Inside a strad-o-lin

[MikeEdgerton]

I don't know if anyone else is interested in Strad-O-Lins (I am). I got a call from my friend Paul Unkert (a luthier in Toms River, NJ) that he had one open to reglue a brace. I stopped by and got some pictures.

[MikeEdgerton]

Another

[MikeEdgerton]

And yet another

[MikeEdgerton]

And more

[MikeEdgerton]

More

[MikeEdgerton]

Clean joint.

[MikeEdgerton]

And the tail block

[Bill Snyder]

Mike,
From the photos it appears that the back and top are both solid. Is that correct?

[MikeEdgerton]

The top definitely is, the back appears to be. The other thing I noted was that the oval model was slightly narrower than the F-hole models I have, maybe an inch or so narrower.

By the way, the flame on the back was fake.

[Bill Snyder]

I thought the flamed backs where faux, but looking at the flame on the inside made me wonder.

[MikeEdgerton]

I think those were actually tool marks on the inside. It wasn't totally smooth. To be honest it looks more like flame in the picture than it did in person.

I've had a few that had real flame, one that I have now is, and it's a two piece back. I've never seen another like that one.

[MikeEdgerton]

Here's true flame on a Strad-O-Lin. I've never seen another one that was this nice, I'm sure there are some out there.

[MikeEdgerton]

And the front

[MikeEdgerton]

and one more

[Jim Garber]

I recall Russ Barenberg playing a highly flamed fancy Strad-O-Lin many years ago. I haven't seen another like it since.

Jim

[MikeEdgerton]

This one would be pristine except for a repaired top crack. That and somebody rubbed the Strad-O-Lin logo off. You can still see the outline if you hold it just right in the light. It has the Treble Clef stencil on the headstock.

[warren]

I have a Stradolin with a solid top, and as far as i can desctibe it - a solid back made of birch or sometthing similar with a papar thin veneer of maple. Now i understand that this would mean it is a ply back but surely its a solid back since the actual wood that is doing the work is 3mm of solid wood and the veneer is jus for decoration.
So when is ply solid ?
Of course the size of those braces is going to do more to determine the sound than the actual quality of back wood. seeing those pics is an eye opener for anyone interested in the ply versus solid argument, cos even if its solid it has half a tree running across its belly.
Mine sounds surprisingly good though.

[MikeEdgerton]

I have a Stradolin with a solid top, and as far as i can desctibe it - a solid back made of birch or sometthing similar with a papar thin veneer of maple. Now i understand that this would mean it is a ply back but surely its a solid back since the actual wood that is doing the work is 3mm of solid wood and the veneer is jus for decoration.
So when is ply solid ?
Of course the size of those braces is going to do more to determine the sound than the actual quality of back wood. seeing those pics is an eye opener for anyone interested in the ply versus solid argument, cos even if its solid it has half a tree running across its belly.
Mine sounds surprisingly good though.
Your back would not be solid as it is laminated wood. Many of these did sound good. Why not post a picture of it?

[Bill Snyder]

Selmer guitars had laminated backs and sides and there are some fairly expensive classical guitars that use laminated backs and sides.
This is not to say that the laminated material used in the Selmers is quite the same as the cheap imports. I believe the luthiers of some of the better instruments laminated their own backs and sides out of slected tonewoods.

[MikeEdgerton]

Here's (http://www.frets.com/FRETSPages/Museum/Guitar/Washburn/LHGoldLeaf/lhgold.html) a Washburn guitar from Frank Ford's frets.com (http://www.frets.com) museum with laminated sides.

[David Newton]

Many early guitars had spruce back and sides laminated with Rosewood or other exotic wood veneer.
On the oval hole, Mike, it also looks like it has a shadow of a second top lateral brace. Do?
And by the way, your SOL is beautiful.

[MikeEdgerton]

Thanks, every time I think about selling that mandolin to finance another I always stop myself.

[steve V. johnson]

Hey Mike E.,

Thanks for the great pix and infos! Fascinating.

BTW, I had a '52 Epiphone Devon archtop guitar that had laminated sides and back. It was a rompin' stompin'
guitar. Great sound, wonderful fun to play. I understand that a lot of Epi archtops of that time were made of
laminates....

Thanks,

stv

[Schlegel]

Thought I'd add some pics of the inside of an F-hole Stradolin...different bracing from Mike's. No back brace.

[MikeEdgerton]

Great shots, post one of the top from the top so we know what model it is by sight.

[Schlegel]

Good idea- here's the top.

[Schlegel]

Oh, and mine seems to have the exact same clamp mark on the head block as yours-

[MikeEdgerton]

Oh, and mine seems to have the exact same clamp mark on the head block as yours-

You'd have to make the assumption that they were related and came out of the same shop then.

[John Arnold]

I have had a longtime affair with Stradolins. The first one was an F-hole model with the dark sunburst and 1930's tuners. Since then, I have bought a few more and sold a couple. AFAIK, all the solid wood models are pressed. That explains why the lateral top brace is necessary to maintain the arching.
I once showed one to George Gruhn, who poo-pooed it as a 'budget' mandolin, probably Chicago made. I simply pointed out that they often sound better than a Gibson A-50, for a fraction of the price.
Before they got discovered on Ebay, I could buy them for considerably less than $150.

[MikeEdgerton]

I have had a longtime affair with Stradolins. The first one was an F-hole model with the dark sunburst and 1930's tuners. Since then, I have bought a few more and sold a couple. AFAIK, all the solid wood models are pressed. That explains why the lateral top brace is necessary to maintain the arching.
I once showed one to George Gruhn, who poo-pooed it as a 'budget' mandolin, probably Chicago made. I simply pointed out that they often sound better than a Gibson A-50, for a fraction of the price.
Before they got discovered on Ebay, I could buy them for considerably less than $150.

Other than the mention on Mugwumps of one being carved, I've never seen one and I own one of the nicest Strad's I've ever seen. I'm pretty sure it was pressed. I bought mine for $50.00 including the shipping. Check out the Strad-O-Lin Social Group for more pictures.