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Thread: Japanese bowlback

  1. #1
    Michael Reichenbach
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    Hello,
    I have recently bought a nice sounding Japanese bowlback without a label from ebay, and I would like to know if anyone does know the brand / maker of this? It looks like a better quality instrument, and the sound is good and reminds me to my Calace mandolin. In the meantime I have also found a picture showing EDGAR FABIAN FORERO VALDERRAMA a mandolin player from Columbia important mandolin players from Columbia
    who obviously plays the same or a very similar instrument.
    Maybe someone here in the message board can help me.
    greetings
    Michael
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  2. #2
    Michael Reichenbach
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    Another picture showing the bowl. The bowl is made from rosewood and very rigid and inside fitted with paper (with some japanese letters on it)
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  3. #3
    Michael Reichenbach
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    The headstock.
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  4. #4
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    Nice-looking instrument. I'm especially liking the graceful lines of the armrest; I could do with bone buttons on the tuners, though, rather than plastic. All in all, a bit of homage to the Calace ideal.

    If you could get a picture of the Japanese text, there's at least one fellow who posts here who could read it, I believe.

  5. #5
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    Yep. Get me a picture, and I'll tell you what it says.
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    Bought a tricordia

  6. #6
    Mando-Accumulator Jim Garber's Avatar
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    Sort of looks like an upper-end product of the Suzuki factory. Looking fwd to hearing the translation of the label.

    Jim
    Jim

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  7. #7
    Michael Reichenbach
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    Hello, unfortunately it is no label, just a piece of a newspaper - and just a proof that this mandolin was made in asia. As far as I know the Suzuki mandolins do normally have a label, I did also not find a Suzuki that looks like this mandolin.
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  8. #8
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    Looks like a scrap out the help-wanted section of a newspaper. The Horizontal text through the middle means "solicitation for full-time employees", and the vertical text is rich in numbers: probably salaries.
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  9. #9
    Mando-Accumulator Jim Garber's Avatar
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    Ah, the seller was a musician who finally found a real job and sold the mandolin

    Jim
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  10. #10

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    sy ... in éire.

  11. #11
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    THE TRUTH COMES OUT ABOUT THE "LABEL"


    From my Japanese wife, she says that the "label' is some kind of employment ad in a newspaper. It says that they are looking for someone about 23-30 years of age with a range of salaries based upon age and experience.

    Regret, this has nothin' to do with the mando (:

  12. #12
    Michael Reichenbach
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    Recently I found that the picture of a classical mandolin shown on the German Wikipedia page about mandolin was very similar to my Japanese mandolin. Today I tried to find more details about this instrument and was led to the homepage of Bodo Klecksel

    Homepage of Bodo Klecksel (Nagelpage)

    Ther I found the following information:

    Torella Modell M-20 Ansichten der klassisch italienische Rundbauchform mit schönen Palisanderstreifen, handgefertigt in Japan, laut Zettel von M.Hashimura,1980

    Looking for the name Hashimura I found another picture album with a mandolin by Hashimura:

    Hashimura mandolin

    Those mandolins were sold under the brand Torella in the 80s.

    The head of my mandolin is different, but everything else is very similar.

    Maybe I'll find also more information about this Japanese builder?
    Homepage: www.mandoisland.de / Blog: www.mandoisland.com / Freiburg / Germany

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    Nice tenacity in your searching, Mandoisland. I admit to being surprised at finding non-industrial-sized Japanese builder; I admit to near-total ignorance of things Japanese, as well.

    If I may divert your thread, in your searching for information, have you come across anything regarding the Japanese luthier who took over Pasquale Pecoraro's tools and molds, and was building Embergher instruments for the Japanese market? (Yoshihiko Takusari).

    Despite the input we receive from all over the world, I suspect much of what could be known is still well hidden.

  14. #14

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    you happy with it? what's it sound like?

  15. #15
    Michael Reichenbach
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    As I said in my first message, the sound of this mandolin is very good, typical Italian sound, similar to a Calace mandolin. I like to play this mandolin and will keep it.
    Homepage: www.mandoisland.de / Blog: www.mandoisland.com / Freiburg / Germany

  16. #16
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    Welcome to the Japanese bowlback club, Michael. I bought a new Fujimaru mandola in Tokyo in 2002 while there on business, and have been very happy with it. Their instruments pay respectful homage to the classic Italian models.

  17. #17
    Registered User Bruce Clausen's Avatar
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    I guess I'm in this club too. I picked up a nice handmade Japanese instrument a few years ago. Work is not really fine, but it plays and sounds very good. Looks a lot like the mandolin shown above, but with a fleur-de-lis head shape, and a very dramatic sweeping shape to the soundhole and inlaid scratchplate-- very Japanese looking to this untrained eye. Handwritten label reads S. Watanabe, Tokyo anno 1968 (plus Japanese writing). Anyone know anything about this maker?

    BC

  18. #18
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    Can you post a picture of the label? I can at least help you read it. As for Watanabe, I know nothing, except that Watanabe is about as common as "Brown" or "Rodriguez".
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  19. #19
    Registered User Bruce Clausen's Avatar
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    This will involve the cooperation of my daughter (and so may take a while).

    BC

  20. #20
    Registered User Bruce Clausen's Avatar
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    Here's that label. A daughter can be an excellent thing.

    BC
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  21. #21
    Registered User Bruce Clausen's Avatar
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    The hole and scratchplate; I see now that what I took for a Japanese motif is in fact one of the traditional Italian styles.

    BC
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  22. #22
    Registered User Bruce Clausen's Avatar
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    Back: 19 sculpted rosewood ribs.
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  23. #23
    Registered User Bruce Clausen's Avatar
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    Here's the full front view. The neck by the way is veneered with rosewood. Cheap machine heads are covered by an abominable plastic plate. Can anyone tell me if this is recognizably based on a particular Italian builder's model? Thanks.

    BC
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  24. #24
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    It doesn't seem to me to follow anyone specifically; the arrangement of tuning pegs on the peghead is reminiscent of Calace, as is the armguard. The soundhole with its D-shape has been seen on some Calace models, also on Cristofaro. Many folks don't care for the shape, but I find this one nicely fluid and not at all unattractive. It's not uncommon to find the neck veneered in rosewood, at least on Italian instruments. I can't make out the neck shape very well, but it seems to be more Neapolitan than Roman.

    Probably safe to say that it was heavily influenced by the better Neapolitan makers. Not too surprising, Given how heavily the Japanese mandolinists were influnced by Calace.

    All in all, a handsome mandolin. How's it sound?

  25. #25
    Registered User Bruce Clausen's Avatar
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    Thanks, Bob. I don't have much to compare it with, as it's pretty well the only really working bowlback I've ever played. But it sounds just fine to me-- clear, bright, full, loud, balanced right up to the top F#. Action is very comfortable, too. I'm used to a heavier built, longer scale, wider necked instrument, so I don't feel completely at home on this one; but I get it out every few days to remind myself what a real mandolin sounds like.

    It doesn't sound like the builder ever became known outside Japan. Maybe he (she?) went to work for one of the guitar outfits?

    Does the Japanese on the label divulge any additional information?

    BC

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