Favilla Bros. Mandolin Banjo , c. 1920
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Favilla Bros. Mandolin Banjo, c. 1920, made in New York City, natural varnish finish, laminated maple rim and neck, ebonized fingerboard, original black hard shell case.
The Favilla Bros. company is an early 20th century New York stories, one of many family run instrument builders of the era. New York City of the 1910's and 1920's was teeming with immigrants, including large numbers from Italy. The first quarter of the 20th Century saw the establishment of a number of retail stores and instrument building workshops operated by Italian immigrant luthier/businessmen including Raphael Ciani, Antonio Cerrito, J. Nettuno, Nicolai Turturro and others. The Favilla Brothers ran one of the most enduring of these firms, which through many twists, turns and family changes lasted something like 80 years.
Founded by Brothers John and Joseph Favilla in the 1890's soon after their arrival from Italy, the Favilla operation lasted longer than most, building flat-top guitars and ukuleles into the 1970s. The original 1910-20's Favilla Bros. factory produced all manner of string instruments, pretty much whatever the market wanted. Initially bowl back mandolins were the most popular offering, but in the 1910-20's banjos were fair game as well, including this very nicely crafted banjo-mandolin. These hybrid 8-strings were most popular right at the dawn of the Jazz Age, before the tenor banjo took over so this one likely dates to that early '20s period.
This is a fairly conventional instrument of this style, very neatly made with some interesting design elements. The heavy laminated rim has no tone ring but is hollow along the top rim, with round soundholes arrayed all along the interior surface. The neck is laminated maple with a 3-ply laminate center strip and heelcap and an ebonized maple fingerboard. That and the headstock veneer have typical New York style pearl inlay. The heel is nicely rounded and secured not only by a traditional wooden dowel but a small lag bolt/banjo nut fitting. The instrument is neatly finished in clear varnish; the only marking is "Made by Favilla Bros. New York, New York USA" stamped on the dowel.
Many components resemble those made by Rettberg & Lange and/or Puntilillo/Majestic and may have been sourced from either of them, or made in-house by the Favillas. The tuners are the standard NY-made strips used by many contemporary makers, including Gibson. This is a well, made quality instrument, not overly flashy but a superior piece to many cheap factory made "manjos" of the era. It survives in quite playable condition as a nice testament to the skill and craftsmanship of the original Favilla Bros. operation, a token of a long-gone age.
Overall length is 24 in. (61 cm.), 10 1/4 in. (26 cm.) diameter head, and 2 3/4 in. (7 cm.) in depth, measured at side of rim. Scale length is 13 1/2 in. (343 mm.). Width of nut is 1 1/8 in. (29 mm.).
This is an exceptionally clean instrument for its age, looking not much used for something like a century. There is some minor wear overall, most notable a mirrored set of two deep dings on the bottom of the rim. but everything except the bridge remains original; even the Ludwig-branded calfskin head is at least period. The head does have an old faint stain from a larger bridge once fitted. This is a actually good playing instrument with the loud and raucous sound these 8-string are famous (and feared) for. This is a lovely and rare piece of New York musical history complete in the original HSC. Overall Excellent Condition.
The Favilla Bros. company is an early 20th century New York stories, one of many family run instrument builders of the era. New York City of the 1910's and 1920's was teeming with immigrants, including large numbers from Italy. The first quarter of the 20th Century saw the establishment of a number of retail stores and instrument building workshops operated by Italian immigrant luthier/businessmen including Raphael Ciani, Antonio Cerrito, J. Nettuno, Nicolai Turturro and others. The Favilla Brothers ran one of the most enduring of these firms, which through many twists, turns and family changes lasted something like 80 years.
Founded by Brothers John and Joseph Favilla in the 1890's soon after their arrival from Italy, the Favilla operation lasted longer than most, building flat-top guitars and ukuleles into the 1970s. The original 1910-20's Favilla Bros. factory produced all manner of string instruments, pretty much whatever the market wanted. Initially bowl back mandolins were the most popular offering, but in the 1910-20's banjos were fair game as well, including this very nicely crafted banjo-mandolin. These hybrid 8-strings were most popular right at the dawn of the Jazz Age, before the tenor banjo took over so this one likely dates to that early '20s period.
This is a fairly conventional instrument of this style, very neatly made with some interesting design elements. The heavy laminated rim has no tone ring but is hollow along the top rim, with round soundholes arrayed all along the interior surface. The neck is laminated maple with a 3-ply laminate center strip and heelcap and an ebonized maple fingerboard. That and the headstock veneer have typical New York style pearl inlay. The heel is nicely rounded and secured not only by a traditional wooden dowel but a small lag bolt/banjo nut fitting. The instrument is neatly finished in clear varnish; the only marking is "Made by Favilla Bros. New York, New York USA" stamped on the dowel.
Many components resemble those made by Rettberg & Lange and/or Puntilillo/Majestic and may have been sourced from either of them, or made in-house by the Favillas. The tuners are the standard NY-made strips used by many contemporary makers, including Gibson. This is a well, made quality instrument, not overly flashy but a superior piece to many cheap factory made "manjos" of the era. It survives in quite playable condition as a nice testament to the skill and craftsmanship of the original Favilla Bros. operation, a token of a long-gone age.
Overall length is 24 in. (61 cm.), 10 1/4 in. (26 cm.) diameter head, and 2 3/4 in. (7 cm.) in depth, measured at side of rim. Scale length is 13 1/2 in. (343 mm.). Width of nut is 1 1/8 in. (29 mm.).
This is an exceptionally clean instrument for its age, looking not much used for something like a century. There is some minor wear overall, most notable a mirrored set of two deep dings on the bottom of the rim. but everything except the bridge remains original; even the Ludwig-branded calfskin head is at least period. The head does have an old faint stain from a larger bridge once fitted. This is a actually good playing instrument with the loud and raucous sound these 8-string are famous (and feared) for. This is a lovely and rare piece of New York musical history complete in the original HSC. Overall Excellent Condition.