anyone recommend a good restorer in California?

[Boxertwin]

My great grandfather worked at Regal and I have a bowl back he made in 1902. It is missing the bridge, has cracks, broken pick guard etc. Does anyone have someone they highly recommend in Southern California…or the US?

[MikeEdgerton]

If you can post a few pictures I'm sure we can recommend some folks. It's best if we can actually see the condition.

[Boxertwin]

Here are a few. Thanks.

[MikeEdgerton]

The good news is that it isn't in very bad shape unless there are neck issues that I can't see. The bridge is easy, the pickguard will have to be replaced with a newer product. I'm assuming that it either tortoise shell (banned) or celluloid (highly flammable in that state). Any decent luthier should be able to do both. Is there a Wulschner Regal paper label or wooden medallion inside that mandolin? They would look the ones in this thread. The year 1902 looks right but without that label I suspect your great grandfather might have been working for Lyon and Healy in Chicago when it was made. The Chicago Regal operation didn't start until well after 1902.

Beyond that, I don't know of anyone in southern California (someone else might pop in with a name) but I'm sure that Gay Vessel in Modesto or Frank Ford at Gryphon in Palo Alto can do the work.

[Jim Garber]

the pickguard will have to be replaced with a newer product. I'm assuming that it either tortoise shell (banned) or celluloid (highly flammable in that state).

I would replace the pickguard with Tortis material which is (I believe) milk-based like the Red Bear picks or similar. You or your restorer can get sheets from LMII. Actually I got some for a restoration of a guitar I had as well as my Embergher mandolin but it looks like the supply is limited or at least not avalailable at this moment. I think there may be some other suppliers of this stuff.

Stew-Mac has some that looks pretty good.

[Boxertwin]

HI, There are no badges or labels inside other than his name, Rydell, and the number 48 both of which are on the flat backing where the neck joins. There is a 1902 but it written in pen and probably done by my grandmother. Her biography say that he started working at Welschner Brother in 1896. It then says "He worked at this job until he opened a musicial instrument factory of his own for which he hired experienced workmen from New York and Chicago. His company was called Regal Manufacturing Company".

I'm doubt she has her facts straight in saying that he started Regal, being that a few years later he moved on to making wood chassis parts for trucks but maybe she was right. She wrote this in the early 90's and I can imagine that 90 years could warp the facts a bit…I know I forget what I had for breakfast much less a story I was told when I was young 80+ years ago.