odd resonator mando in photo on ebay

[Cary Fagan]

Anyone seen one of these?

http://www.ebay.ca/itm/50s-BANJO-GUI...item43cfbcb4e2

[jim simpson]

Interesting, makes me think it might just be the resonator coverplate without a cone.

[mrmando]

Guitar-size coverplate on mandolin body. Looks like custom work. Maybe that's Louis Dopyera and his grandsons? I'm not so sure it doesn't have a cone ... someone went to some trouble to design and build that thing to look that way, and if the coverplate is just for decoration you have to ask whether it was worth the trouble.

[allenhopkins]

That's a Dobro cover plate design, not National, and it's obviously guitar size, not what would normally be installed on a mandolin. Looks like a one-of; can't find anything similar in a brief but intense Web search.

[Bertram Henze]

Judging from the woman facepalming in the background window, it must sound awful...

[Jim Garber]

For further historical discussions...

[Jeff Mando]

Looks like they have brand new leather shoes, also!

[bingoccc]

Some type of faux with a fake top? Those points and headstock combined with a round body do look distinctive though.