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Thread: D'Angelico mandolin Registry

  1. #1
    Registered User Benjamin T's Avatar
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    Default D'Angelico mandolin Registry

    I want to begin a registry for mandolins made by John D'Angelico.
    Please provide pictures, dates, inscriptions, or any other identifying marks from the instrument.

    As the list grows, it is my hope that it will find another home on the web.

    Thank you for your time and expertise.
    Raphael Ciani Galiano circa 1920
    Gibson F-5G FB 2003
    John D'Angelico 1933
    Vivitone Acoustic #338 circa 1933
    Gibson F4 1915 Blacktop
    Shutt/ Harmony Viol Mandolin circa 1930

  2. #2
    wood butcher Spruce's Avatar
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    Default Re: D'Angelico mandolin Registry

    Do we have a rough estimate of how many are out there??
    I think John kept pretty good records....?

  3. #3

    Default Re: D'Angelico mandolin Registry

    I've considered doing the same for a while, but life keeps intruding.

    Best place to start is the D'Angelico serial number list, which you can find in various places, including the "Acquired of the Angels" book. (There are also D'Angelico mandolins with no serial numbers.)

    There have been several threads on D'Angelico mandolins over the years, so a good forum search will get you partways there, too.

    I've got some other photos and whatnot I can send you, though it's all stuff I've pulled off the internet over the years, rather than taken myself.

    As a reply to Spruce: Mandolin Brothers keeps saying that there were 47, which I think is based on serial numbers. Since I have seen several undated D'Angelico mandolins (including bowlbacks, which I don't think are included in the serial number list at all), I think that the real number is probably higher. But I'd have to look at the list again and count up to see if that's really where that number came from. I could be wrong.

  4. #4
    Martin Stillion mrmando's Avatar
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    Default Re: D'Angelico mandolin Registry

    No. 181 is numbered but wasn't recorded in the logbook, according to the Mandolin Bros. ad. Wouldn't that mean Mandolin Bros. didn't know about this instrument until I consigned it to them? If so, wouldn't that alter the headcount?
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  5. #5

    Default Re: D'Angelico mandolin Registry

    That was the exact thought I had when they first posted the listing for your mandolin.

  6. #6
    Registered User Benjamin T's Avatar
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    Default Re: D'Angelico mandolin Registry

    I have some info. That I have gleaned from the web and through email correspondences. Thank you Mrmando for your contribution. That is an excellent example of the type and quality of information I am looking for to make this registry.

    This project will no doubt benefit from the entries in the D'Angelico logbook. I enjoy checking items off from lists!
    Raphael Ciani Galiano circa 1920
    Gibson F-5G FB 2003
    John D'Angelico 1933
    Vivitone Acoustic #338 circa 1933
    Gibson F4 1915 Blacktop
    Shutt/ Harmony Viol Mandolin circa 1930

  7. #7
    Martin Stillion mrmando's Avatar
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    Default Re: D'Angelico mandolin Registry

    As far as I am concerned you are free to copy the info from the Mandolin Bros. ad. I do have a few pictures of #181 before it was restored, which I can send if you are interested.
    Emando.com: More than you wanted to know about electric mandolins.

    Notorious: My Celtic CD--listen & buy!

    Lyon & Healy • Wood • Thormahlen • Andersen • Bacorn • Yanuziello • Fender • National • Gibson • Franke • Fuchs • Aceto • Three Hungry Pit Bulls

  8. #8
    Registered User dcoventry's Avatar
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    Default Re: D'Angelico mandolin Registry

    I know Pete Langdell of Rogel has been working on this for a while. He is also working on 2 D'Angelico style mandos that...are.drop..dead...gorgeous. They guy can craft wood into beauty!
    2005 Rigel G5 #2196
    2005 Phoenix Jazz #400
    1988 Jeff Traugott Acoustic #4
    2012 Eastman 905 Archtop Guitar, BLOND!

    Remember to grin while you pick, it throws folks off!

  9. #9
    Registered User Benjamin T's Avatar
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    Default Re: D'Angelico mandolin Registry

    #181 consigned to Mandolin Brothers by mrmando (Seattle) not referenced in D'Angelico's logbookClick image for larger version. 

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    photo from Mandolin Brother's Website Advert
    Raphael Ciani Galiano circa 1920
    Gibson F-5G FB 2003
    John D'Angelico 1933
    Vivitone Acoustic #338 circa 1933
    Gibson F4 1915 Blacktop
    Shutt/ Harmony Viol Mandolin circa 1930

  10. #10
    Registered User Benjamin T's Avatar
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    Default Re: D'Angelico mandolin Registry

    Unnumbered. 1933. owned by Benjamin Teague
    acquired from Hattiesburg, MSClick image for larger version. 

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    Raphael Ciani Galiano circa 1920
    Gibson F-5G FB 2003
    John D'Angelico 1933
    Vivitone Acoustic #338 circa 1933
    Gibson F4 1915 Blacktop
    Shutt/ Harmony Viol Mandolin circa 1930

  11. #11
    Registered User Benjamin T's Avatar
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    Default Re: D'Angelico mandolin Registry

    So far, I have information regarding 49 D'Angelico Mandolins. This information includes the 45 listed in the D'Angelico Logbook and four others which were not listed, three bowlbacks (1925,1932,1933) and one A style #181. It is coming together.
    Raphael Ciani Galiano circa 1920
    Gibson F-5G FB 2003
    John D'Angelico 1933
    Vivitone Acoustic #338 circa 1933
    Gibson F4 1915 Blacktop
    Shutt/ Harmony Viol Mandolin circa 1930

  12. #12
    Cafe Linux Mommy danb's Avatar
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    Default Re: D'Angelico mandolin Registry

    I've spoken with Ben- once we have a critical mass of records I'll add them to the mandolin archive
    The Mandolin Archive
    my CDs
    "The wheel is turning, but the hamster is dead"

  13. #13
    Registered User Benjamin T's Avatar
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    Default Re: D'Angelico mandolin Registry

    @Nat, anything you have on file is appreciated. I look forward to receiving your info.
    Raphael Ciani Galiano circa 1920
    Gibson F-5G FB 2003
    John D'Angelico 1933
    Vivitone Acoustic #338 circa 1933
    Gibson F4 1915 Blacktop
    Shutt/ Harmony Viol Mandolin circa 1930

  14. #14
    Mando-Accumulator Jim Garber's Avatar
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    Default Re: D'Angelico mandolin Registry

    I know at least 5 of his in the hands of friends. I will contact them and ask them to contribute. BTW I played that one at Mandolin bros. It is a very nice mandolin -- too bad it had that glued on armrest or whatever it was.
    Jim

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  15. #15
    wood butcher Spruce's Avatar
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    Default Re: D'Angelico mandolin Registry

    My first serious love affair with a mandolin was with a D'Angelico offset 2-pointer with a scroll peghead that resided at Lundberg's in Berkeley back in '72 or so...
    It sounded and played amazing, and I would drop by the store and play it all the time...
    It's actually how I got into mandolin making, as I couldn't afford the mandolin, so figured I'd build one "just like it" someday....
    Yeah, right....

    I laid it on a xerox machine and copied the cool outline, and took notes on it's weird arching, with the recurve bottoming about 2" from the rim...
    I made 4-5 of those, but I wasn't much of a mandolin maker...

    They wanted 4K for that puppy back in the days when Loars (I think) were going for 5K or so, so it was a highly valued item back in the day....

    Sure sounded good to these ears...

  16. #16
    Martin Stillion mrmando's Avatar
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    Default Re: D'Angelico mandolin Registry

    Quote Originally Posted by Jim Garber View Post
    I know at least 5 of his in the hands of friends. I will contact them and ask them to contribute. BTW I played that one at Mandolin bros. It is a very nice mandolin -- too bad it had that glued on armrest or whatever it was.
    Did you play it before they took the armrest off?

    I suppose if I sold the Rigel and the Donaldson in addition to two of the three Gibsons I have on the block, I could justify keeping the D'Angelico.

    Sue Lesser owns two, one of which is in the exhibit at the Met.
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  17. #17

    Default Re: D'Angelico mandolin Registry

    First, here's a list of places on the internet where you can see D'Angelico mandolins. You might already have seen most of these, but redundancy is a virtue.

    A bowlback in the possession of the Metropolitan Museum of Art:

    http://blog.metmuseum.org/guitarheroes/mandolin-1925/

    The “Guitar Heroes” show also had another, later D'Angelico on display, but I don't see it on the Met website. It looked like it had been refinished, since it was blonde but had the little wood plugs for positioning pins like D'Angelico used on sunburst instruments. That might have been the D'Angelico that G.E. Smith owns, I can't remember.

    You've already got one of the D'Angelicos currently at Mandolin Brothers, but there's another one as well:

    http://www.mandoweb.com/Instruments/...1942/2295.aspx

    Here is one that Mass Street Music recently sold:

    http://www.massstreetmusic.com/store...Style-Mandolin


    Here is one that was recently sold by Myjazzhome.com:

    http://www.myjazzhome.com/DAmando.shtml

    One for sale at Los Angeles Guitar Shop:

    http://los-angeles-guitar-shop.com/1...le-mandolin-2/

    You'll have to decide whether to include instruments made by the shop of Raphael Ciani, where D'Angelico trained and worked prior to going solo. When these come up for sale, they always append D'Angelico's name to them, but I'm not sure what the evidence is that he had more to do with them than any other instrument that came out of the shop. Here's an example:

    http://orgs.usd.edu/nmm/PluckedStrin...olin13563.html

    Number 142, featured here on Mandolincafe:

    http://www.mandolincafe.com/forum/sh...-Angelico-pics

    One currently for sale at Gruhn's:

    http://www.gruhn.com/photo/MF7537.jpg

    A couple featured in Rudy Pensa's new book:

    http://archtopguitars.info/2/Image.a...&AKey=9B7SAD5Q

    Hit the “next” button on that page and they have a picture of G.E. Smith with his D'Angelico mandolin.

    Jim Garber has pics of a bowlback on this forum post:

    http://www.mandolincafe.com/forum/sh...t=D%27Angelico

    I'll put up some pics I've saved over the years in another post (if I can find them!).

  18. #18

    Default Re: D'Angelico mandolin Registry

    My favorite D'Angelico was one Mandolin Brothers had a few years ago. Attached is the pic they had on their webpage, along with a link to a site that has preserved the description. I really liked the sound of this one.

    Click image for larger version. 

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    http://www.guitarnotes.com/classifie....cgi?cid=15785

  19. #19

    Default Re: D'Angelico mandolin Registry

    Here's a picture I grabbed off of Ebay back in 2000. I may have the original description floating around somewhere, but, as I recall, it was billed as not having a serial number. I think they wanted $11k.

    Sorry that most of these pictures don't have serial numbers associated with them.

    More later.


    Click image for larger version. 

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  20. #20
    wood butcher Spruce's Avatar
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    Default Re: D'Angelico mandolin Registry

    I mean, how cool is this...?


  21. #21
    Registered User mtucker's Avatar
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    Default Re: D'Angelico mandolin Registry

    nice links...more of that treasure 'matino'...may need some work..see neck jt. looks like orig case, nice.
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  22. #22
    Registered User mtucker's Avatar
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    Default Re: D'Angelico mandolin Registry

    double post
    Last edited by mtucker; Jul-02-2011 at 11:13am. Reason: double post

  23. #23
    Martin Stillion mrmando's Avatar
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    Default Re: D'Angelico mandolin Registry

    Here's the blond D'Angelico from the Met exhibit. It is not G.E. Smith's; it lives here in Seattle.
    Emando.com: More than you wanted to know about electric mandolins.

    Notorious: My Celtic CD--listen & buy!

    Lyon & Healy • Wood • Thormahlen • Andersen • Bacorn • Yanuziello • Fender • National • Gibson • Franke • Fuchs • Aceto • Three Hungry Pit Bulls

  24. #24
    Martin Stillion mrmando's Avatar
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    Default Re: D'Angelico mandolin Registry

    Mandolin Bros. has posted a short demo clip of No. 181, as well as another clip of the "plain" A style they have in stock:
    Emando.com: More than you wanted to know about electric mandolins.

    Notorious: My Celtic CD--listen & buy!

    Lyon & Healy • Wood • Thormahlen • Andersen • Bacorn • Yanuziello • Fender • National • Gibson • Franke • Fuchs • Aceto • Three Hungry Pit Bulls

  25. #25
    Martin Stillion mrmando's Avatar
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    Default Re: D'Angelico mandolin Registry

    The blond F-style D'Angelico from Los Angeles Guitar Shop is now on eBay with no reserve. Seller seems a little confused ... this is most assuredly not D'Angelico's last mandolin, nor is it his fanciest, but it's a terribly intriguing one. It seems a bit daring to throw it out there with no reserve, but there you have it.
    Last edited by mrmando; Jul-25-2011 at 2:05am.
    Emando.com: More than you wanted to know about electric mandolins.

    Notorious: My Celtic CD--listen & buy!

    Lyon & Healy • Wood • Thormahlen • Andersen • Bacorn • Yanuziello • Fender • National • Gibson • Franke • Fuchs • Aceto • Three Hungry Pit Bulls

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