Mandolin with J W on the neck

[SBrockman]

Hi , I just registered to find out about my grandfather's mandolin. I will try to attach two pics. The neck has a J over a W and in one of the f holes is the following

S-1938-0001

Any information would be appreciated.

Well, I can't seem to be able to upload from my phone. I will try to upload it later.

[SBrockman]

A couple pics

[allenhopkins]

Beats me with a stick. If that serial number signifies the first instrument built in 1938, it may well be an individual builder, with the initials "J W." The elaborate fretboard extension would be an excellent clue, if I could ID one similar. Which I can't.

Any more info -- where it was bought, when, etc.? Also, a closeup of the tailpiece cover might be of some help, though it doesn't look particularly distinctive in the second photo.

[OldGus]

I remember seeing what was said to be the first remake of an F5 with bound ff holes, I think it was someone with those initials. I've seen where John Wynn used a similar logo on his A5's sometimes...

[Bill Snyder]

Looking at John Wynn's website I came across this photo with the same fretboard extension.

HERE is the website.

[Bill Snyder]

Looking a little bit further I see that there is an online form to submit your Wynn instrument information to be included on the website.
You might contact them and see what they have to say about your instrument.

[Jeff Mando]

Nice website. Looks like John Wynn was a busy man!

[SBrockman]

I don't think it is by Wynn. My grandfather had it since the sixties at least. That tail piece does look very similar though. Any other suggestions or person to contact for information?

[Jim Broyles]

Scroll down a little on the Wynn site. Your headstock JW logo is there.

[Jeff Mando]

I don't think it is by Wynn. My grandfather had it since the sixties at least. That tail piece does look very similar though. Any other suggestions or person to contact for information?

Looks like John Wynn was working in Ozark/Branson, MO area. Was your grandfather from MO?

[SBrockman]

Yes, my grandfather was from that area, but the website states that Wynn made mandolins starting in the 70's. My mother and uncle say that he played this mandolin back in the sixties. Then the stamp of the serial S-1938-0001. I don't think that matches the serial sequence of the others. I will look again at the neck one of you mentioned.

[Jeff Mando]

Yes, my grandfather was from that area, but the website states that Wynn made mandolins starting in the 70's. My mother and uncle say that he played this mandolin back in the sixties. Then the stamp of the serial S-1938-0001. I don't think that matches the serial sequence of the others. I will look again at the neck one of you mentioned.

Just trying to do a little "forensic files" type detective work, to be helpful. Not sure about the serial number--the mandolin is not from 1938, if that is what you are thinking. My first impression when I saw the pics was that it was modern (70's to the present), again just my impression for what that is worth, but I've been studying instruments up close and personal for 50 years. The website has done everything but shown your exact instrument--it shows one with a similar peghead logo, one with a similar fingerboard extension--I think if you look at the pics again, it is a slam dunk--especially the detail of the fingerboard extension--I believe that is as good as a fingerprint as we are going to find. If you add in the peghead logo (obviously Wynn varied his peghead designs, but one very similar to yours is shown). Plus the fact that he lived in the area--those three factoids present a case for it being a Wynn mandolin.

My experience working with buying and selling vintage guitars has been that family members often forgot dates or if he played this particular mandolin or another one he had at the time. When someone is older, we assume their instrument is older, too, and that often is not the case.

[OldGus]

I've owned two Wynns and still have one of them. Both had/have points on the bracing, no kerfed lining and have a groove carved around the inside parameter of the back and top. If it has these unique features I'd say it's a Wynn for sure...

[MikeEdgerton]

That serial number might say 1938 but the tailpiece isn't anywhere near that old. I seriously doubt that was when it was built. It's pretty much a copy of a Gibson A style body. That same tailpiece style is used on hundreds of mandolins, again a Gibson copy.

That same logo appears on a mandolin down the page (as has been stated above) on the Wynn website. It can be found here.

As someone that is probably near your father's age it's pretty easy to blur the 60's and the 70's and the other side is that the web site might have it wrong as to when Wynn started building. Don't look for consistency in small builders, it looks like he was building every mandolin differently. Even his logo changed over the years. It also looks like he was building some kits.

Your mandolin was built by whomever built that mandolin on that page linked to above.

[OldGus]

They are not all the same but internally I think they are all unique, albeit most following a similar format, and that should be easily identifiable in most cases based on key features...

[MikeEdgerton]

You don't have to go that deep. It has his logo on the headstock. Believe me, nobody is going to forge that.

[OldGus]

I don't think so either but being that I've owned two and know a little more about them than what meets the eye in a picture I would be interested to hear if this one is similar internally and also get closure in the mind of the OP that this is the builder.

[Ivan Kelsall]

It may very well be a mandolin that John Wynn built before he became a full time luthier. It's not unknown for a then 'amateur' luthier to build a few instruments for local musicians & then to find that after a few years,folk begin to order in number sufficient for him to become a fulltime luthier. One of my mandolins is by the Czech.builder,Jiri Lebeda,& that's exactly how he began his building. The first one was for himself & then a few friends,then the word got around & the next thing he's employing other builders to work for him,
Ivan

[SBrockman]

Thank you all very much for the information and research. I am on a two week business trip so it will be a while before I can reply with any further information. My uncle passed it on to me this weekend along with the strap he made for it in high school. The strap was made in the early sixties based on when he graduated. Now it might be that this is not the same mandolin.

Thanks again and I will post more info once I have some.

[Rush Burkhardt]

One other possibility: I have a 1937 Gibson A-1 (or A-50) that was re-necked and re-calibrated by Lou Stiver in recent years. I wonder if the instrument pictured could have been a re-necked Gibson, from the late 30's? I'm just sayin'...

[MikeEdgerton]

I was just getting ready to say that. This is by far in my estimation the best looking body of any mandolins he built. I wonder if he renecked a 1938 Gibson? That would make sense on a lot of levels.

[Willie Poole]

Isn`t that serial number label different than what was in a `38 Gibson?

[MikeEdgerton]

Yes, and? Why would he put the Gibson serial number on his label if this was what he what he was doing, if in fact that was what he was doing? He didn't put a truss rod in the neck or the Gibson logo on the headstock. If this is indeed what it was he simply serialized his work. From the number it might have been the first time he did anything like this. The bigger question is if the FON is still stamped inside.

[Jeff Mando]

I think if we held the instrument in our hands, things would be much clearer. But, we are going by a couple of not-so-detailed pics, which makes it more of a challenge.

[Bill Snyder]

One thing is for certain, John Wynn did not build this mandolin in 1938. That was the year of his birth. Perhaps the S-1938-0001 was significant because of that.