Greg,
Let me see if I can abswer your questions. Kind of a lot of questions for one time, but what the heck.
The Masi you have your eye one was built in the Verona workshop by Mario and his help. The month and year are generally stamped on the steerer of the fork. Frame sizes were built depending on demand, so smaller and larger frames aren't as common as the more average sizes, but the demand and the supply probably balance out. I wouldn't go so far as to call them more "rare". The sawcut crown that looks like a twin plate is much nicer looking than the actual twin plate crown in my opinion as well.
Regarding workmanship, especially when speaking of an Italian Masi built in Verona; one could say the quality of the construction is pretty much the same between a Carlsbad Masi and an Italian Masi. Generally speaking though, the detail work, the lug shaping and the lug filing is without question more refined on the Carlsbad Masis. But that does not effect the bike as a riding machine. Only more pleasing to the eye, for the most part.
Pantagraphed parts on Masis don't seem to appear before 1972. Most of the bikes were supplied with standard unengraved goodies. Unlike Colnago who offered an engraved deluxe model, Masi pantagraphed parts were either for special occassions or possibly through special request. In Carlsbad we only had a limited mumber of engraved 3TTT stems that were doled out upon occassion. Don't know how the Italians handled the situation; but suffice it to say that the Masi panto parts are considered more on the rare side, as are the Masi embossed 3TTT bars to go with the stem and the 3TTT saddle with the Masi "M" embossed on it.
Tell your wife I said it was OK to go ahead and buy the Masi. You may NEVER get the chance to obtain the Verona built Italian Masi again in your size. Still, the Italian Masis bring more money that the American counterparts.
Colors for Italian Masis are more varied than the Carlsbad bikes of the early years. There were only 7 factory colors in CA. In Italy Masis can we a number of nice colors that were not offered in the stated. What color is it? Maybe I can tell you if it is original, or you can send me a small file jpg that I can tell from. BTW, the original down tube decal on an Italian GC was a one year only style that appeared between the "first generation" ('70 and '71 generally) and the 1973 and newer decal that most of us are familier with. The '72 decal has a very thin line for the outside rectangular border and the same thin line seperating the decal into quarters. '73 and newer has only the bolder outside border and no "crosshairs".
If I didn't get it all, shake the Magic 8 Ball and ask the question again.
Brian Baylis
La Mesa, CA
In a message dated 12/26/2004 7:37:17 PM Eastern Standard Time, gharnold@mindspring.com writes:
<< Holiday greetings all:
and dear Masi experts:
I am trying to convince the wife of the rarity and er, usefulness!, of a 1972 Masi GC in my size that I've come across, and I need your help ... I've read through the archives to get as much info as i could ... I was wondering if the current experts could shed some light on a few of the following questions:
In 1972 - and in that general 1968-75 era - were 60+cm Italian bikes as often produced as the smaller ones? Ive often read that these larger frames (I ride 62-63cm bikes) are less collectible/valuable, yet I find them much harder to come by... curious.
I'm considering a 1972 Masi - no serial number, with a 'V' stamped in the BB. From what I read it has to be Italian because 'all US Masis's had serial numbers'. Is this 'V' any indication of where it was built or by whom?
It has a 'twin plate' fork but it appears to be the Fischer 'faux' drilled plate - which to my eyes is more elegant looking than the normal twin plate crown - is it a more unusual fork?
Were the 1972 Italian Masi's somehow inferior to the 1973 Carlsbads? Seems there is a lot of chest puffing among the US Masi builders(!) of that era - I mean that in good fun please - but how bad were the Italian frames at that time? The one Im looking at looks pretty clean...where was the venerable Mario C. building in 1972?
What color schemes were available in 1972? I recently let a Masi go on ebay with a cool two tone orange-white head tube configuration. Was this a custom paint job?
Finally - when did all the pantography start or stop with these bikes? I've seen some really wonderful examples of Italian Masi's with 'Falerio' cut into the stems, and 'M's cut out of the chainrings - and then later 'Alberto' in the stems ... were these 'one-off' customizations or did the factory offer these options?
Oh - and one other thing - Does anyone know if Falerio and Sante Pogliaghi knew each other? Were in competition? Does anyone else but me think Pogliaghi built as well if not better than Masi? (Is that Masi sacrilege?)
thanks all for your help - and for helping me justify my Christmas present....
Greg Arnold, NYC-currently-traveling >>
Forwarded at Greg's request by
Dale Brown
Greensboro, NC