Vinaccia liuto cantabile on ebay

[allenhopkins]

<a href="http://cgi.ebay.com/Vinaccia-Mandocello-or-Liuto-Cantabile_W0QQitemZ290220036883QQihZ019QQcategoryZ 10179QQssPa
geNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem" target="_blank">Link #</a>

Instrument appears to be in excellent condition; about eight days left on the auction.

[jk245]

fair price?

[Jim Garber]

As for fair price, I believe that the seller (who I know) is asking at least $5000 for this instrument. Fair price is what anyone is willing to pay. This is not only a fine instrument by a renowned maker but also one that was made for a renowned player of the turn of the last century, so the provenance has some impact on the price, I would think.

I started a discussion of this instrument within the Bowlbacks of Note (http://www.mandolincafe.net/cgi-bin/ikonboard.cgi?act=ST;f=6;t=14886;st=3950) thread in the classical section.

There was actually another Liuto like this one dated 1904. I checked and the 1904 liuto is on the gallery page for Spruce Tree Music (http://www.sprucetreemusic.com/gallery.html) in Madison, WI:

Vinaccia Brothers Liuto Moderno 1904
Large size instrument by the originators of the Neapolitan style mandolin, 23 curly maple ribs, rosewood neck and fingerboard, 22 1/2" scale, five double courses tuned C-G-D-A-E one octave below the mandolin. This instrument was made for Samuel Adelstein of San Francisco, an important figure in the history of the mandolin orchestra. Shown next to standard bowl style mandolin.

I wonder who has it now.

http://www.sprucetreemusic.com/liutomoderno.jpg

http://www.sprucetreemusic.com/liutomodernoba.jpg

[Ken Olmstead]

drooling....

[allenhopkins]

$5K seems more than fair to me for an instrument of this vintage, rarity, construction by an esteemed builder, and provenance. #Seems Mr. Adelstein had two liuto cantabiles (if that's how you pluralize it), when most of us will never see even one up close.

When fairly ordinary Gibson F-2's and F-4's are going for more than the projected price, and contemporary factory and small-builder creations reach well into the five figures, a century-old nearly-unique instrument like this looks very attractive.

[allenhopkins]

Got to $6,300, which still didn't meet the reserve. Bidding over.

[vkioulaphides]

It wouldn't have fit in a Manhattan cubicle-qua-apartment; these things are awfully hard to play, anyhow; liuto music is notated split in two, awkward clefs simultaneously; who can afford to change TEN strings and, come to think of it, can you imagine taking that on the SUBWAY?

And other Sour Grapes... http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/wink.gif

I wish the eventual owner much mega-plucking joy. I hope it is end up in the hands of a player, NOT simply a collector.

Cheers,

Victor

[allenhopkins]

I wanted it, but I didn't want it $6K worth.

[David Westwick]

Victor:
Didn't you mean to say that it wouldn't fit in a Manhattan cubicle-qua-apartment that already houses a bass and a baby grand piano? http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/rock.gif

[vkioulaphides]

Well, Dave... especially since the little space we had to begin with is taken up by the bass and the conservatory-size grand. http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/wink.gif

Hey, man, whad'ya tryin' to do? Make my sour grapes taste sweeter? http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/mad.gif

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

Cheers,

Victor

[David Westwick]

Sorry for undersizing the piano, Victor. I should have realized that it was bigger than a baby (after all, with a baby grand, your bass wouldn't fit in the nook on the treble side).

Last year, Carlo Aonzo had me playing, perhaps attempting to play is a little more accurate, Basso Continuo on the mandocello. He also hinted that it would be far easier to do on a Liuto (and, of course, that Mr. Pandini also builds Liuto Cantabiles)....

[vkioulaphides]

I --i.e. my wife's piano http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/wink.gif -- take no offense, David. "Conservatory" means, well, medium: ours is 7 ft. 1 in., thus significantly larger than "baby" ("Concert" being, of course, 9 ft.)

Diabolical, those mandolinists, eh? They'll always push you to do things you would NEVER do in your better judgment. http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/laugh.gif

Cheers,

Victor