Calace and Vinaccia

[mazapegul]

hi everybody, I'm new here.

I inherited two mandolins from my wife's grandmather, those ones:

- "Raffaele Calace e Figlio" model "Classico A", year 1957.
- "Vinaccia", year 1894

they are both in exellent condition. do you know how valuable they could be?

I'm not interested in selling since I'm playng them!

thanks!

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[toddjoles]

There are quite a few bowlback guys on the forum, but if you want help you gotta post some pictures! Without detailed pics there are to many variables.

[Martin Jonas]

That's quite some inheritance! Please do take photographs and post them in the "Post a picture of your bowlback(s)" thread in the pictures forum. I also suggest you post a reference to this thread down in the Classical forum, as this is where most of the bowlheads of the Cafe hang out.

I don't know how much you know about Italian bowlbacks in general. Basically, during the great blossoming of the mandolin from about 1890 to 1910, there were hundreds if not thousands of mandolin workshops in Italy, mainly in Naples, Rome and Catania. The large majority of those made undistinguished instruments for the massmarket, or for tourists, and their names are deservedly long-forgotten. Some fine luthiers are also now obscure. Altogether, out of the mass of makers, only about 10 to 15 still have any sort of name recognition even amongst the most specialist of bowlback collectors these days. And only three makers have a high enough name recognition to generate enough demand and buzz to reach commercial values that are in any way commensurate to the quality of the instruments. These are the "Big Three" Italian mandolin makers: Vinaccia, Calace and Embergher.

So, you have inherited instruments by two of the Big Three names. Congratulations!

Regarding value, this depends a lot on condition and on the precise details of the instruments, as both Calace and Vinaccia made instruments ranging from plain student models (but still usually great-sounding!) to extravagantly decorated presentation models (where the decoration can sometimes get into the way of tone).

The most valuable Calace instruments are those built during Raffaele Calace's lifetime, i.e. before 1934. Yours is a postwar Calace, when quality standards were not as high as earlier. However, the "Classico A" model one of their higher-grade instruments, which compensates to some extent for this.

As far as Vinaccia is concerned, the family split up into at least three competing workshops in the 1890s, so one would need to know the precisely details of the label. In addition, several of their former apprentices started their own workshops and used labels with wordings like "allievi di Vinaccia" (pupils of Vinaccia). These are much less desirable than instruments from the main family shops.

Without seeing the instruments, valuation is guesswork. However, from the sparse descriptions you have given, I would be confident that each of the two is worth well above $1000, and possibly even above $2000.

If you want to know more about the history of the Calace and Vinaccia families, try to get a copy of "The Classical Mandolin" by Paul Sparks, published by Oxford University Press.

Martin

[mazapegul]

thank you for the information, I really appreciate!

I posted some pictures as you suggested: http://www.mandolincafe.com/forum/sh...ad.php?t=55712

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