So what does anybody know about Bucolo guitars?

ChrisMartin

I can find out little about Bucolo, and it seems the luthier who was active in Paris in the 1950s is generally known as Horace Bucolo. So who made guitars with the label printed "P. BUCOLO CATANIA" ? Could it be the same person? Or family left behind in Sicily ? I have an interesting project here, needing a neck reset and some general tidying but I wondered if anyone has seen these before, or at least this label. Any clues ? Unfortunately I can't upload photos but if anyone is interested I can email them.

spatzo

The Bucolo guitars were made by the Bucolo family that came from the town of Catania in Sicily (Italy). They were among the most influent luthiers in Sicily and exported in many countries. One is Horace Bucolo but I don't know for P. (Pietro, Patrizio, who knows???).

Actually you should try to contact Jean-Pierre Bucolo in France a guitarist which is the son of one of the famous luthiers Bucolo that worked in Rue Keller in Paris. Born in 1954 he is a famous professionnal guitarist (Ref Johnny Halliday) recently awarded in 2014 with the "Grand Prix de la Chanson" of the SACEM but the guy is quite hard to find...

gatsby

More info by M. Horowitz here, what a beautiful guitar.

ChrisMartin

Gatsby, thanks, but that is a Horace Bucolo guitar Michael has there.

Spatzo, I have tried to contact Jean-Pierre and although he is known to be son of a luthier, I wondered if, as he is also French he would be the son of Horace who worked in Paris, while this P. Bucolo seems to have stayed in Catania.
If I can find a contact I will ask though as it may be an uncle?

So, to repeat, I am looking for info on P. Bucolo of Catania, NOT Horace Bucolo who moved from Catania to Paris unless there is a connection, or possibly even it was the same person using two different addresses. I had heard, I think it was in the context of Sonora guitars, but the same could apply here, that there would be a tax advantage to selling guitars in Italy if they were supposedly made there too.

Or possibly no relation at all.

I will see if I can work out how to post photos.

ChrisMartin

Also, the bridge and tailpiece appear to be the originals, and are of a style typically seen on other Catania or Italian guitars.

Ok, trying something with photos here......

ChrisMartin

Good, now I have that worked out, here is another;

terrassier

http://www.leboncoin.fr/instruments_de_musique/871729939.htm?ca=6_s

ChrisMartin

Yes, but that is the same logo as others by Bucolo, except this time it says Made in Italy. It has been suggested there was a tax advantage to selling guitars in Italy that were supposedly also made there, and some suspicion that luthiers in Paris were using Made in Italy labels. Here is another the same on ebay;
http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/321278363732?_trksid=p2060353.m1438.l2649&ssPageName=STRK:MEBIDX:IT
but again, neither one answers the question; who was P. Bucolo of Catania?

ChrisMartin

I have an old guitar hanging around here waiting for some minor repairs with the label 'P.Bucolo, Catania'. I asked if anyone knew anything of P. Bucolo guitars a couple of years ago, and apart from a few comments about Horace Bucolo, I found out little more. Until now. I have been reading a French history of Pierre Fontaine and am posting a translation of that separately on here, but there is a mention in that story that a Pierre Bucolo was a regular customer buying guitars made by Fontaine. So although the labels says P. Bucolo Catania, which is apparently where the Bucolos, Pierre and Horace came from were they actually made in France? And was Pierre (maybe he changed his name from Pietro to the French Pierre?) based in Paris and retailing these guitars in Italy? I had read that if a guitar claimed to be 'Made in Italy' it was exempt from import duties, and if so, did they all come from Fontaine's workshop? Interesting........