Martin, I had thought about it and communicated with the seller. He seemed willing to ship to the US at what seemed like a reasonable price--I think 35 quid is what he told me--he struck me as a nice fellow. It appeared in good overall shape (Giovanni DeMeglio by the SN) but the neck looked rather sketchioso to me. I kind of backed off over that. I haven't been fiddling much with repairs of late as work has grown and groaned. I keep my eyes out but have become a bit more selective. Still, I like the DeMeglio vibe so they are on my radar.
Would love to hear a comp between your Ceccherini and a nice DeMeglio some day.....
salud!
Mick
Ever tried, ever failed? No matter. Try again, fail again. Fail better.--Samuel Beckett
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Dave Hynds says he has never seen another one of these, a DeMeglio mandola. Hopefully we can get the SN from him and possibly some pics and shot of the label.
Jim
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Muy cool, Jim. Thanks for the video!
Have you contacted Dave about this? Would love to know more about it, particularly when it was made.
I have one DeMeglio mandola in my files without any corroborating information. It looks very unDeM but for the peghead and label--though it is labeled a model 1. Curious looking hybrid, while Dave's looks like the real thing.
Sounds pretty garish in the video but that could be mic placement, new strings etc.
Very cool, though.....
Mick
Ever tried, ever failed? No matter. Try again, fail again. Fail better.--Samuel Beckett
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I have a feeling that he uses the internal mic in his computer. There is a lot of distortion. No I have not contacted him.
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
I have a short question for a "meglio" label.
I bought this mandolin some weeks ago and its labeld "Michelle Meglio".
My guess is, that this "Michelle" is /was the son (figlio) from Giovanni deMeglio
and build this mandolin after 1946 when the italian republic disestablished the aristocracy.
I didn't find some newer deMeglio Mandolins at all.
When do they stop making mandolins?
The enclosed tuners look older than 1946, more like pre-1914. Perhaps another of the deMeglio copyists trying hard to be mistaken for a real one, like the Indian Givson mandolins?
http://www.mcdonaldstrings.com
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Thanks, Martin. I would tend to agree with Graham that yours is a 'contemporary' of the DeMeglios (and perhaps a 'clone' as they are sometimes called) rather than a successor.
We have seen so many labels that announce the family lineage (or other association) with prominent makers. It would seem odd that a son of DeMeglio would not announce that on his label. (One "L" for the masculine Michele, btw ) I have a few Michele Meglios in my files, but your photo of the label is an improvement on the ones I have.
The latest dated DeMeglio I have in my (very nascent) list of serial numbers is 1923.
Mick
Ever tried, ever failed? No matter. Try again, fail again. Fail better.--Samuel Beckett
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There is a DeMeglio on ebay Australia at the moment sn 15485 and Model 0 from 1908. No bids and a starting price of A$275
http://www.mcdonaldstrings.com
The Mandolin Project on building mandolins
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I would like to know,
what Dave has on his mind to this thing.
His offers neatly the same mandolin on his website:
http://www.mandolinluthier.com/mando...or_sale_17.htm
There are some few informations to find on the net about "Michele Meglio" as son of Giovanni.
But it seems as if there are a lot of Meglios in Napoli, so it is all only a guess
Martin
Thanks, Graham! Duly noted.
Curiously, in the ebay.au ad there is a note referencing another pair of De Meglios. Once from 1895 (which is already in the register) and another from 1914 which is the first from the WW1 years to appear since we've been tracking these.
Know way to know when in '14 it was made though....Been reading Chris Clark's "The Sleepwalkers" this winter, about the run up to WW1. Scary stuff.
Anyhow, from numbers we have recorded, De Meglio production between 1914 and 1919 looks like at around 350 units total, which was just about the same number produced in 1905 alone.
Not enough examples in the file yet to draw too many conclusions, but it is shaping up.
I'd be interested in knowing some things about yearly production in some of the other big name shops of the time: Calace and Embergher (surely someone has this info for LE.) Too many different Vinaccias to keep straight.
Wonkish to be sure but it's cold outside. I do about as well in the cold as I do with dairy products.
Mick
Ever tried, ever failed? No matter. Try again, fail again. Fail better.--Samuel Beckett
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Ever tried, ever failed? No matter. Try again, fail again. Fail better.--Samuel Beckett
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I think the seller was referencing the Bonham's auction for background?
Hot outside here. 30C/90F+ and thunderstorms expected later. Just thought you should know
http://www.mcdonaldstrings.com
The Mandolin Project on building mandolins
The Mandolin-a history
The Ukulele on building ukuleles
Ever tried, ever failed? No matter. Try again, fail again. Fail better.--Samuel Beckett
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For what it's worth, my Embergher Tipo A was made in 1915. One needs to keep in mind that Italy had another year of peace after the war started elsewhere, and only joined (on the opposite side to their pre-war treaty links) in 1915. Italy's statesmen do not have the excuse of the other nations of not knowing the implications of their actions: unlike in 1914, by 1915 it should have been apparent to everybody what a 20th century war means.
It is difficult to say what effect this would have had on Italian mandolin makers in 1914/15. While they would have been able to continue making mandolins to pre-war standards, much of their export markets (the UK, specifically) would have dried up. This may explain why my modest Tipo A has one of the best spruce tops I've ever seen: Embergher may still have been able to sell student models domestically, but buyers for a top line 5bis would have been few and far between in 1915.
I still don't know, however, how my Tipo A ended up in the hands of an opera singer from the company of the Berlin State Opera in the 1920s (whose grandson sold it to me).
Martin
(apologies for the deviation from De Meglio)
No worries, Martin, and certainly this is no diversion. This is a thread about De Meglios.... but related tangentiallery conversation is more than welcome.
Thanks for the update on the war timing. You latched on to my thinking--while 1914 Italy was not in the war yet (but certainly was scheming for territory in the NE) markets and even shipping routes were no doubt disrupted.
I'm only up to about January 1913 in the Clark book. Good reading, but it is like watching a train wreck slowly happening.
Mick
Last edited by brunello97; Jan-08-2015 at 6:30pm.
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Has anyone seen a fluted back DeMeglio? Looks like they didn't bother even with fancier models.
I haven't seen a fluted back De Meglio, Victor. They have produced a Model 2 which has a higher degree of ornamentation but not modification to the basic bowl-making.
I think they knew their target market and made work accordingly: very good quality work, consistently produced at what appears to be a reasonably high volume. I have had few DeMeglios apart and the inside work is very clean, very well done.
This may be loopy comparison but I liken them to the L+H Washburn line mandolins from the period and the '00 and '10s Gibson A models: solid, dependable, well-made mandolins of exceptional quality. Not the highest order of the day, but that is praising with faint damnation. Lots of all of them still around and they are still a pleasure to play and are making great music.
BTW, I saw a De Meglio recently on ebay with what appeared to be a maple bowl. Not sure if I had seen one of those before.
Mick
Ever tried, ever failed? No matter. Try again, fail again. Fail better.--Samuel Beckett
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Thanks Mick, I thought the same way Re: fluted back. I've also seen that De Meglio on ebay. Looks interesting.
Two more data points: Model 1(A), 1902, No 11933
and another Model 1(A), 1896, No 9313.
Both Cav. Giovanni DeMeglio.
Ever tried, ever failed? No matter. Try again, fail again. Fail better.--Samuel Beckett
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Vincenzo De Meglio is on ebay Australia serial 12636 http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/Antique-m...item3cf126cb39
Ever tried, ever failed? No matter. Try again, fail again. Fail better.--Samuel Beckett
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