BUYING A DEL VECCHIO
PROFESSOR JORMA
UKE PUBLICATIONS
Q What is the best way to purchase new Del Vecchio guitars in the U.S. and Europe? What is the address of the Del Vecchio factory in São Paulo? Can I get a catalogue and price list?
Jo Luttringer
Thann, France
ASince my description of a visit to the Del Vecchio guitar factory in the September 1996 A.G. Letter department, we've gotten several inquiries about these unique instruments from Brazil. The company makes several types of instruments, including resonator guitars, which have been manufactured since 1938. Although Casa Del Vecchio in São Paulo maintains a brisk rate of production, the instruments are not exported in any great numbers. When I mentioned to Angelo Del Vecchio that marketing his guitars in other countries was a possibility, he just smiled and said, "Maybe next year" (very Brazilian). Inquiries about the instruments can be directed to Casa Del Vecchio Ltda., Caixa Postal 2917, São Paulo CEP 05068, Brazil.
Older Del Vecchios show up occasionally in American shops. I've recently seen examples in good condition (which is rare for a vintage Del Vecchio) in New York and California priced at about $1,000. George Gruhn of Gruhn Guitars says that Del Vecchios find their way into his Nashville shop fairly regularly and that he sells them for considerably less than $1,000. Replacement resonator cones can be ordered from National Reso-Phonic, 871-C Via Esteban, Suite C, San Luis Obispo, CA 93401-7167.
In Nashville, where Del Vecchios have often been used by studio players, many guitarists now favor similar instruments by luthier Paul McGill. His custom-built guitars follow the Del Vecchio design, but they incorporate higher-grade materials and more painstaking construction techniques. Unlike Nationals and Dobros, they work best with nylon or silk-and-steel strings. McGill can be contacted at 808 Kendall Dr., Nashville, TN 37209.
--Steve James
QI heard that Jorma Kaukonen was putting together a music school in Ohio. Do you know whether that happened and how to get in touch with the school?
Ian Summers
City, state TK*
AJorma Kaukonen's Fur Peace Ranch, located in Meigs County, Ohio, will be opening in 1998. The school will offer weekend and weeklong workshops from April to October in subjects ranging from fingerstyle to classical playing, as well as harmonica, percussion, guitar repair, sound engineering, and demo recording. To request an information packet, write Jorma Kaukonen's Fur Peace Ranch, PO Box 389, Pomeroy, OH 45769.
--Bronwen Morgan
QI enjoyed Michael Simmons' article "The Real Ukulele" in your November issue. I would like to subscribe to a periodical that speaks of ukuleles and the ukulele world regularly. Do you know of any?
Manfred Ratz
Phoenix, Arizona
A The Ukulele Hall of Fame publishes a quarterly newsletter called Uke Said It. For $24 a year you can join the nonprofit organization. The address is 369 Summer St., Duxbury MA 02332; (888) UKU-LELE. The museum has a small catalogue of ukulele books and recordings and offers a video of Tiny Tim's last filmed interview, recorded at Uke Expo 1996, just before his first heart attack. On this tape, Tiny Tim talks about and sings the songs of the musicians that inspired him, like Rudy Vallee, Nick Lucas, and Cliff Edwards.
You might also try subscribing to Kapalakiko Productions' Calendar of Hawaiian Events (800 Meade Ave., San Francisco, CA 94124) for $10 per year for four issues. This is a listing of Hawaiian cultural events and festivals all across the U.S. It also includes ads from a number of stores that specialize in Hawaiian recordings and crafts.
--Michael Simmons
|
|
|
|
|
|