Concert Size Flat Top Acoustic Guitar, labeled Galiano , c. 1925
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Item # 8449
Prices subject to change without notice.
Concert Size Model Flat Top Acoustic Guitar, labeled Galiano, c. 1925, made in New York City, natural finish, mahogany back, sides and neck, spruce top, rosewood fingerboard, black chipboard case.
This New York made guitar has a huge sound for such a small instrument, with a lot of character to boot. This is an interesting if plain-looking guitar, relatively well-preserved for an instrument from this time and place. New York City of the 1910s and 1920s was teeming with immigrants, including large numbers from Italy. The first quarter of the 20th century saw the establishment of what has become referred to recently as "The Italian Guild" -- a set of affiliated small retail stores and instrument workshops operated by Italian immigrant luthier/businessmen including Antonio Cerrito, Raphael Ciani, J. Nettuno, Nicolai Turturro, and others. Some of these craftsmen appear to have had ties to the Oscar Schmidt Company's instrument factory in nearby Jersey City, NJ, builders of the iconic "Stella" guitars.
While often similar in design, the instruments produced in the small Little Italy shops exhibit a higher level of craftsmanship and original detail than many Schmidt factory products. Bowlback mandolins were the most popular offering, but the guitars are the prizes today. Many were labeled "Galiano", a non-specific brand name that appears to have been shared by several of the shops on both handmade and re-labeled factory product. This instrument appears to be a Schmidt-made body with a handmade neck fitted in one of these shops; a fairly common procedure at the time.
This "Galiano" has features typical for the 1920s and was likely assembled in the shop of Raphael Ciani, where the young John D'Angelico served his apprenticeship. The label under the sound hole reads "A. Galiano Fabbricanti Di Chitarre e Mandolini" with no other information. The 12 3/8" wide body is mahogany; the top is straight-grained spruce. The cosmetics are very plain -- the top and sound hole are bound with multiple strips of dark-and-light wood. The rosewood bridge is still the original "pyramid" style with possibly a later saddle added.
The neck is carved to a deep "C" profile; Schmidt factory necks typically used a more hard "V". The neck is mounted with a mortised heel joint (with a slim "French" heel) as opposed to the dovetail used at the Schmidt factory. Internally, the rather refined ladder braces are shaped to a peak, but the kerfing is cut square, as often seen on lower-end Schmidts. This is a fairly small and plain guitar but not unusually so for this time period. While not as flashy as many examples of this style of instrument, it is a solidly made and excellent-sounding guitar with a lot of period character.
Overall length is 37 1/4 in. (94.6 cm.), 12 3/8 in. (31.4 cm.) wide at lower bout, and 3 3/8 in. (8.6 cm.) in depth at side, taken at the end block. Scale length is 24 1/2 in. (622 mm.). Width of nut is 1 3/4 in. (44 mm.).
Overall this is a relatively clean guitar for the time and place it comes from, with just some typical wear and generally well-done restoration. The only major repair that is visible is the rosewood fingerboard looks to be a later replacement, old but not as old as the guitar itself. The original boards on these instruments were often made from inexpensive dyed wood, so this upgrade is not uncommon on examples that have been refurbished later on. The upper sides of the neck have some finish loss related to this work.
Other notable repairs are also typical; the original bridge appears to have been lowered just a bit, the neck reset with a retaining bolt added inside the heel, the top seam behind the bridge resealed, and the frets leveled. There is some wear to the finish overall, including dings, dents, and scuffs, most notably to the back. The instrument is very well-restored as a player; quite solid and an excellent-playing and sounding guitar particularly for older fingerpicking and blues styles. A true gem in an authentic 1920s flat-top, as good a player from this period as we generally expect to find. Excellent - Condition.
This New York made guitar has a huge sound for such a small instrument, with a lot of character to boot. This is an interesting if plain-looking guitar, relatively well-preserved for an instrument from this time and place. New York City of the 1910s and 1920s was teeming with immigrants, including large numbers from Italy. The first quarter of the 20th century saw the establishment of what has become referred to recently as "The Italian Guild" -- a set of affiliated small retail stores and instrument workshops operated by Italian immigrant luthier/businessmen including Antonio Cerrito, Raphael Ciani, J. Nettuno, Nicolai Turturro, and others. Some of these craftsmen appear to have had ties to the Oscar Schmidt Company's instrument factory in nearby Jersey City, NJ, builders of the iconic "Stella" guitars.
While often similar in design, the instruments produced in the small Little Italy shops exhibit a higher level of craftsmanship and original detail than many Schmidt factory products. Bowlback mandolins were the most popular offering, but the guitars are the prizes today. Many were labeled "Galiano", a non-specific brand name that appears to have been shared by several of the shops on both handmade and re-labeled factory product. This instrument appears to be a Schmidt-made body with a handmade neck fitted in one of these shops; a fairly common procedure at the time.
This "Galiano" has features typical for the 1920s and was likely assembled in the shop of Raphael Ciani, where the young John D'Angelico served his apprenticeship. The label under the sound hole reads "A. Galiano Fabbricanti Di Chitarre e Mandolini" with no other information. The 12 3/8" wide body is mahogany; the top is straight-grained spruce. The cosmetics are very plain -- the top and sound hole are bound with multiple strips of dark-and-light wood. The rosewood bridge is still the original "pyramid" style with possibly a later saddle added.
The neck is carved to a deep "C" profile; Schmidt factory necks typically used a more hard "V". The neck is mounted with a mortised heel joint (with a slim "French" heel) as opposed to the dovetail used at the Schmidt factory. Internally, the rather refined ladder braces are shaped to a peak, but the kerfing is cut square, as often seen on lower-end Schmidts. This is a fairly small and plain guitar but not unusually so for this time period. While not as flashy as many examples of this style of instrument, it is a solidly made and excellent-sounding guitar with a lot of period character.
Overall length is 37 1/4 in. (94.6 cm.), 12 3/8 in. (31.4 cm.) wide at lower bout, and 3 3/8 in. (8.6 cm.) in depth at side, taken at the end block. Scale length is 24 1/2 in. (622 mm.). Width of nut is 1 3/4 in. (44 mm.).
Overall this is a relatively clean guitar for the time and place it comes from, with just some typical wear and generally well-done restoration. The only major repair that is visible is the rosewood fingerboard looks to be a later replacement, old but not as old as the guitar itself. The original boards on these instruments were often made from inexpensive dyed wood, so this upgrade is not uncommon on examples that have been refurbished later on. The upper sides of the neck have some finish loss related to this work.
Other notable repairs are also typical; the original bridge appears to have been lowered just a bit, the neck reset with a retaining bolt added inside the heel, the top seam behind the bridge resealed, and the frets leveled. There is some wear to the finish overall, including dings, dents, and scuffs, most notably to the back. The instrument is very well-restored as a player; quite solid and an excellent-playing and sounding guitar particularly for older fingerpicking and blues styles. A true gem in an authentic 1920s flat-top, as good a player from this period as we generally expect to find. Excellent - Condition.