1940s Joseph Di Mauro Heart Hole

The elder Joseph Di Mauro was part of the mass emigration of master Sicilian luthiers (Busato, Oliveri Anastasio, etc) who left Catania in the early 20th century. In the 1930s Di Mauro and his countrymen setup a series of shops on the East side of Paris and quickly adapted their skills to making jazz guitars in the Selmer Maccaferri style. Di Mauro was certainly one of the most successful and long lasting of these Franco-Sicilian luthiers as his guitars were widely adopted by players of many styles. Notable players include Moreno, Boulou Ferre, Patrick Saussois, Samy Daussat, Jean-Yves Dubanton, and even Pat Metheny! Di Mauro guitars were produced continuously until the early 90s, first by Antoine and then later by his son Joseph.

This guitar was built by Antoine Di Mauro's brother Joseph, not be confused with Antoine's son of the same name. The distinctive heart shaped sound hole and the "J. Di Mauro" stamp on the headstock clearly marks it as his work. This model is extremely rare with very few known surviving examples.

This instrument posses "wow factor" galore as its shimmery highs and bold projection outclass instruments many times it's price. This is the first of these heart hole guitars I've had and I'm pleasantly surprised to find they are some of the best vintage Gypsy guitars around.

The condition is very good. There is a repaired section of the top on the lower treble bout. It still has the original SB tuners and original tailpiece. The frets are relatively new.There are some surface cracks on the laminate of the top and side, mostly to the heel area. The top has a fair amount of scratches and dings, especially on the lower bass bout.

All in all, an incredible vintage instrument that ranks among the best in terms of tone and projection. I doubt this one will last long....

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