NMM 10827.  Guitar by John D’Angelico, New York, 1947. New Yorker (18″).  Ledger number 1744.  Ex coll.:  Mario Bagnoni, Erie, Pennsylvania. Tony and Bonnie Vinatieri Family Trust, 2005. John D’Angelico’s New Yorker model is famous for its sumptuous Art Moderne styling. It features gold-plated Grover Imperial tuners with chevron-shaped heads and D’Angelico’s signature "stairstep" tailpiece. This guitar, number 1744, has a natural finish that highlights the beautifully quilted maple back. In 1947, a young man, Mario Bagnoni (1922-2005), commissioned this custom-made guitar from D’Angelico. Bagnoni traveled on the road performing in hotels (see photo below), though after he joined the Erie Police Department in 1949, his career as a professional musician began to take a back seat to public life. Bagnoni went on to become an Erie City Councilman, serving for thirty-two consecutive years, until his retirement in early 2004. In an interview with Michael Feldman on public radio in 2001, Bagnoni called his years as a professional musician "a great joy in my life." Click on image above to view larger image   Inscriptions Inscriptions:  Inlaid in mother-of-pearl on headstock:  D’Angelico / NEW YORK [incised on tail of "o" and filled with black ink] Incised and filled with black ink on white celluloid geometric inlay on peghead:  NEW / YORKER Branded on inside of back:  D’Angelico [in cursive lettering] / NEW YORK [on tail of "o"] / 1744 / D’Angelico [in cursive lettering] / NEW YORK [on tail of "o"] Engraved on tailpiece:  D’Angelico [in cursive lettering] / NEW YORK [on tail of "o"] Stamped (vertically) on tuner gear covers:  GROVER Signature and ledger number branded on inside of back (as seen through f-hole) Body Body:  Stringing:  six steel strings. Soundboard:  arched, two-piece, quarter-cut spruce; wide grain. Back:  two-piece, slab-cut maple with quilted figure and pith flecks; wooden pin through back into neck block on treble side of center joint; wooden pin through back into end block on bass side of center joint. Ribs:  two-piece, slab-cut maple with irregular, narrow curl. Head:  four-piece maple with black-stained maple veneer. Neck:  maple with medium curl; integral with head; brown-stained maple strip of inlay along center line. Inlay Inlay:  Head:  white celluloid binding with eight-ply (black-white-black-white-black-white-black-white) celluloid purfling trim; two pieces of geometric white celluloid inlay; mother-of-pearl D’Angelico / NEW YORK inlay. Binding:  white celluloid; trim comprised of eight-ply (black-white-black-white-black-white-black-white) celluloid purfling strips on top and back and two-ply (black-white) celluloid purfling strips on ribs. Soundholes:  f-holes bound in white ivoroid with single black and white celluloid purfling strip trim. Front of guitar and close-up of bass f-hole Trim Back of neck, fretboard (above), pick guard (right), and bridge (below). Trim:  Heel cap:  two layers of white celluloid separated with thin black-white-black-white celluloid layers. Fingerboard:  ebony bound in white celluloid with single black and white celluloid purfling strips on each side; end terminating in a point, with rounded edges on the sides; 20 nickel-silver frets; mother-of-pearl block behind 17th fret; split mother-of-pearl blocks behind 1st, 5th, 9th, and 15th frets; double-split mother-of-pearl blocks behind 3rd, 7th, and 12th frets; imitation tortoise-shell celluloid side dots behind 3rd, 5th, 7th, 9th, 12th, 15th, and 17th frets. Nut:  bone. Bridge:  two-piece ebony (compensated) with brass screws for height adjustment; rectangular mother-of-pearl inlays on each bridge foot. Pick guard:  translucent dark red-brown celluloid with alternating lighter and darker bands, bound in white ivoroid with eight-ply (black-white-black-white-black-white-black-white) celluloid purfling strip trim, mounted on guitar with gold-plated brass bracket and three gold-plated steel screws. Lacquer:  golden. "Stairstep" Tailpiece and Endpin "Stairstep" tailpiece Close-up of engraved signature on tailpiece (top) and white celluloid endpin (above and below). Bottom rib and endpin Tuners, Neck Heel, and Back Pegs:  six Grover Imperial gold-over-nickel-plate worm-gear machine tuners with chevron-shaped heads. Neck heel and close-up of back Interior:  Linings:  kerfed maple. Neck block:  mahogany; chamfered corners. End block:  mahogany; chamfered corners. Top bracing:  spruce X-brace. Grafts:  spruce block grafts with beveled edges on inside of back near neck and end blocks; spruce block graft with beveled edges on inside of top near end block. Measurements (actual):  Total guitar length:  1094 mm (43-1/16″) Back length:  542 mm (21-11/32″) Upper bout width:  358 mm (14-3/32″) Waist width:  303 mm (11-15/16″) Lower bout width:  467 mm (18-3/8″) Rib height (including edging) at heel:  86 mm (3-3/8″) Rib height, at waist:  85 mm (3-11/32″) Rib height, at end block:  83 mm (3-1/4″) Head length:  203 mm (8″) Head width, top:  107 mm 4-7/32″) Head width, bottom:  84 mm (3-5/16″) Neck length (nut to ribs):  356 mm (14″) Neck width, nut:  42 mm (1-21/32″) Neck width, heel:  54 mm (2-1/8″) Soundhole length:  173 mm (6-13/16″) Vibrating string length (nut to bridge edge):  high E:  644 mm (25-11/32″); low E:  646 mm (25-7/16″) Accessories:  Original plywood case covered in black imitation-lizard-skin-texture canvas with burgundy plush lining, brass-plated steel hardware, and steel handle covered in black imitation-burlap-texture vinyl. Case key. Chrome-plated steel wing nut. Six black plastic picks branded: MILTON GWOLF. [sic] / QUALITY / SUPREME. White plastic pick with Mia and bakersfield [sic] in raised lettering. Imitation-tortoise-shell celluloid pick stamped Fender / HEAVY in white ink. Black plastic pick stamped PEAVEY / ® / T in silver ink. Black rubber-coated pickup cable with nickel-plated brass plug. Silver pickup cable stamped BELDEN 6411 with nickel-plated brass plug. Three D’Merle/D’Angelico "Rock and Roll" electric guitar string packages. Five D’Merle/D’Angelico acoustic guitar string packages. Twelve Black Diamond string packages. One Gibson Mona-Steel G-string in package. Two Gibson Bronze string packages. Two Esquire string packages. Six strings on guitar:  steel E and B; copper-overspun steel G, D, A, and E. Literature:  Mario Bagnoni, "Erie, Pennsylvania," Interview by Michael Feldman. Whad’Ya Know, National Public Radio (February 17, 2001). John Guerriero, "Politics, Music Mix at National Museum," Erie Times-News (June 9, 2005), pp. 1 and 4A. Return to Checklist of D'Angelico Guitars National Music Museum The University of South Dakota 414 East Clark Street Vermillion, SD 57069 ©National Music Museum, 2005-2006 Most recent update: October 23, 2007 You are the 14,033rd visitor to this page since May 9, 2005 The University of South Dakota Return to Top of Page