2 Attachment(s)
From Catania Carmelo to Carmelo Catania
Hi friends
First words on this site... from Paris
I have two Carmelo Catania mandolins : on is a Tipo 2 (number 66794), the other is a tipo 14 (number 32463)
I love the sound of these two sicilian instruments. I've read all I could find on the brand, the different instrument built, the story of the liutaio... But don't have any clear information on when my two instruments have been built...
Now my question :
The label of the 14 says Catania Carmelo
The label of the Tipo 2 says Carmelo Catania...
Does anyone would know why and when the sicilian brand changed from the old label Catania Carmelo to the more recent Carmelo Catania ?
thanks
Attachment 189620
Attachment 189621
Re: From Catania Carmelo to Carmelo Catania
Here is a link to a short biografia of Carmelo from the muy coolioso Fetish Guitars site.
In the text:
Nel 1957 trasferisce il suo laboratorio a Mascalucia in locali pił ampi e confortevoli, e negli anni sessanta raggiunge la massima espansione produttiva, arrivando ad occupare fino a 50 dipendenti con una produzione annua di circa 12.000 strumenti di cui oltre la metą viene esportata.
Apparently he moved to the Mascalucia address in 1957...so the name change would have been later than that. Looks like he moved down Via Roma a bit.
The newer looking label has his proper name, but we've seen the Italian practice of sometimes inverting the nome e cognome before on labels.
Great read on the Fetish Guitar site. CC had a pretty impressive resume.
Our friend, Plami, used to be the go-to on Sicilian instruments but we've been missing him around here for awhile.
I hope someone can help shed some further light.
Mick