View Full Version : Victor Mandolin S.C.M. Co. ??
endlessjammer
Dec-23-2008, 10:50pm
Any help as to who may have built this and when, or other info, would be appreciated. I picked it up at an antique store in my town. I previously asked about this mandolin and was advised to post photos. They are now included so hopefully someone could tell me something about it. The label says Victor, S.C.M. Co., Los Angeles, and someone said it is probably was made for the Southern California Music Company by another company. I added a bridge and strings and it plays OK, but nothing special. Thanks a bunch.
-Bill
JEStanek
Dec-23-2008, 11:06pm
I'll move this to the looking for information about mandolins section. I think you'll get more help in that section.
Jamie
MikeEdgerton
Dec-24-2008, 3:40am
Here (http://www.mandolincafe.com/forum/showthread.php?t=45631&highlight=Victor) was the response to your earlier message on this subject. I see this time you have posted pictures, thanks. This was a generic for the trade instrument that might be found with many different labels on it. From what I'm seeing I'd say it was built sometime in the late 20's/30's, in Chicago. There is nothing that I see that definitely indicates it was built by one of the big three builders, it could have been built by any of them. Jim Garber has on occasion been able to come up with a catalog page from that era that can get closer to the date and the manufacturer. Let's see if he can provide one here. Allen Hopkins has already identified in the other thread who it was probably made for.
allenhopkins
Dec-24-2008, 1:17pm
Headstock shape seems nearly identical to the headstock on this Supertone mandolin (http://www.elderly.com/items/90U-3886.htm) formerly on sale at Elderly. Harmony made a lot of Supertones, but apparently this was a Sears catalog brand (later became "Silvertone"), and Sears would order instruments from a variety of manufacturers and put the "Supertone" logo on them.
So I like Mike E's guess of '20's-'30's Chicago origin. I'd think earlier rather than later, as the decal ornamentation on the top suggests some '20's vintage Regals etc. I've seen.