Re: "Ceccherini" Bowl Back Mandolin on eBay
Thanks, Tony. The timing you describe is very interesting.
FWIW The earliest DeMeglio I have in our "data base" is from 1893--before the salad days of the Francia endorsement. Their SNs suggest an output of about 1000 per year, with a blip up to 2000 in 1895.
I have seen references to UC from considerably before 1895 but would have to turn to Martin for specifics on that.
Hard not to think about some relationship between Ceccherini and DeMeglio during that time period.
My (very) modest UC is lighter and more delicate than my DeMeglios, but the rosewood, for instance, is less choice. I like its delicate sound a lot.
The nicer (maybe later?) UCs seem clearly a peg above the DeMs, but the output must have been far fewer.
An off the cuff speculation might have Umberto running the production for DeMeglio and simultaneously marketing his own "line" to the UK.
Pretty far fetched, I know....but it would resemble the relationship that Raphael Ciani seems to have had with Oscar Schmidt just a few years later over in NJ.
AFAIK, DeMeglio were piano dealers before getting into the mandolin business. Probably even during.
Thanks, too, for the 10-string link. These do turn up here for conversation now and again. I think Martin might even have one of these geared down to 8 strings.
Good stuff!
Mick
Ever tried, ever failed? No matter. Try again, fail again. Fail better.--Samuel Beckett
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