sistema de meglio clone?

[confusedenthused]

Hi,

I am brand new to your forum, but can see you all have a passion, and clearly a wealth of experience and knowledge, so hope you can help me.

My mother sadly passed away recently, and in clearing the house, i have found an old mandolin that i vaguely remember from my childhood as being my grandmothers, so it was old in the 1970's.

It isn't in great condition, but looks repairable. A few cracks at the side of the bowl, the string stay at the back of the bowl looks to be lifting away? the tortoise shell finger plate is coming away but is in one piece.

It has a label inside the bowl which says:-

"Sistema De Meglio

Arturo Farini

Fabricante

Di

Strumenti A Corda

Napoli"

Having read a few posts, it sounds like a copy of a De Maglio, but don't know what it is, if its a piece worth restoring, or even if its worth much?

I am not able to play myself, but if its worth restoring i think it would be nice to get it to someone who can make it play as it was designed to be.

I can get some photos added shortly, (added)

Thanks

[allenhopkins]

I take it you've already looked at this thread on De Meglio instruments and labeling, including Post #61 which discusses an instrument labeled "De Meglio System" and made by Arturo Feranti, like yours.

This page has two pics of Farini-made mandolins, one of which has a "harmonic suppressor" below the bridge, much like the one on your instrument.

"Worth restoring" is in the eyes, and bank balance, of the owner. This one doesn't seem to need a lot of restoration; closing small separations between the ribs of the bowl, and reattaching the pick guard, perhaps the tailpiece, aren't expensive repairs. From what I can determine, the neck angle seems OK, which implies the neck/body joint has held. If you don't intend to play it, you could sell it "as is" and let the next owner get it fixed, or you could have it done yourself. I'd get an estimate -- from a shop that has some background in working on old mandolins, not the "we fix electric guitars and amps" place down the block.

This one's a bit unusual in construction, with varied types of woods apparently used in the bowl, so it might draw a bit more interest. I leave it to the real bowl-back mavens, to say whether "De Meglio System" Italian mandolins command premium prices or not. You could reasonably expect a few hundred dollars for a good-condition, well-made Italian bowl-back, but beyond that baseline guesstimate, the subtleties of the market are above my current pay grade.

[brunello97]

I've often wondered whether some of these mandolins we refer to as "De Meglio clones" might not simply be De Meglios that were sold under a different label with some requirement that there be a reference back to the family firm. (We've certainly seen De Meglio looking mandolins with no reference back to the originals.)

I realize that in France we saw models of 'systems' being licensed to other makers (Gelas for instance.) This might be the case here, but given the intensity of information on the typical De Meglio label (some of which include specific warnings against 'counterfeits') one might guess that if these were 'made under license from.....' that it would say so.

In the US around this time, there were many, many shops relabeling mandolins made by Lyon and Healy, Martin, Oscar Schmidt, Vega etc. Might the practice have occurred in Italy as well? I wouldn't put all my trust in what is written on a label. Arturo Farini claims to have been making mandolins. I have a hunch he was labeling mandolins.

De Meglios are very nice mandolins. Depending on the condition this might be worth restoring as an instrument to play, but as Allen says, the cost of restoring it as a means of making money might be fairly well limited. De Meglios themselves are fairly available on ebay.uk and other sources. Nice ones can be had in the $400-500 US range. Depending on the necessary repairs the value might drop to 1/2 or 1/4 of that number.

Where are you located? Access to a repair person with the requisite skills might be dependent on that.

Mick

[confusedenthused]

Thank you both for your replies,

I had seen the thread, but got into it to far back, and didn't read it right through.

Looking at some of the example labels in this forum, mine is much simpler, and i have to say, less professional looking. That could of corse be related to its date of construction, but suspect it was cheaply added.

I am not looking to earn money from it, but to see if it can't be rescued, as it otherwise it looks a nice piece, and actually even straight out of its battered case in its current condition has a nice sound to it, though needs a touch of tuning. I have actually taken the tension out of the strings a bit due to the lifting plate to stop it getting any worse. I think the case might give some clues too. It is matt black, and where pealing can see its a fabric lining over cardboard that has been sown together. It has a broken leather handle which is held with two large metal buttons which on the reverse side you can see are fold out pins. The inside is lined with red felt. There is a small compartment that sits beneath the neck is cardboard too. It is really old looking though. I'm thinking pre world war two?

I'm actually in the south of the United Kingdom and I think I will look locally for an instrument repairer to appraise it and see what can be done with it. If i get anywhere with it i will update this post..

Thanks again for your advice,

[derbex]

You could try Mike Cameron if you are near London, worth going along just to experience the workshop.

[confusedenthused]

Thanks for the recomendation.

Turns out theres a hidden away gem of a musical instrument repairer a couple of miles from me, and does work on mandolins, so will drop in there first.

Thanks

[brunello97]

Of course, there is our good friend John Maddock down Tavistock way, which is pretty far south, I guess. You can't do much better than him.

Please let us know how you are getting on with the repair / restore project.

Mick

[brunello97]

As if to make a counter argument to my own post, there is a 'De Meglio clone' on ebay.uk now labeled "Cassaro & Rompoli, Allievi di De Meglio" touting their status as 'students of De Meglio'.

We've seen labels from various 'allievi' of number of the more prominent Italian makers.

Hard to read the date but it looks to be 190_, maybe 1904? Clearly during some of the most productive period of the De Meglios. Students left the company and set up their own shop?

One could speculate on whether either of these (allievi or sistema) was sanctioned by the De Meglios and what was not. More information is needed.

Mick