My dad gave it to me decades ago That's all I know about it. Sorry.
I am biased, but I really like musical instrument mysteries.
I know some luthiers and I may see if I can get some information from them.
Thank you for your time and my ears are wide open if you think of, or learn of, any new information.
The date fits the time when my parents were born in the Chicago area. You already dug up more than I could find. Thanks for doing so. I vaguely recall being told it was from Italy. I may be confusing the guitar with a violin that he also gave me. I really have nothing written down about it and he's long dead.
There doesn't appear to be much information about him. From some quick reading, and assuming it's the same guy, he was an Italian immigrant to Chicago and made mandolins and guitars in the 20s and 30s. He appears to have made more mandolins and I can find no guitars made by him.
Without more information, I can't even offer an approximation of value, should you choose to sell or insure it.
Similar guitars sell in the $1,000 to $1,300 range and new harp guitars cost considerably more than that. There doesn't appear to be a huge market for vintage harp guitars.
This luthier is seemingly not well known, which makes me think that the value is probably at one end or the other - and more probably on the lower end. There's some chance that it's highly sought after and a great rarity - worth goodly amounts of cash. The more probable is that it's near the lower end as the luthier is not well known and doesn't have a grand reputation.
You didn't solicit that advice, but I figured I'd share.
Do you play it?
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