D'Angelico on Ebay

**Rich Michaud** · Jan-05-2006, 11:50pm

Can someone educate me as to why the 1935 D'Angelico Florentine model currently for sale on Ebay has already been bid in excess of S10,000? Is there something special about this particular D'Angelico? Rich

**SternART** · Jan-06-2006, 12:55am

D'Angelico is a very famous name in guitar luthiery.....the Cafe's Michael Lewis I believe builds official guitar replicas for the family. Not very many D'Angelico mandos were built. The two mandos being auctioned were from a VERY famous collection of stringed instruments.. They are also selling a D'Angelico New Yorker guitar and an insanely decorated '28 Gibson Custom guitar. These are all real "collectors" vintage instruments, rare, with provenence. Mandolin Bros. had some similar mandos a few years back......priced in the mid $20k's. There was one on the Cafe that was priced similarly, but I'm not sure if it sold, I recall the ad reappearing a few times. These aren't BG mandos, kinda like a L&H in detailing. The lineage of NY luthiers goes something like D'Angelico, D'Aquisto, Monteleone......I'll bet they tremelo a very nice Italian ballad or could be a cool Swing or Jazz axe. They are right here in the Bay Area too.......

**Michael Lewis** · Jan-06-2006, 2:31am

Well, the seller doesn't hold back on the superlatives. I guess that if it was any better he would have said so.

The bridge looks like a Gibson style part. I'm not familiar with the early D'Angelico mandolins but that bridge makes me wonder. The few D'A mandolins I have seen have not had Gibson style bridges. It is really difficult to judge an instrument via the internet, and is so much easier when it is in your hands. Just seeing how the reflected light plays on the surfaces can tell you quite a bit about the instrument, but I can't tell much from here.

Pete Langdell had access to one of these and has made detailed drawings of it. The one he worked on really impressed him with it's tone.

**danb** · Jan-06-2006, 6:23am

There are very few D'Angelicos mandolins about, and as Art says.. he was a GIANT in the Archtop guitar world. He inspired Jimmy D'Aquisto, who in turn inspired many other builders. Stephen Owsley Smith evolved his 2-point bouzouki from a D'Aquisto design, for example. High Deco aesthtetics that also inspired John Monteleone, truly beautiful works of art as well as fine instruments.

When you get to the 1930s, there wasn't much going on in the "mandolin scene". Historically, the 'aughts through the teens were the high part of the fad for mandolin orchestras and music/social clubs. The guitar was king and jazz on the upswing when John D'Angelico wielded his chisel, so these mandolins have all the fun vibe of the Chrysler building and generally the careful extra attention to detail that an unusual/unpopular instrument of the time would take.

SO they're pretty cool from that standpoint.. pretty rare.. expect some decent prices to be paid for them

**Tom C** · Jan-06-2006, 9:13am

There a 1938 D'Angelico A model for $950 by the same seller. Mandolin Bros had one, and a fellow here in lower Hudson Valley had one for sale. Both were in the $20,000 range but were much more elegant than those on ebay. I played the one in Mando Bros a few years back. It was OK.

**Moose** · Jan-06-2006, 11:24am

ANYTHING(!) thats a "valid" D'Angelico-made instrument WILL bring top-price ; can't speak for mandos but his guitars are "benchmarks" for the art...(IMHO). Ditto to ALL the above posts! - Moose.

**Mandobar** · Jan-07-2006, 6:37am

i believe that the seller had quite a few pieces from the Chinery collection when it was dismantled after Scott Chinery's death several years back. i know that Scott had some very nice d'Angelico mandolins.

**Nathan Sanders** · Jan-07-2006, 3:23pm

My favorite local guitar shop has an original D'Angelico guitar in its possession and I got to play it recently. Man, the thing is just so sweet and has that jazzy, kind of Django-like sound. The guitar does need the binding replaced and some cleanup, but other than that, it's awesome.

**flairbzzt** · Jan-07-2006, 11:01pm

I played the D'Angelico A style that Mandolin Bros. had. It was tagged $15,000 and is no longer there. They've got a 2 point there. The A was beautiful. It was deeper than most, giving it a full sound. To this day I wish I had the 15g's and I would have it. To me, nothing compared to it playing sweet melodious tunes. I'd really like one of these ...A 1939 2 point. This is the tailpiece and headstock w/ finial I'm familiar with on D'Angelicos. How about you Michael? Jim G or Eugene, any opinions?

**Jim Garber** · Jan-08-2006, 12:00am

They are nice mandolins but the few I have played didn't seem to be worth the money and that the D'Angelico name was what you were paying for. I am sure that he made some nice ones but for half the price you could get something very nice and playable -- of course, it would not be a D'Angelico but it could be one of the future D'Angelicos.

Just think what $15,000 or $20,000 can buy you nowadays.

Jim

**flairbzzt** · Jan-08-2006, 12:38am

Jim- Do you recognize the two on ebay as authentic?

**Michael Lewis** · Jan-08-2006, 4:34am

Flairbzzt, the headstock in that pic is a style B, Common on the style b guitar but also used on some mandolins. John D'A used at least 3 different headstocks on mandolins that I know of, and probably more. The style B as in the above pic, the violin style scroll like Lyon and Healy, and an elegant sort of snake head.

**danb** · Jan-08-2006, 4:48am

Here're two images I saved from Stan Jay's Mandolin Bros. web site some years ago.. this is a D'Angelico..

**danb** · Jan-08-2006, 4:49am

This is the D'Aquisto we've metioned here as well..

**danb** · Jan-08-2006, 4:50am

Looks like the horns on the D'Aquisto would puncture breast implants, but I just love the mood it creates. The swoop of the pickguard looks a bit like a Harmony Baroque (or "batwing"!) mandolin.. echoed in the fingerboard extention & tailpiece.. wonderful design!

**danb** · Jan-08-2006, 4:52am

Just for giggles, here's the Batwing:

Holy bat-o-lins!

**danb** · Jan-08-2006, 4:53am

One more D'Angelico, from John Bernunzio's page some years or months ago

**Rich Michaud** · Jan-08-2006, 7:15am

I see the 1942 D'Angelico that was used on Tone Poems is for sale by Wexer in New York for a mere 22,500. The short neck does't do it for me. I have to say that the mando market is full of surprises. My guess is that these are being purchased more by collectors who want the name rather than those looking for playability. Nice-looking stuff-but I can think of better investments. Rich

**neal** · Jan-08-2006, 10:53am

Originally Posted by

The short neck does't do it for me.

The 22,500 doesn't do it for me!

**Jim Garber** · Jan-08-2006, 11:00am

Originally Posted by (flairbzzt @ Jan. 08 2006, 00:38)

Jim- Do you recognize the two on ebay as authentic?

I have no reason to doubt authenticity. I believe that the seller is authorized to sell off the Chinery Collection and has beenn doing so for some time.

Jim

**Jim Garber** · Jan-08-2006, 11:16am

Here is another from 1958 from eBay a couple of years ago.

Jim

**Eugene** · Jan-08-2006, 11:18am

I agree. What little I know of D'Angelico, I don't see any red flags that would lead me to believe it's not what the seller claims (I got your PM too, Richard).

PS: In spite of funky mojo, I think those Harmony "baroque"/"batwing" mandolins must have the sissiest acoustic tone I've ever encountered amongst relatively prized mandolins. It's a good thing Yank amplified.

**danb** · Jan-08-2006, 11:19am

The harmony ones aren't prized, unless by "prized" you mean "under $1k"

**Jim Garber** · Jan-08-2006, 11:30am

This Raphael Ciani/Galliano flatback was sold by Bernunzio as being made by D'Angelico when he worked in the shop of Ciani, who was his uncle. I don't know how Bernunzio knew that D'A. worked on this particular mandolin.

I have also seen another Ciani bowlback that sold on ebay for more money thatn it should for that same connection.

Jim