Information about Antique Mandolin

[thefretman]

Looking for help from anyone. I have an old mandolin, "LadyBug"
type, with a label in it marked American Conservatory, and the initals LH. Nothing else in it. no date etc.

If anyone knows of such a manufacture, etc. please drop me a line
with any information you might have.

Sincerely, thefretman

I can be reached at (daveandgert@netzero.net) http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/mandosmiley.gif

[Eugene]

American Conservatory was a mid-level brand of Chicago's Lyon & Healy Co. Kinda cool, but very abundant so not at all valuable. If you string it t pitch, please only use the very lightest strings available: e.g., GHS's "Classical mandolin" set.
Enjoy.

[keef]

Many of these AC's have a serial number on the neck block...is there one?

[Jim Baker]

Sorry for opening up an old topic like this, but I just aquired an old "American Coservatory" mandolin. The serial number is "218903.
Is there a way of knowing when it was made? Also, is it possible to find information on the neck block construction? It looks like it needs a reset.

Thanks

[MikeEdgerton]

Jim Garber has some old catalogs of these. If you could post a picture he might be able to get close on the date.

[keef]

218903 would date back to around 1906.

The necks of these bowlbacks were usually dovetailed into the block. There likely will be a metal bar underneath the fingerboard that also runs into the top of the instrument.

[Jim Baker]

Thanks Keef. What is the metal bar for? Does a neck reset mean removing the top? Can't see how to get at it any other way.

[Jim Baker]

Here is a front view of this mandolin. Not a very good picture, but all I have at the moment.

http://i137.photobucket.com/albums/q221/Jimb3893/AC_MANDO.jpg

I popped off the finger board. No Steel bar in there as I suspected.