My 'new' bowlback

[Tezzerh]

So my 'new' bowlback has arrived. It's new to me but very old - a vintage Ceccherini restored by Tavy. I'm just getting to grips with it and have already fallen for its sweet, sweet tones. They are slippery beasts, bowlbacks, but Tavy has made this helpful video, and I'm sure he won't mind me giving this link...

https://m.youtube.com/watch?feature=...&v=mlnUGKXjWJE

I've also bought some of that non-slip shelf liner, as recommended by Forum members in my previous post, when I asked 'Do I need a bowlback?' I have already bought a replacement hardcase, as the original one was very flimsy, although it had protected the Ceccherini for the best part of a hundred years. The old case will be filed away for future generations.
Thanks to Tavy for his restoration, and to Forum members Martin Jonas and Sherrie for their advice and encouragement. Now let me get back to perfecting Neapolitan Tarantella...

[MysTiK PiKn]

Congratulation on your Ceccherini. Those are highly thought of. I saw some of those in the bowlbacks thread (I think in Vintage forum). I just picked up a Puglisi but it's not a bowlback - kinda one of a kind. Can't find much info on it beyond a Mandolin Cafe general post from 2004 archives. It was wallhangered for last 20 yrs; so I'm cleaning it up, doing some minor repairs. It had a protective layer of dust. Should be playable soon. I fell in love with it in an ad; had to have it. I blew a tuner peg button, broke in half - should be a reglue to fix that. It's also circa 1906-09. It's quite unique but I think more of a midrange instrument - not a lot of frills. Some of them are very highly decorated (esp. bowlbacks). Mine has some nice simple decor - I just like looking at olde wood. It has a "Patentato" stamp on it, label inside. It sounds really woody; but the trebles are there too. It's not really a flatback either - the back is arched, but tapers to the heel, and the top is mainly flat. All original stuff on it - strings seemed original also Those are gone. I picked up strings, by accident, didn't notice the gauge - before I bought them, which is interesting, didn't know I was going to buy a Puglisi. Weird custom gauge ErnieBall strings. gauges 9-13-22-34, and labelled "lights". Those should be pretty easy on the olde tonewood. Did a little clean up and fret filed very slightly - more like "shining" them. Needs a tailpiece repair. I think it will be my "parlour mandothingy". It needs a name. It's posted in Builders forum w lots of pix.

Anyway, have fun with the 100+ yr club. Good idea to keep that case for "collectors value". It's condition is less important than it's originality.

Cheers, thx for posting.

[Shari Windsor]

Congrats .... That was my first Mandolin...I miss it !

[Martin Jonas]

So my 'new' bowlback has arrived. It's new to me but very old - a vintage Ceccherini restored by Tavy. I'm just getting to grips with it and have already fallen for its sweet, sweet tones. They are slippery beasts, bowlbacks, but Tavy has made this helpful video, and I'm sure he won't mind me giving this link...

https://m.youtube.com/watch?feature=...&v=mlnUGKXjWJE

I've also bought some of that non-slip shelf liner, as recommended by Forum members in my previous post, when I asked 'Do I need a bowlback?'

Congratulations -- great choice for a first bowlback! As to the holding question, even with the positions shown in Tavy's video, most players find they still need the non-slip mat as well.

Martin

[Tezzerh]

Congratulations -- great choice for a first bowlback!

Martin

So what should be my choice for my NEXT bowlback, Martin? LOL

[JeffD]

Enjoy that Ceccherini. It can do it all.

I particularly like the sound of a bowl. Its so very musical, almost, in my mind, like a singing voice. Delicate and intimate when you want, or bold and dramatic like a rock and roll ballad, if needed.

[DavidKOS]

Congratulations on your new old bowlback, you'll love it even more the more you play it.

[Bob A]

Ceccherini bowlbacks have a chiming sound that's all their own. I assume yours has the double soundboard, as do most examples.
Don't worry about your second one; it'll come along soon enough. The one you have to worry about is the one that sends you into double digit territory. (Every new order of magnitude is scary. Eventually they take over all available space. Ask Jim Garber, if you can find him under all those cases . . .)

[Jim Garber]

So very true..........

[MysTiK PiKn]

Did I hear someone say "double soundboard"? (more info?)

I can't even imagine what that might mean?
Only in Ceccherini? Priceless.

[Tezzerh]

Double soundboard? Apparently so. But Tavy and Martin Jonas know far more about this than I do. I only bought it! Over to those two...

[Martin Jonas]

Did I hear someone say "double soundboard"? (more info?)

That was a patented system by Ceccherini and not found in any other bowlbacks. It's very much like the Virzi in Loar-era Gibsons, except 20-odd years earlier -- a thin unvarnished sheet of spruce suspended underneath the main soundboard. It's slightly smaller than the soundboard itself, and attaches to the braces with little wooden tags, but is not fixed to the sides of the bowl. There's also a small round soundhole in it. As it's hidden on the inside, you can't tell it's there unless you closely look into the soundhole. The idea is that the sympathetic vibrations in the suspended second soundboard create a more complex frequency spectrum.

Martin

[Tavy]

Did I hear someone say "double soundboard"? (more info?)

I can't even imagine what that might mean?
Only in Ceccherini? Priceless.

MysTik, the instrument that Terry bought from me is the one in this thread.

Seems like all the Ceccherini's had a second soundboard suspended below the top, so far I've had 3 Ceccherini's and they're all different: double top on the first one was described in this thread, it has a second sound board that runs from the sound hole all the way back to the tailpiece. The one I'm working on now is similar but has 4 holes in the second soundboard:



Terry's one has a shorter internal soundboard that runs from the sound hole and stops just short of the cant in the top.

Sound wise, I think Terry had slightly the better of the first two, the third is more of a "pro" spec instrument so it'll be interesting to see how it compares.

HTH, John.