Anastasio Stathapoulo Parlor guitar

[Judytoons]

Hi,

I bought a guitar marked A. Stathopoulo at auction from a 90 year old woman's estate. She studied at Juilliard. I strung it up and played it about five minutes, enough to know I had a keeper, left the room and returned to find the cracked bridge had popped cleanly off. Took it to Fred Oster at Philadelphia's Vintage instruments, who recommended The Brothers for restoration in Wind Gap, Pa. They re-carved a new pedimental bridge, reseated an earlier bad repair on the fingerboard and repaired a few earlier repaired cracks in the back. The five month wait was very worth it.

The voice is clear, resonant and precise, the action low, and clean. I am wondering if their are other A.Stathapoulo parlor guitars out there????? He was the father of Epi as in Epiphone, so thought this would be a good place to start.

Ideas????

[bloozeguy]

"Mature" guitar porn! I, too, am eagerly awaiting the feedback on this!

[zombywoof]

Fred did not tell you anything about the guitar? I once scored a guitar he apparently had been eyeballing. I do not think there were many who recognized the guitar for what it was. He sure knew though.

 

It is virtually impossible to say anything based on one small pic and no specs such as the lower bout width. I have only seen pictures of instruments with the "A. Stathapoulo Maker of Fine Instruments" label and none of them looked as "normal" as the one in the pic. They were pretty elaborate instruments. The fret marker on the 10th fret certainly indicates the guitar is old as about the only builder who continued that tradition into the 1920s was Oscar Schmidt.

 

You might want to run the guitar by somebody like George Gruhn. Not sure if he still does it but he used to do evaluations using photos for a small fee.

 

Good Luck.

[Judytoons]

Fred did not tell you anything about the guitar? I once scored a guitar he apparently had been eyeballing. I do not think there were many who recognized the guitar for what it was. He sure knew though.

 

It is virtually impossible to say anything based on one small pic and no specs such as the lower bout width. I have only seen pictures of instruments with the "A. Stathapoulo Maker of Fine Instruments" label and none of them looked as "normal" as the one in the pic. They were pretty elaborate instruments. The fret marker on the 10th fret certainly indicates the guitar is old as about the only builder who continued that tradition into the 1920s was Oscar Schmidt.

 

You might want to run the guitar by somebody like George Gruhn. Not sure if he still does it but he used to do evaluations using photos for a small fee.

 

Good Luck.

 

Fred was very helpful, This ...was a'lot like the style of other New York City Italian immigrant guitar makers turn of the last century, but just not a lot of comparable s out there. So I posted to see if a few are out there...what I noticed is one side has a strong angled curve and the other side is gentle .

[Judytoons]

Fred was very helpful, This ...was a'lot like the style of other New York City Italian immigrant guitar makers turn of the last century, but just not a lot of comparable s out there. So I posted to see if a few are out there...what I noticed is one side has a strong angled curve and the other side is gentle .

I have posted a couple other pictures under the new member introductions forum page.

[zombywoof]

Fred was very helpful, This ...was a'lot like the style of other New York City Italian immigrant guitar makers turn of the last century, but just not a lot of comparable s out there. So I posted to see if a few are out there...what I noticed is one side has a strong angled curve and the other side is gentle .

 

 

Stathoppoulo, of course, was not an Italian immigrant. But there was group of four or five talented Italian builders in NYC who turned out guitars under names like Cerrita, Ciani and Galiano.

 

But a pre-1918 Stathopoulo guitar would truly be something as most of us have never or probably will never lay our hands on. I am surprised Fred did not try and talk you out of it.

[Judytoons]

Yep. A Greek family. he was trained in tonal woods by his father. The growing problems there led to immigrating to NYC.

I have read everything I could since the auction. Wish I could go back in time and pose a few questions.

I come from a family of historians so a natural inclination. He was obviously aware of what others in NYC were doing, his contemporaries.

The tag states "all kinds of musical instruments repairing a specialty"

So I think it is safe to say he was repairing the work of others as well, becoming familiar with other makers.

[Judytoons]

http://s1333.photobucket.com/user/Loebercat/media/Anastasio%20Stathopoulo%20guitar/IMG_2476_zps43af7544.mp4.html

 

new to photobucket but Try this. I bought the guitar as my daughter had twin baby boys who are now three, and singing on key. As we are a musical family I saw a problem with which one will inherit my 1972Martin D28 satin finish, which I used for coffee houses, and bars.. However I am really liking this A.S. better. So in the yin and yang of being a good grannie, and fairness...I am at a real loss now. Guess just enjoy it and quit trying to figure it all out. And no I am not playing tunes in this,..flat picking more my style.

[Judytoons]

The tag on the A.S.

Really interested in increasing the knowledge base on this one. So if they are out there they might be easier to ID.

http://i1333.photobucket.com/albums/w632/Loebercat/Anastasio%20Stathopoulo%20guitar/image_zps68204595.jpg

[crust]

Epiphone, you wanted to know what would be a cool guitar to celebrate the 140th anniversary of Epiphone guitars. Make 140 of these [thumbup] [thumbup] Of course with the appropriate sound hole sticker

 

Thanks for the video, you got a piece of American history there.

[Judytoons]

I have a new insight into the life of the A.S. guitar from at least the 1960's. I did email Mrs. Dumont's son, who was kind enough to supply the history of the guitar from the 1960's. His mom earned a degree from Julliard, and from all I have heard was a true "Renaissance " woman, and trailblazer. In her honor, I will call the A.S. "Liz", her nickname.

 

"Hi Judytoons,

Thank you for your lovely note. The guitar belonged to my mother, Elizabeth Kraus Dumont. She died in October, and my father soon followed her. My mother was an amazing woman. She was the first female full professor of philosophy at Fordham University while it was still a Jesuit institution. That's one heck of a glass ceiling she broke. My memory of the guitar goes back to 1965 when I was 9. My mother loved to play folk music and the modern minstrels such as Pete Seager. The guitar was old then, and I don't know it's earlier history. I hope it gives you as much enjoyment as it gave my mother.

Best regards? "

 

One can only speculate on the fifty five or so years of this guitar's life before that time. I think it is safe to assume that it didn't travel far and that it was acquired in New York. Beyond that I assume it was cherished to have survived for a century and possibly ten years. It's been a fun journey.Thanks to those who have added to my knowledge base.