View Full Version : What type is this?
hemidemisemiquavered
Dec-26-2008, 8:54pm
It is a very old mandolin that I recieved for my birthday. It has no markings or writing on it. My great, great grandmother played it some time between 1900-1920, but I don't know how old or what type it is. I have pictures at the following address:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/28004625@N06/?saved=1
hemidemisemiquavered:mandosmiley:
man dough nollij
Dec-26-2008, 8:58pm
Are there any stickers or markings inside?
MikeEdgerton
Dec-26-2008, 10:20pm
It was made in Chicago, "for the trade" (no label), probably by Regal or Harmony, most likely in the mid to late 20's early 30's.
allenhopkins
Dec-27-2008, 11:17am
What Mike E said. There are skillions of these still around. If you get a bridge and string it up, it may sound pleasant, and you have the warm fuzzy of playing a family heirloom. I have a B&D Victoria bowl-back and a no-name inexpensive banjo that came down through my family, and it's nice just to have that link to the past.
Bill Snyder
Dec-27-2008, 6:16pm
Your flicker page asks if it is a piccolo mandolin. Based on your measurement to the 12th fret it appears to be a full sized mandolin. A regular mandolin would have a scale length of 13-14 inches. The norm for American made (and most imports to the states) now is 13 7/8". 13 inches was common at one time and some luthiers use 14" today (such as Weber).
The scale length is going to be the distance to the 12th fret doubled (give or take a bit for compensation). FWIW, the tape should be butted to the fret side of the nut as that is where the string is free to vibrate.
barney 59
Jan-16-2009, 10:35am
I have an old Stella that looks very much like this mandolin. If it is it looks old enough that I would think that it was still possibly in the era of Oscar Schmidt manufacturing (Pre Harmony) . Kay manufactured lots of instruments (maybe more than anyone) and the overall look of that mandolin looks like something they would do. Kay often said nothing or had a stamp with a letter and a number or just a number. Other than that there were ,beginning in the 1820's probably 2000 different manufacturers of fretted instruments in the U.S, prior to WWII. Michael Holmes published a list of over 1800 and I've identified maybe a hundred more that didn't make his list. I probably stumble on another one every two weeks or so. The guess of Chicago and Harmony was as close as you'll probably ever get.