Classical Guitars: 1921 Luigi Mozzani Chitarra Lyra Due Bracci Harp Guitar

Luigi Mozzani Harp Guitar

$12,000

603 mm Scale 52 mm nut. Domed Spruce Soundboard and Poplar back and sides. Deluxe Aluminum Hard Case. Refretted. French Polish.

Instruments such as this were used in concerts and recorded for Odeon Fonotipia by Federico Galimberti (1887-), this photo was signed 1924. (Courtesy of: Fondo Mozzani, Archivio Storico Comunale, Cento, Ferrara. Italy). The 2nd photo is from the "Dizionario del Chitarristi e Liutai" by Benvenuto Terzi, published in 1937.

Amongst other pieces, in 1927 Federico Galimberti recorded the tremolo piece: "Fantasia original-Capricho a imitacion del Piano" by Viñas.

The man entrusted to lead the journeyman artisan crew for the fabrication of this instrument was Claudio Gamberini. Cento (Ferrara), July 5, 1895 - Pieve di Cento, 1965. He was a pupil of Carlo Carletti, but above all of Luigi Mozzani since 1909 in the Cento workshop at via Gennari. From 1915 he passed into the workshop of via M. Provenzali. Also in Cento he founded the company "Liuteria Gamberini Claudio & C.". From June 22, 1928 he moved to Bologna where he had been called as a teacher at the "School of Violin Making Italian Luigi Mozzani ", then from 1935 in new workshop in via Barberia 12. He was among the journeymen luthiers, having built all sorts of guitars (Chitarra Lyra Due Bracci and Chitarra Mezza Lyra), mandolins, mandolas and other string instruments.