Also,thank you all for all the help and brain power.
Also,thank you all for all the help and brain power.
Still no way to ID the builder but it was most likely built in the 1920's early 30's at best, assuming the tuners are original.
"It's comparable to playing a cheese slicer."
--M. Stillion
"Bargain instruments are no bargains if you can't play them"
--J. Garber
"It's comparable to playing a cheese slicer."
--M. Stillion
"Bargain instruments are no bargains if you can't play them"
--J. Garber
I believe Vega mandolins have a serial number impressed in the headstock top edge. If this mandolin was made by Vega in 1921 then it would have a number somewhere around 40,000.
With regard to the case. I have just run into an ad for the very same type of case- with identical lining and the seller wants $275 for it. This may be a bit high but it is in good condition- as appears to be the case with this mystery mandolin. Obviously, when considering the asking price of $600, the case is worth quite a bit. Here is some of the blurb with that other G & S mandolin case sale:
1920's
GIBSON
ORIGINAL
HARD SHELL CASE
A-STYLE MANDOLIN
for sale
Great, useable condition. Diamond pocket cover. Original 1920’s Gibson A Style Mandolin Hard Case.
Their best case at the time. Green lining.
This case housed a 1924 “A” Style "Snake-Head" mandolin and no reason to believe it wasn’t originally and optionally purchased at the same time.
Last edited by NickR; Aug-20-2018 at 3:45am.
Ok..I got the mandolin..It does not have an impressed number..It used to have a makers label inside but it apparently was off when he got it. It is 24 1/2" long overall,9 1/2" wide,3 " deep,the fretboard is 10" from nut to the end of fretboard,and the nut width is 1 1/4"
Some similarities to a Martin Style 15 carved mandolin. The Galiano/Ciani guess is probably best; if not that specific shop it's probably one of the other Italian builders from New York. Probably built in the 1930s. Martin-type body, Gibson-type headstock; fancy inlay and pickguard; it's kind of a mishmash/greatest-hits instrument built by an individual luthier.
Emando.com: More than you wanted to know about electric mandolins.
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I have a Galliano / Ciani very similar to the one Jim posted. (Or maybe it is that mandolin....) The body shape is quite like to the one in question, but the neck profile and joint is not all. Could be from someone free-lancing out of the Schmidt / Ciani posse.
Mick
Ever tried, ever failed? No matter. Try again, fail again. Fail better.--Samuel Beckett
______________________
'05 Cuisinart Toaster
'93 Chuck Taylor lowtops
'12 Stetson Open Road
'06 Bialetti expresso maker
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Jim
My Stream on Soundcloud
19th Century Tunes
Playing lately:
1924 Gibson A4 - 2018 Campanella A-5 - 2007 Brentrup A4C - 1915 Frank Merwin Ashley violin - Huss & Dalton DS - 1923 Gibson A2 black snakehead - '83 Flatiron A5-2 - 1939 Gibson L-00 - 1936 Epiphone Deluxe - 1928 Gibson L-5 - ca. 1890s Fairbanks Senator Banjo - ca. 1923 Vega Style M tenor banjo - ca. 1920 Weymann Style 25 Mandolin-Banjo - National RM-1
Ever tried, ever failed? No matter. Try again, fail again. Fail better.--Samuel Beckett
______________________
'05 Cuisinart Toaster
'93 Chuck Taylor lowtops
'12 Stetson Open Road
'06 Bialetti expresso maker
'14 Irish Linen Ramon Puig
Greetings to my fellow Mandolinians. I’m new to this site. In fact this is my first post. But when I saw the photo, I just had to reply. I have what looks to me to be the same mandolin, in the same case. So before anybody’s head explodes. I will tell you that inside the sound hole of my mandolin, it has a label that says “A. Galliano” and under that it has a symbol and says “Raphael Ciani”. Mandolini Echitarre Garentite.
Like I said, this is my first post, so I haven’t figured out how to post a photo yet.
From the info that I have gathered, A. Galliano was a distributor of sorts and the mandolin was made by Raphael Ciani.
Raphael Ciani was the uncle of John D’Angelico, the guitar maker extraordinaire. The story I heard is that John worked under the tutelage of Raphael in his shop when he was a youth and I’m gonna believe (true or not) that my mandolin passed through his hands.
Your mandolin, Don, although almost identical to mine, has a few differences. Your headstock is inlaid, and mine is plain. You have no serial number on the back of yours, and mine does. (Believe it or not it’s 007). My fretboard has abalone dots, 3 across with the middle dot larger than the other 2. My back and sides seem to be unfinished, with a lacquer finish on the spruce top. The pick guard is the same as is the bridge and the tuners in the same shaped headstock. I also have a Gibson A style and this mandolin had very similar tone.
That’s all I know at this time. If anyone knows the value of these mandolins, please let me know in a post.
Thanks
Glenn
Welcome, Glenn. Just a few comments since I am on my phone.
i think D’Angelico was fairly young when working for his uncle and probably swept the floors and was sent out on espresso runs. I suppose he may have handled some minor luthier tasks.
You say back and sides are unfinished? That is very strange. Maybe someone stripped the finish off?
To post a photo click on the third icon from the right.
Jim
My Stream on Soundcloud
19th Century Tunes
Playing lately:
1924 Gibson A4 - 2018 Campanella A-5 - 2007 Brentrup A4C - 1915 Frank Merwin Ashley violin - Huss & Dalton DS - 1923 Gibson A2 black snakehead - '83 Flatiron A5-2 - 1939 Gibson L-00 - 1936 Epiphone Deluxe - 1928 Gibson L-5 - ca. 1890s Fairbanks Senator Banjo - ca. 1923 Vega Style M tenor banjo - ca. 1920 Weymann Style 25 Mandolin-Banjo - National RM-1
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