Mario Maccaferri, Concert Harp Guitarist

INTRODUCTION

I know what you’re thinking.

“Wasn’t Maccaferri that Django guitar guy?”
Or perhaps, “Oh yeah – he made those cheap plastic guitars.”

All true. But before all that, Maccaferri was a famous touring concert guitarist (what we now call a “classical guitarist”), who, by all accounts, gave Segovia a run for his money. And like so many of those early European virtuoso performers, Maccaferri dabbled with the harp guitar. A lot.

Various sections of this site show the extent (by no means complete) to which past performers and builders abroad played or built harp guitars – in many cases not even considering them “harp guitars,” but simply as guitars with a couple extra bass strings.

The odds of encountering the harp guitar were further stacked in Maccaferri’s favor, since he was fortunate enough to be apprenticed to the amazing Luigi Mozzani at only 11 years old. Below is a photo of young Mario with a stupendous Mozzani double-arm “chitarra-lyra” harp guitar. What an incredible opportunity for a youngster!

In this feature, I hope to shed a little more light on the effect that Mozzani’s harp guitars truly had on Maccaferri. With an intimate relationship with the instrument that lasted at least 24 years, compared to only two or three years with the infamous Selmer jazz guitars, it certainly seems worthy of more discussion and study. Of course, with several of his later decades involved almost solely with plastics, I suppose that’s the “real” Maccaferri – but I’ll leave that topic for plasticguitars.net!

HUMBLE BEGINNINGS TO EXPERT LUTHIER

Mario Maccaferri was born on May 20, 1900, in the town of Cento, a small town about 30 km from Bologna in northwest Italy. He was the second youngest of seven children, all boys, and the only family member to become interested in music. He left school at the age of nine, taking on various jobs including apprentice carpenter. Two years later, in 1911, young Mario was apprenticed to famed guitarist and luthier Luigi Mozzani, who had established a school of lutherie in Cento in 1908. Mozzani’s own career could fill a book (and does), and has been given his own special section in Harpguitars.net (COMING SOON!).

According to researcher Michael Wright, Maccaferri “rose to become Mozzani’s premier disciple, learning to make guitars, violins and mandolins and eventually supervising other apprentices.” Paul Hostetter adds that “the young Maccaferri assiduously followed his master's footsteps, bearing his influence for the rest of his life.”

Mario Maccaferri in 1916 with one of Mozzani's "chitarra-lyra" harp guitars.

Mozzani with his apprentices c.1915.
Mario is second from left.

Further details about Maccaferri’s tenure with Mozzani are sketchy. Wright believes that after 1923, Maccaferri advertised himself as a maker of “all fretted instruments,” and author François Charle also gives 1923 as the date Maccaferri set up his own shop (a full line of his instruments was in place by 1928, as shown by an extant catalog). Intelisano’s Mozzani book implies (according to my poor translation skills) that during the 1921-1928 timeframe, Maccaferri (along with C. Melloni) was assigned to the bowed instrument department – according to Wright, as “Senior Instructor,” according to Charle as an “advisor.” As a matter of note, Maccaferri won three Gold Medals for his own violins in 1926 and 1927. How he managed this advisory position with Mozzani, while also designing and building his own instruments, setting up his own shop (1923), touring Europe (1923-27) and living in Paris to work for his uncle’s accordion business (!)(1927) is a mystery, and definitely warrants further investigation (see Timeline).

GUITAR VIRTUOSO

Maccaferri’s tutelage under Mozzani consisted of two distinct areas. Besides the obvious influence of Mozzani’s instrument designs, which led to Maccaferri’s own experiments in harp guitar design and construction, Mozzani also instilled in Maccaferri a deep passion for playing the classical guitar. Mozzani’s influence took specific form, in that Maccaferri’s preferred instrument remained the harp guitar for the bulk of his performing career, and in adopting his mentor’s somewhat controversial use of a thumbpick in combination with fingernails. Hostetter adds that “Maestro Mozzani, a superb guitarist and composer for the instrument in his own right, was quite proud of Mario Maccaferri, whom he regarded as a master luthier, musician and peer - an honor never bestowed upon any other of his many protégés.” While with Mozzani, Maccaferri also enrolled at the Sienna Academy (or Conservatory) of Music, beginning his studies in1916 and graduating with the highest diploma and all honors in 1922. In 1926, the Conservatory named Maccaferri “Professor of Guitar and Music."

By most accounts, Maccaferri was already giving local concerts by 1920. His touring career began in 1923, and took him over the next several years to Italy, Switzerland, France, Germany, Austria, Yugoslavia, Belgium and England, with stops in most of the key cities in Europe. The timeline illustrates that he was never exclusively a touring concert artist, but constantly juggled this very successful career with continuing experiments and successes in lutherie, while also suffering several relocations. The first move was to Paris in 1927, next to London in 1929, then back to Paris in 1931 to create Selmer’s guitar-making facility. Along with his performances, Maccaferri also taught guitar, often to very illustrious clients, such as the Prince of Wales.

And how was Maccaferri received as a classical guitarist?

Wright states: “His performances were infused with his strong, romantic personality,” adding that (due to his use of the thumbpick) “he was reportedly able to develop remarkably facile tremolo technique.” Charle reports: “Judging by the writings of contemporary critics who compared him to Andres Segovia, he must have been an excellent guitarist. For several years, Maccaferri and Segovia were the two leading guitarists of European renown…” Wright concurs, stating that “Maccaferri was regarded by contemporaries as being on a par with the late Segovia, ranking right behind the Maestro in popular appeal in European guitar circles. Had events not transpired as they did, we might today regard the two as seminal influences on modern classical guitar.” Wright further reports that in 1926, Maccaferri met and became friends with Segovia.

Maccaferri’s repertoire included well-known works by Sor, Coste, Bach, Granados, Tarrega and his mentor, Mozzani. Wright states that “One of his treasured pieces was Sor’s beautiful “Mozart Variations,” while Charle (in a rare reference to Maccaferri’s harp guitar) writes: “He particularly liked to play on them the well known Bach prelude.” Fortunately, several of Maccaferri’s performances have been preserved for posterity. In 1929, he recorded 8 sides (pieces) for Columbia in Paris, which include works by Granados, Bach and Mertz. Writer Michael Simmons informs me that these are rumored to have been played on a harp guitar, but has not had an opportunity to listen for himself. This is certainly something I hope to confirm one day, as these recordings (or copies) are known to exist.

As I stated at the beginning, harp guitars – whether they looked like fairly normal guitars with just one floating string, or like some mythical, fantastic dream like Mozzani’s – seem not to have caused the notice or comment that harp guitars do today. And even today, many modern researchers and writers don’t appear that curious or fascinated with the details of this guitar variation when they come across it as part of their research. As this is my passion, I’m naturally a bit dismayed by this blasé attitude. While the critics were favorably comparing Maccaferri with the “standard-setting” Segovia, did they have no comment on the dramatic differences of their instruments?! If unimpressed by the visual aspects of the instruments, did they consider the three extra bass strings similarly insignificant? Were Mozzani, Maccaferri and similar “extended range guitarists” not boasting of the fact that “normal 6-string” classical guitarists could not, in fact, play some of the repertoire without extra sub-bass strings? Certainly, one comes across in publicity material images of the instruments, and occasional mention of a “chitarra-lyra” or similar, but I haven’t seen much else. If not the critics or concert promoters, did the public take special notice of Maccaferri’s assorted harp guitar creations? I can't help but wonder.

Maccaferri with his first harp guitar model, created by 1926 (image from his 1928/1929 Cento catalog)

		During his entire decade and a half of public performing, Maccaferri used a variety of harp guitars. In fact, of all the photos I have seen from his concert period, five show him with a harp guitar. Only four images - of which two are Selmer promotional photos, and one a program illustration – show him playing a 6-string. These instruments are shown and discussed in more detail in the companion feature "Maccaferri Harp Guitars." Presumably, Maccaferri first played some of the early instruments created by Mozzani, but I have found no direct evidence of this (other than his 1916 photo with a Mozzani). All the harp guitars he is shown performing with, whether from the “pre-Selmer” 1920s or the 1930s Selmer period, look purely “Maccaferrian” to me, although there it is certainly possible that he may have worked on one (or many) of these with Mozzani’s help.
	Mario Maccaferri (with unknown player at right) plays three different harp guitars of his own creation in these three undated photos, circa 1926-1930.

Regardless of the exact provenance of these harp guitars, it’s clear that Maccaferri never fully abandoned his lutherie experiments, throughout his many years of concert tours. Ultimately, his restless design innovations led to his relationship with the Selmer Company, and in 1931 he relocated to Paris to head the new guitar making facility. Here I would strongly suggest a short detour in our story to take time out to read The Story of Selmer Maccaferri Guitars by François Charle. In the meantime, suffice it to say that these guitars (ironically, the steel string versions, not Maccaferri’s preferred gut-strung models) soon became legendary – due in most part to being in the hands of the equally legendary Django Reinhardt. Contrary to popular belief, Maccaferri himself never met Reinhardt, and in fact, was unaware of his music, being immersed in the classical repertoire, and not Django’s Gypsy jazz. Also important to note is that Maccaferri left Selmer after only two years over a contract clause – leaving his guitar designs behind.

Selmer Harp Guitar designed by Maccaferri.

END OF A BRILLIANT CAREER (BUT START OF ANOTHER)

About halfway through this brief period with Selmer, Maccaferri continued with his other passion, resuming his concert tours of Europe. Tragically, we can never know what might have become of his still growing reputation, the classical guitar music world, or, indeed, of harp guitars as accepted classical instruments. In the summer of 1933, he fractured his right hand in a freak swimming accident, bringing his career as a concert classical guitarist to a premature end. After six months of recuperation, he was unable to play with the same dexterity, but cleverly found a way to continue performing still. As he knew his playing was not up to his former standards, Maccaferri performed wearing a mask, billing himself as “The Unknown Guitarist.” Throughout 1934 he played smaller clubs and Parisian cafes with this act - an innovative end to a very creative musical career.

Maccaferri, "The Unknown Guitarist" with his cabaret show host, Robert Vidal, c.1934.

In 1935, his performances came to a permanent end when he hit upon yet another ingenious idea: plastic reeds for saxophones and other woodwind instruments. Clearly not one to look back, but always forward, Mario Maccaferri took a strange detour which led, for the next several decades, to the world of plastics. First, the hugely successful reed business, then clothespins, bathroom tile, and finally back to…guitars. By this time he had transplanted to New York, and while America did not exactly embrace the inexpensive plastic guitars, they did go crazy for his plastic ukuleles, which sold in the millions. Surprisingly, the guitars are said to sound pretty darn good, considering the materials and cost involved. Less successful were the plastic violins, Maccaferri’s last invention in 1989. On April 16, 1993, Mario Maccaferri passed away, at the age of 92. All in all, an amazing career.

I have just one regret…

…if only he had made a plastic Maccaferri harp guitar!

l'estremità

l'extrémité

the end

Because previous writings about Maccaferri’s career are sometimes conflicting or at minimum, confusing, I think it prudent to attempt to create an approximate timeline of Maccaferri’s key activities concerning his lutherie and performing careers. As with all articles on Harpguitars.net, I hope to update and improve historical data whenever and wherever possible, and ask for input from anyone with ideas or information.

Mario Maccaferri Timeline
1900	Born in Cento
1911	Begins apprenticeship with Mozzani (both in lutherie and as a guitar student)
1916	Enrolls in Sienna Academy of Music
1917-1918	Brief stint in army
1922	Graduates from Academy
1923	Opens his own shop in Cento
1923-1927	Tours Italy, Switzerland, France & Germany (and likely elsewhere) as concert guitarist
1926	Receives “professorship” from Sienna Academy
1926-1927	Receives 3 Gold Medals for his violins
1927	Moves to Paris, working in uncle’s according business.
1928	Catalog of Maccaferri instrument line (Cento shop) Moves to London Tours continue in Austria, Yugoslavia & Germany (and likely elsewhere)
1929	Records 8 sides (pieces) for Columbia in Paris
1931	Meets with Selmer, moves to Paris to head new guitar production
1932	Production undergoing, resumes touring in Europe
1933	Severs relationship with Selmer Fractures wrist and recovers for 6 months.
1934	Begins smaller club appearances as “the unknown guitarist”
1935	Starts new plastic reed business.
1939	Moves to New York
1950-1960s	Develops plastic guitars and ukuleles
1989	Develops plastic violin
1993	Passes away


Mario Maccaferri circa 1920 with a Mozzani harp guitar, and posing at home in the 1950s with 2 of the 5 Mozzani harp guitars he kept until his death (all are shown in color in the Mozzani feature). According to Mario's friend, John Monteleone, Maccaferri acquired these five Mozzani harp guitars in the 1951 liquidation sale of the Mozzani workshop/school, which closed in 1947. Michael Wright believes they were acquired on a return visit to Italy while Mozzani was still alive (which would have been pre-1943). The inventory of the sale listed 7 chitarra-lyra (no styles or models distinguished).

Sources / Credits:

All images on this page are copyright and courtesy either Michael Wright, François Charle or Giovanni Intelisano, and include invaluable material originally supplied by Maria Maccaferri.

Special thanks to Michael Wright, for graciously and generously donating scans from his Maccaferri chapter in Guitar Stories Vol II (now out of print, but still available from Elderly Instruments and other sources).

I presume that the reader is at least somewhat familiar with the Maccaferri and Selmer jazz guitars. For background on these infamous instruments, see the indispensable book by François Charle, who has graciously permitted use of material from the book.

THE STORY OF SELMER MACCAFERRI GUITARS
by François Charle

Available from:

François Charle
17 Galerie Véro-Dodat
75001 PARIS France
www.rfcharle.com

Additional Sources:

Michael Wright (web article and pers. comm.)
Paul Hostetter (web articles and pers. comm.)
Dick Boak, John Monteleone, Michael Simmons, James Westbrook (pers. comm.)
Jacques?
"Living Legend" by Dick Boak, Acoustic Guitar magazine March/April 1992 (thanks to Peter Penhallow for providing a copy)
Mozzani: Un liutaio e la sua arte by Giovanni Intelisano.

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Maccaferri appears to have abandoned the metal thumbpick sometime between 1929 (left photo) and 1932 (right photo)