Instruments for Sale
I do have some mandolins and guitars in stock for sale: some new, some pre-owned older master examples and some rare antique guitars too- enquire please. I also look to buy outright fine master guitars and high quality mandolins: contact me with what you have for sale please.
Giacomo Gallessi, Rome, Roman Orchestral Mandolin, undated ( born 1876, fl. Paris, then Rome)
A fine Roman mandolin, labelled , undated, unlabelled, but bearing the monogram and stamp of G Gallessi, Rome on the table, showing clear influence and stylistic detail of Embergher Orchestral type mandolins. Body of several narrow flute maple ribs with dark spacer lines. Table of spruce, maple neck, good tuners, head in the style of Embergher, ending in an upturned decorative filial with MOP decoration. All set up to play, new Lenzner Bronze Consort strings fitted, gauged especially for these type of mandolins, body with no cracks, edged with tulipwood, table has 2 fine hairline cracks, repaired, tone very bright, open and sweet, reminscent of Embergher. Fingerboard ebony with original bar frets. ( Embergher book by Ralf Leenen and Barry Pratt will be supplied with this mandolin. Copies of this book are available from me for £40 plus postage)
Condition:
The body of several narrow deeply fluted maple ribs with dark spacers, very good, no cracks or repairs, colour of light golden brown. The table has 2 long hairline cracks, both repaired, and has no distortion around soundhole area, or anywhere else. Action very good, the possibly original bar frets, all trued now and dressed, and all the tuners work well. Fingerboard slopes down on the treble side, 'a la Embergher', This mandolin is ready to play, and produces a good strong clear tone- fitted with new special 'Embergher ' strings, ( Lenzner Consort Bronze.) The typical inlaid scratch plate is in good condition.The string holder/ wrist guard is original, and in slightly 'battered' condition, but functional, but retained for sake of originality. All inlays and other decoration are original and completely intact. This is a very rare mandolin, I can find no record of any other example, but would like to hear from anyone who has more information about this maker. He is mentioned briefly in the Vannes dictionary of makers, the only reference I have so far discovered. But judging from the quality of the work as demonstrated here, he was a very good maker indeed, and deserves to be better known.
We stock and supply 'Lenzner Bronze Consort' mandolin string sets, made especially for Embergher mandolins and other period concert mandolins, made to the correct original specification
Photos: Click here
Dimensions: (to add and complete)
- Scale length: cms
- Width of fingerboard at Nut: mm
- Width of fingerboard at 12th fret: mm
- Width of fingerboard at 19th fret: mm
- String spacing at nut: mm
- Neck Thickness under 1st fret: mm
- String Spacing at bridge: mm
- Neck Thickness under 10th fret: mm
- Body length, excl. heel: mm
- Body Width Lower Bout: mm
- Waist: mm
- Body Width Upper Bout: mm
- Body depth: from mm to mm.
Price: Enquire. No case. (A custom hard-shell case could be made for it, at cost, on request)
Price excludes freight, taxes etc. and VAT ( VAT zero rated if exported from EC, packing free, freight charged at cost- (ParcelForce, FedEx, or UPS)
The mandolin can be sent out for approval, for a 48 -hour period after receipt. However, all freight charges, inwards and outwards, must be borne by the client, import duties may be levied in some countries, and for the USA the 'Lacey Declaration' has to be complete in addition to any CITES permit if needed. Payment must be in full in advance, and evidence provided of insurance for the journey. For these additional services, a charge will be made. Funds will be refunded in full, provided the instrument arrives back in the shop in the same condition as when it left. If these conditions are not met, then the instrument will be considered 'Sold'.
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