Re: Scala (Scafa?) Colossus flattop with banjo-type resonator
More Scafa info:
I received this via PM from Cafe member "Mephistopheles":
Mr. Louis (Luis) Scafa was from Argentina & according to the label on his instruments was a student of Manuel Ramírez (1864-1916, b.Alhama de Aragón, Spain) & began building guitars in Madrid, Paris then Madrid again to the consternation of his brother José (1858-1923) who had already established himself in 1882 at No2, Concepción Jerónima, Madrid. Once Manuel returned they never spoke again.
The difference in the shops was that José went in for larger production & experimentation while the shop of Manuel was small, prestigious & produced some of Spain's greatest makers. I have a 1971 José Ramírez guitar (the golden age) & a 1958 Arcángel Fernández, apprentice of Marcelo Barbero & apprentice of Santos Hernández who took over the shop when Manuel died.
The political climate in Spain was becoming more & more difficult at this time. The King Alfonso XIII would eventually step down in 1931 after a failed dictatorship under Gen. Primo de Rivera who seized the gov't in 1923. The Socialist Gov't. came to power & would remain so from 1931-1939 when the army would over throw the country.
So when did Mr. Scafa come & from where? The amateur labels are indecisive as in some case badly printed or hand written. I have one that says 1938 but my mother says no. Between her & my grandmother they knew everyone's business in "Little Spain" She says he was here by 1934. My mother was born here about 1924/25.
The label clearly says one thing but his ad in the Guitar Review of the time says another thing. The copy of the label that I have says 1938 (date hand written) 394 2nd Avenue between 22d & 23 streets. It states he makes refinishes & makes every type of string instrument. But later he relocated to 464 2nd Ave., between 26th & 27th sts.
The printed in the G.R. states Louis Scafa "El Argentino" 45 years of experience, pupil of Manuel Ramírez, Construction & Repairing, Gut, Silk, & Nylon Strings, 464 2nd ave.
I went to Argentina in 2012 on business & looked for the name "Scafa". I have one grandmother who is Italian & who told the name was Italian, not Spanish. I did find some people named as such in the Buenos Aires Directory.
I have two of his instrument passed down from a friend of my grandfather's who played for the Casa de Aragón in NYC. They came to America about the same time. We are from Andalucía but this man played both Bandurria & Laúd which Mr. Scafa made for him & one of which closely resembles the instrument you pictured.
Summarizing: "L Scafa" was Argentinian of Italian or Spanish background, had worked for Manuel Ramirez's firm in Spain, came to the US in the early 1930's, built and repaired instruments on 2nd Ave. in NYCity; don't have a birth or death date for him.
Perhaps Louis Scafa should be added to the Mugwumps Index of US fretted instrument builders. We have two Scafa instruments illustrated in this thread, Mephistopheles may have a couple more -- and that could be the entire remaining number of his creations. A footnote, but interesting, IMHO.
Allen Hopkins
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Natl Triolian Dobro mando
Victoria b-back Merrill alumnm b-back
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Eastmn: 615'dola 805 m'cello
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