A $25,000 Tiple

Subject: A $25,000 Tiple
From: Wesley S
Date: 08 May 07 - 01:52 PM

Yes - For the true Tiple collector this can be yours for only $25,000. Any takers?

Photo Here

15-6026 John D'Angelico, one-of-a-kind late '30s or early '40s Tiple, sunburst finish, ISI-1749, (no D'Angelico serial number), in excellent minus condition, presently housed in a newer chipboard case.
The Tiple is a 10-string Argentinean folk instrument. Mike Longworth, the historian for C F Martin guitar company, in his book Martin Guitars: A History, describes the development of the tiple: "The Martin Tiple was designed about 1920 from a somewhat larger prototype imported from Argentina by Mr. William J. Smith of William J. Smith Music Co., New York City. As a folk instrument in Argentina (tiple is a Spanish word meaning 'small guitar,') it was strung with ten gut strings, tuned to guitar pitch. Mr. Smith suggested the use of steel strings, and we used our obsolete quarter-size guitar patterns, smaller than the Argentine instrument, with ten stele strings tuned to ukulele pitch: A, D, F#, B. The first and fourth strings are double, like a mandolin, while the second and third are triple with the center string tuned an octave below the outer strings in each group. The firsts are tuned in unison. A felt or plastic pick is used for strumming like a ukulele." Of course, now some players use their fingers or strum in a rhythmical fashion. The sound of a tiple has sometimes been compared to that of the backup instruments in Paul Simon's recording "El Condor Pasa (If I Could)."
This is, then, a unique instrument that was special-ordered by the current owner's father who played professionally. Joseph V. Fontana, originally of Brooklyn, New York, resided first in Linden, NJ and then moved to Winfield Park, nearby. He started performing on radio shows on WCAP-AM and FM in the early '40s, and worked a band called The Stardusters that regularly played at The Lake Park Hotel's Anchor Room in Asbury Park, NJ. He was a member of Local 151 Elizabeth, NJ Musicians Union and Asbury Park union as well. The tiple's current owner remembers going with his father to the workshop of John D'Angelico on Kenmare Street to have the pickup installed, the instrument refinished and the pickguard replaced. The great builder, larger than life, came out from the back room with sawdust in his hair, reminding the visitors of Geppetto from the then currently popular Walt Disney animated movie, Pinocchio. There are two photo copies inside the case that show the original owner playing the tiple, one in a long panoramic photograph of a commemorative dinner for Western Electric employees dated May 17, 1945. The other smaller photo is undated.

This is a non-cutaway tiple made in the late 1930s or early 1940s. It is a sunburst finished instrument that was refinished by John D'Angelico in the late 1950s. It has a carved and arched spruce top, and a one-piece, highly flamed maple back and flame maple sides. This is a tone bar-braced instrument with two unbound f-shaped soundholes. The top and back bindings are four-ply black and crème. The tailpiece is the original small gold-plated D'Angelico "lattice work" style engraved with the maker's name and the "New York" banner with cutouts. The bridge is the original adjustable ebony, mandolin-style. The single-ply bound black celluloid pickguard was replaced by D'Angelico and has, attached on the treble side, a mini plug connecting to a contact pickup that is mounted under the top of the treble f-hole. The neck is one-piece flame maple; the 19-fret ebony fingerboard has a pointed end. The fingerboard binding is one-ply celluloid with an ebony shim showing under the board. The inlays are blocks (solid rectangles of pearl) at frets ##,5, 7, 9 and 12. and there are also side dots corresponding. The headstock is the standard D'Angelico shape of this period with an indent at the center of the top, having the curved pearl block at the top bearing the D'Angelico logo and the "New York" banner. Positioned below the logo on the ebony headstock overlay is a pearl fleur-de-lis inlay. Tuners are the original 5-on-an-etched metal plate with crème plastic buttons.

Although this instrument is extremely clean, there are some finish checks on the face under each of the f-holes, and a seam separation under the tailpiece – this will have been glued by our repair shop. There is a small finish aberration on the back below the ivoroid heel cap and another rising from the bottom of the center of the back upward. Otherwise, there are some discolorations in the binding, some tiny dings overall including on the back of the neck. Minor stuff.

For the statistically minded, the body width, lower bout, is 9 ¾", the body width, upper bout is 8 7/8", the body depth, lower bout is 2", the body depth, upper bout is 2 1/8". The neck width at the nut is 1 7/16", neck width at 5th fret is 1 5/8", neck width at 12th fret is 1 13/16", the body length is 12 7/8", the scale length is 17", and the nut is bone, and it is original.

This is one of the most exciting finds in a D'Angelico instrument since we located the D'Angelico New Yorker "Teardrop" that Scott Chinery purchased for $150,000 back in the 1980s, or the D'Angelico Ukulele that was formerly owned by Felix Pappalardi, or the D'Angelico "Rifle" guitar. This piece is not serialized, and was not listed in D'Angelico's log-book – up until now nobody knew it even existed. It captures the imagination, and at the same time, provides a voice in the fretted acoustic family which is unduplicated, providing an entirely new flavor. Its voice is original, its design is compelling, its workmanship, in a miniature setting, inspiring. $25,775 or, at our cash discount price $25,000.

Subject: RE: A $25,000 Tiple
From: gnu
Date: 08 May 07 - 02:27 PM

Just the one available?

Subject: RE: A $25,000 Tiple
From: Wesley S
Date: 08 May 07 - 02:37 PM

I've got the other one. I could let you borrow it for awhile.....

Subject: RE: A $25,000 Tiple
From: gnu
Date: 08 May 07 - 03:04 PM

No. I was looking for a set at that price.

Subject: RE: A $25,000 Tiple
From: Peace
Date: 08 May 07 - 03:15 PM

I HAVE to have this. I'll hang it right beside my trio of Martin D 100s. It will look LOVEly with the new floral pattern that Marie hand embroidered into the tapestry. I find tapestry to be SUCH an exquisite, enticing word, don't you? Please excuse my abrupt departure, but Percival had a very minor fender-bender yesterday and the insurance company representative has arrived.

Subject: RE: A $25,000 Tiple
From: katlaughing
Date: 08 May 07 - 04:11 PM

Sweet...I love the sound of a tiple, esp. when played by Gustavo Santaolalla.. Any of his pieces from the CD "Ronrocco" are gorgeous. Click here for more.

Subject: RE: A $25,000 Tiple
From: Songster Bob
Date: 08 May 07 - 04:32 PM

I would be more like looking for a $100 tiple, but, alas, even all-busted-up ones cost more like $400 (sort of like Martin ukes, which bring twice what some better-sounding and playing ones do).

Ah, well, I don't really need one anyway. I can get by with the two ukes (and one banjo uke) I have, plus all the guitars and banjos and all.

And if there's no catalog entry, d'Angelico being a pretty good record-keeper, how do they know for sure it's a d'Angelico? Hmmm?


Bob

Subject: RE: A $25,000 Tiple
From: M.Ted
Date: 08 May 07 - 04:55 PM

Who else could, or would, have made an instrument like that? As a one-time tiple player, I have seen and played a few (they tended to be very flawed instruments, hence all the busted up ones), and this looks like the best one ever. Too bad there is only one--it will likely go into a collection, and never be played.