# Music by Genre > Orchestral, Classical, Italian, Medieval, Renaissance >  Calace of the mid 1940s

## Jeff Chu

My friend recently inherited a mandolin mandola pair. Both labeled Conn Raffaele Calace & Figlio, dated 1945. Same headstock, and ribs on the back are in good shape. Mandola is playable, but has some buzzing, could use a good setup. The mandolin is in a little bit worse shape with the oval binding around the hole is coming out, and has a badly repaired face crack. Are these instruments good enought o deserve the investment in repairing them? What do you guys think they are worth. It seems they were built as a pair, look identical. thanks for your time

----------


## Bob A

Sounds like an interesting pair of instruments. As for value, pictures would be necessary, I think, to gauge both the intrinsic worth of the mandolins as well as the scope of repairs.

Offhand I'd say that they were definitely worth restoring to playability, just because it's so interesting to have a set that was made to be played together. For the same reason it would be a shame to break the set. 

Bowlback mandolas are rather more scarce than the mandolins, as no doubt you know; that being so, it lends weiight to the case for repair. 

I've not seen Calace mandolins from that period, so I don't know how to judge their quality within the product line. Of course Raffaele senior had passed from the scene by that time, sadly, as I imaging the value would be higher for instruments made during his lifetime. 

At any rate, photos would be much appreciated, if only for the permanent record.

----------


## vkioulaphides

By way of reference (i.e. for price-parity), a bowlback mandola by Calace was recently on sale in the Café Classifieds; the seller was asking for $1,800. The instrument appeared to be in very good condition minor scratches, but nothing more, at least _visibly_ so. IMHO, the price was perfectly reasonable. In fact, I would suppose it could sell for more on, say, eBay.

I did not go for that instrument myself, as I've already paid my lifelong dues to the Big Instrument Dept.  :Wink:  I don't even know whether it sold or not; can anyone here fill in?

Off hand, I agree with Bob. Calace instruments are valuable, for sure; now, whether _this_ particular instrument will be worth _its own_ repair-bill, well... only a qualified and honest! luthier would be able to say.

Cheers,

Victor

----------


## brunello97

If I can speak for Bob and Victor, we remain in a bit of a daze here after the recent Embergher mandola that graced the ebay and the cafe.  Seeing the Calace might assuage the bittersweet or be the prefect lime in the tonic of a beautiful autumn.  Yes, pictures, please.

Mick

----------


## Alex of the North

I'm glad to hear that there were folks making mandolins in Italy in 1945!

----------


## Acquavella

Hello, 

It is my understanding that the 1940-50's are decent years for the Calace factory. The 1960-70's are a totally different story. It has been recommended to me to stay away from those years. Any money put into either 40's Calace instrument will be a good investment. The mandola would be the more rare instrument. Although, I can't remember the last time I saw a 40's Calace. You generally see 20's or more recent Calace mandolins floating around. Pictures of the 40's instruments would help us make a further assessment though. Cheers.

----------


## tcoyote

Hi,
Thanks jayphu for starting this thread on my behalf, and others who weighed in.  I just (joined the forum and) put up a few pics of the pair for you to look at.  

I was given the mandolin and mandola in the late '80’s by a friend who emigrated to NYC from Greece at the end of WW2.  He and his bride picked them up in Italy, along with a few pieces of furniture for their new home--in 1945. He told me that aluminum was used for the tuners, etc., because there was so little metal left in Italy by that time. 

The mandola has beautiful tone.  It has a crack in the face, one of the nut grooves is too low and causes a buzz, and some fret wires are gone from the higher frets.   The mandolin is in worse shape; it seems to have had a shim of slightly different color wood inserted into the face in two places, is missing many frets, and some of the ornate work on the fingerboard is coming out or cracking.

Both have minimal wear on the face from pick use. Neither instrument has any warping of the face, and the backs are in perfect shape. They still have their original board cases. 

I can't afford to fix them up.  Have considered selling the mandolin to fix up the mandola, but
hate to separate them (like siblings) and I have so much respect for the memory of the soul who gave them to me, though he died long ago.  I did NOT realize Calace was such a respected name.

What to do?

----------


## vkioulaphides

Welcome among us, mando-friend!

Fascinating (to me, at least) that these two instruments emigrated to the U.S. in the hands of two compatriots of mine. _Where_ have you put up the pictures? I'd love to look...

Cheers,

Victor

----------


## Bob A

Indeed it is respected. One of the Big Three, and the only one still being produced by the descendants of the originators. I'm certainly far from the only one who would like to see pics of these instruments, and hope that you can eventually find a way to restore their muted voices. Please try to keep them together if at all possible.

----------


## MandoSquirrel

Dittos to the above

----------


## Richard Walz

I haven't seen a 40/50's era Calace but I have had 2 mid 1960's Calace's in my possession briefly some years ago. Though I found the workmanship rather mediocre, the sound of both of these instruments were quite good. Both needed to be setup properly but both instruments were fine concert instruments. I certainly prefered them to the Calace mandolins of recent years.

----------


## Jeff Chu

hey guys, heres the pictures. they were in his photo album. hopefully this works/helps!

----------


## Jeff Chu



----------


## Jeff Chu



----------


## Jeff Chu



----------


## Jeff Chu

I got a chance to play these two beautiful instruments last weekend, and was surprised that both were in decent shape, the mandola more than the mandolin. The mandola was playable, and sounded great, with the exception of a little buzzing. nice strong bass notes, and the deep mellow tone that one expects from a mandola. The mandolin wasnt quite as playable, but the top had no sinkage, and the back was in great shape. anyway, ill let the experts at it. Thanks!

----------


## Bob A

These are VERY high-end instruments. Without a doubt they ought to be repaired. If you wish to sell them you will be surprised at the price they would bring. 

If they were mine, no way I'd part with them. As it stands, no way I could afford them, alas.

----------


## vkioulaphides

I second Bob's "appraisal"; in fact, I have NEVER seen such a high-end Calace _mandola_. Yes, these instruments MUST be restored! (Ditto to Bob's final thought, i.e. that I couldn't afford them, either...) Also, I would _highly_ recommend that this "set" NOT be broken, but sold --either before, or after due restoration-- together. The "sibling traits" of these two instruments are so pronounced that it only makes sense that they be kept together.

Best of luck!

----------


## tcoyote

Thanks for the input (and Jayphu, thanks for figuring out how to turn the pics into a URL to post on this thread).   I may take them back to the Vintage Fret Shop here in NH to get an appraisal on the restoration.

----------


## joebrent

You must get this work done by a serious, experienced restorer who specializes in instruments like these. I know it's a schlep, but I *strongly* urge you to take these to Yuriy Kovalev here in New York. You can contact him through Rudy's at 212-391-1699 or at his home # 718-375-6622.

----------


## Jim Garber

Thanks for posting those pictures. I believe that those are both Classico A models. The most recent price list (2007) from Calace has them going for €2,550 for the mandolin and €3,450 for the mandola. The price list also has the following info (this is actaully what was written there -- including broken English):



> - type Classico A has an engraved neck with: a) inside machine-head;
>       b) optional laterar side machine head;
> - only on type Classico A, with extra price of Euro 300,00 is possible
>       to  insert special inox 18/8 stell frets,  more  unconfortable,
>       but with a very long duration; only for concertist.
> - only on type classico A, with extra price of Euro 300,00 is possible
>       to  have  a pearl decorated shield and ebony and  pearl  finger
>       board.


I believe that this is the top of Calace's line.

----------


## Bob A

Please keep us posted on the status of these instruments. While it's perhaps out of line to suggest, it'd be real fine if, in the possibilty that these mandolins might be sold, that you give the folks here first crack at them. It'd be hard to find a group more appreciative of what they are.

----------


## Martin Jonas

Those are truly remarkable instrruments, and not at all what I was expecting: the only other wartime Calace I'm aware of was sold on Ebay UK a few years ago.  This one was dated 1944, and was quite obviously an extreme wartime austerity model: rather improvised looking aluminium tuners, absolutely no frills, and (most unusually) a one-piece flat back instead of a bowl.  It's the only Calace flatback I've ever seen.  Now, 1944 was the year that the front actually passed through Naples, so it's amazing that the shop made _any_ mandolins.  Good to see that by 1945, they were back to making high end ones.

Obviously I agree with everybody else who has posted that these are high-end instruments from a top-notch maker and are definitely worth restoring (not that they look to need much work) and worth keeping as a pair rather than splitting up.

Martin

----------


## vkioulaphides

> I was given the mandolin and mandola in the late '80’s by a friend who emigrated to NYC from Greece at the end of WW2.  He and his bride picked them up in Italy, along with a few pieces of furniture for their new home--in 1945.


What a story! The _ship_ (which my two aunts took, albeit in the early '60s) would sail from the port of Pireus, by the bay of Phaleron (outside Athens), make a routine stop in Palermo and/or Naples, before heading out through Gibraltar, and across the pond.

At the Italian port(s), mothers/sisters/grandmothers of young, male emigres would descend upon the quay, all clad in black, with faces strained and scarred by a sleepless night, and torrents of tears. As the ship would finally  pull out from the docks, even the otherwise deafening rattle of anchor-chains would be drowned out by a vast, amorphous, blood-chilling wave of sound: the wailing of all those countless women left behind.

Ah, _such_ is the cultural heritage of our beloved little instrument! I don't suggest, of course, that one ought to make _sad_ associations with it, but simply that, well... it's good to remember. "Without a little hurt, the heart grows hollow", was the famed line in The Fantastiks.  :Redface:  It's good not to forget that people, often under INCREDIBLY straitened circumstances, packed along for their journey to the Great Unknown... a *mandolin*.

_Sia lieve la terra..._

----------


## Jeff Chu

Hey Joe, what do you think mr Kovalev would charge for such a restoration? the mandola didnt seem like it needed anything more than a good set up, as the top has no cracking. But the mandolin might need more work as the inlay on the top is unwinding, and there is a large crack (all the way through) on the bass side of the top. Im sure it would be a great mandolin once fixed up.

-jeff

----------


## joebrent

> Hey Joe, what do you think mr Kovalev would charge for such a restoration? the mandola didnt seem like it needed anything more than a good set up, as the top has no cracking. But the mandolin might need more work as the inlay on the top is unwinding, and there is a large crack (all the way through) on the bass side of the top. Im sure it would be a great mandolin once fixed up.
> 
> -jeff


It's hard for me to tell without taking a close look at it, but from the sound of it, it's not a prohibitively expensive restoration, and undoubtedly worth the expense. I have a Pandini -- very similar in a lot of ways to these Calaces -- as does Tamara Volskaya who lives in Brooklyn, and Yuriy is the only local restorer either of us trust with work like this (with apologies to Bob Jones and Tom Crandall, local repair persons who do fine work but who are in an entirely different category from Yuriy). He works out of Rudy's on 48th Street, same block as Sam Ash and Manny's, but he's really a separate entity from the rest of the luthiers on staff there. If you want, contact me when you know you're coming into New York, and I'll even come with you to arrange the meeting and make sure you're set up. In the meantime, I hope you're keeping those things properly humidified...

----------

