Stathopoulos Perfectone in plain sight
A 1913 bouzouki treasure!
Sometimes hidden treasures are much closer than what we imagine! And for some of us, luckily enough, they even reveal themselves for a second time around!
This was exactly the case for my cyber friend Michael K. an American of Greek heritage.
When Michael was 20 years old, his yiayia brought him a bouzouki from Greece. He already played guitar, and the bouzouki was a tetrachordo (4 four course), so learning to play it was easy for him. As the years went on, he eventually acquired a baglama and a tzoura, which were both 3 stringed instruments. As Michael learned to play the tzoura, he eventually had the desire to obtain a trichordo bouzouki as well.
The first trichordo bouzouki that came his way, was one he ran into by accident, at a music store in Carmel CA. He was shocked to see that it was a beautiful Panagis bouzouki instrument from approximately 1960 circa. It needed some work, but was in playable condition. The master luthier Christos Tsolis restored his Panagis bouzouki several years after purchased
From that moment Michael always kept his eye out for a rare find!
And the luck "knocked his door" for a second time on a beautiful morning of March 2018
He was visiting once again the city of Carmel CA, when on the window of an old antique store he saw hanging a beautiful bouzouki . Ended up to be a Stathopoulos Perfectone bouzouki ! (Perfectone Stathopoulos bouzoukia were the most expensive and the highest quality bouzouki instruments which the master luthier constructed on early 20th century)
Michael instantly knew that he had to purchase it.
Accordingly to Michael, the owner of the antique store is an extremely nice guy who frequently carries in his store antique instruments, especially rare Martin and Gibson guitars
He told Michael that he acquired the Stathopoulos bouzouki from the Road Manager for David Grisman, a prominent mandolin player.
Michael returned to the store the next day and purchased the Stathopoulos bouzouki His good friend and professional bouzouki player, Anthony C accompanied him to the store. Antony C is a well known cyber friend (and bouzouki enthusiast ) who bought from me 20 years ago a Karolos Tsakirian bouzouki (small world)
Sometimes hidden treasures are much closer than what we imagine! And for some of us, luckily enough, they even reveal themselves for a second time around!
This was exactly the case for my cyber friend Michael K. an American of Greek heritage.
When Michael was 20 years old, his yiayia brought him a bouzouki from Greece. He already played guitar, and the bouzouki was a tetrachordo (4 four course), so learning to play it was easy for him. As the years went on, he eventually acquired a baglama and a tzoura, which were both 3 stringed instruments. As Michael learned to play the tzoura, he eventually had the desire to obtain a trichordo bouzouki as well.
The first trichordo bouzouki that came his way, was one he ran into by accident, at a music store in Carmel CA. He was shocked to see that it was a beautiful Panagis bouzouki instrument from approximately 1960 circa. It needed some work, but was in playable condition. The master luthier Christos Tsolis restored his Panagis bouzouki several years after purchased
From that moment Michael always kept his eye out for a rare find!
And the luck "knocked his door" for a second time on a beautiful morning of March 2018
He was visiting once again the city of Carmel CA, when on the window of an old antique store he saw hanging a beautiful bouzouki . Ended up to be a Stathopoulos Perfectone bouzouki ! (Perfectone Stathopoulos bouzoukia were the most expensive and the highest quality bouzouki instruments which the master luthier constructed on early 20th century)
Michael instantly knew that he had to purchase it.
Accordingly to Michael, the owner of the antique store is an extremely nice guy who frequently carries in his store antique instruments, especially rare Martin and Gibson guitars
He told Michael that he acquired the Stathopoulos bouzouki from the Road Manager for David Grisman, a prominent mandolin player.
Michael returned to the store the next day and purchased the Stathopoulos bouzouki His good friend and professional bouzouki player, Anthony C accompanied him to the store. Antony C is a well known cyber friend (and bouzouki enthusiast ) who bought from me 20 years ago a Karolos Tsakirian bouzouki (small world)
The body of this beautiful Stathopoulos bouzouki is Brazilian rosewood, and the soundboard made by spruce .There is genuine mother-of-pearl inlay on the instrument, including the stunning Greek Key border! All the inlay is in perfect condition.
Michael doesn't know the original tuning of the instrument, but the original bridge and nut revealed a 4 RE mourganes (bass strings) set up ( 2-2-4- We have written in the past articles regarding this set up)
It appears that this bouzouki has not been restored, however it is in desperate need of restoration. The years haven't been kind, and the neck has moved forward so much that the instrument is not in playable condition.
Also, some of the staves on the bowl have separated, so those will need to be re-glued as long as with restoration work on the neck reset.
Michael's plan is to have the master luthier Christos Tsolis, in Athens, do the work. He is hoping that he will be able to take it to him within the next year.
As for the rest of us...we may need to move to Carmel CA :)
Καλησπέρα Σπύρο,ευχαριστούμε για τα πολύ ενδιαφέροντα άρθρα σου!!
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