - as you pointed out so well - "an artistic delight" to the eye! Especially the higher orchestra- and soloist models resemble sheer beauty and aristocraty. And they are not only nice to hold or nice to look at; much more important is that if the playability of these instruments is concidered one will find that every aspect (headstock(s), gears, string attachment(s), neck, fingerboard, frets, zero fret, bridge, string-hight, sleeve guard, etc.) of these instruments has a meaning and has been calculated to the very edge of what is possible.


You probably can sit all evening and watch your Embergher;

front...left-side... back...right-side...front...etc. (Haha http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/laugh.gif )

I would say welcome to the club!


Greetings,

Alex ©

[Alex Timmerman]

Hello Jim,

In your reply on Mar. 09 2004, 12:18, you say (quote):
"The Pecoraro jpeg I posted looks like it has a pretty conventional bone-topped bridge". That is very true. The bridge was a modern replacement. Fortunately the original Pecoraro one was not lost.


Greetings,

Alex

[Bob A]

Indeed, Alex, I've spent too much time watching my Pecoraro. Finally decided to crank it up and play it.

(I still have to put the Consort strings on it).

The spread between the string pairs is pretty much as you describe it; as you move bass-ward, the distance increases. Tremolo is not as difficult as I imagined, though a closer spacing would be more desireable. Still, it is well playable as is, and if I go messing with the spacing, I'll certainly need to get the frets dressed, as there is some wear on the frets, especially on the treble side. So I think I'll just enjoy it, for now.

The playability is, in fact, very good. The tone seems to emphasize the fundamental; it is not as complex as many of the bowlbacks I've played. It is at present not as loud as I thought it might be, though that may come along as it's played more; the Consort strings may also make a difference in that regard.

I am very surprised that the narrow nut, and the close spacings of string pairs at that area of he neck, is giving me absolutely no problem in playing. I'd thought that, being used to early Gibson necks, I'd have much difficulty with the lack of width, but it is not so. Nor does the deep Vee of the neck profile present any problem. It is quite comfortable to play.

Is there any easily accessed information regarding the various models of Pecoraro (Embergher, Cerrone) instruments? There seems to be many different models extant, but I'm lacking information to form an overview of what these makers produced.

[Jim Garber]

In your reply on Mar. 09 2004, 12:18, you say (quote):
"The Pecoraro jpeg I posted looks like it has a pretty conventional bone-topped bridge". That is very true. The bridge was a modern replacement. Fortunately the original Pecoraro one was not lost.
Alex,
Do you own that very Pecoraro from those jpegs. You seem very familiar with that particular instrument.

Jim

[Alex Timmerman]

Hello Jim,

I bought it for a very talented pupil of mine.


Greetings,

Alex

[Alex Timmerman]

Hello Bob A,

At the moment there is only the book "Geschiedenis van de mandoline" written by Robert Janssens and published by Metropolis (Antwerp) in 1982 in which a first attempt was made to rubricate the models of the Embergher workshop. Unfortunately it is incomplete and sometimes not correct. But is is a start and till now the only book that deals with most of the mandolin models and other instruments developed by Luigi Embergher.

As for Pasquale Pecoraro, I can say - having seen and examined quite a number of them now - that through his instruments and what is known about the Embergher/Cerrone workshop it looks that he so to speak, lost sight of the various models which all have their specific features and characteristics.

It is as if he did not have the right material (woods, etc.) at hand and/or wasn´t that concerned anymore in keeping the model lines of his predecessor(s) - who learned him this fine craft - , alive.
Especially in the last 10 to 15 years of his active career as a luthier his mandolins show decoration linings, inlays (remember for instance the reason why he changed the dragon inlay into flowers in the scratchplate of Alimandolin´s first real mandolin, just because she was a young girl) and design changings that are no longer refering to the original Embergher models.
Of course it is still possible through other features to determine which "Embergher" mandolin model is meant, but in the eyes of many Embergher players and collectors it is a bit of a pitty that the strong outward appearances of the original mandolin design(s) was more or less abandoned by him.

In spite of these changes his instruments of the mandolin family must nevertheless be considered as outstanding and excellent in every sense. They are therefore very sought-after.


An image of your Embergher mandolin would certainly help establishing what type Pecoraro had in mind when he made yours.


Best,

Alex

[Alex Timmerman]

Hello all,

At the moment there is a nice low-end 1966 Pasquale Pecoraro mandolin for sale ($2500,-).

Like Bob A´s mandolin it was imported by the same English music house. The instrument looks very well treated and I thought perhaps one of you could have an interest in obtaining it (to be clear: no personal interest on my side).

Here is the Webpage where the mandolin can be viewed. (http://www.trocadero.com/adrianandandy/items/271226/en1.html)


Best,

Alex

The Item´s starting pages (http://www.trocadero.com/adrianandandy/items/271226/item271226store.html#item)