Mystery Mandolin--Please help with any information

[Handlebar HutcH]

I am hunting for any information on the pictured mandolin. It was my dad’s and I don’t know anything about it, other than it lived on a shelf in a closet for all my life. I never saw it played. I assume it predates World War 2, at least. I recently had it repaired and made playable. As far as I, and the repair guy, know—except for the bridge, nut, and strings—it is all original. I have been scouring Google and have only found 1 picture of a mandolin like it. It describes it as an “Unknown Montgomery Ward ‘mandolin type’ instrument.”

It has a round, gold colored, Montgomery Ward sticker inside. I have not been able to find any other identifying marks. It has a flat back and flat top, but it is not the pear or teardrop shape I seen the most of when I search “vintage flat top mandolins.” It has “shoulders” like a guitar or ukulele, but the sides are straight. It kind of looks like a guitar shape without curves. It has an oval sound hole surrounded by a simple vine decoration. The headstock is very simple, just rounded on top with no visible markings. It has a metal seashell shaped tailpiece.

I tried to take pictures of all the parts that might help with identifying it. I can post other pictures if there is something someone thinks would help with the identification.

Thanks for any help. I just want to find out more about my dad’s mandolin.

[billkilpatrick]

Russian or East European import would be my guess - based solely on what I could see of the finish and the tailpiece.

[sblock]

Well, the body has the same shape as a "pineapple" ukulele. Apparently, the pineapple design was created by Sam Kamaka Sr. (Kamaka ukuleles) and patented in 1928. It was simpler and less costly to make, and offered a larger body volume than a soprano uke, with a distinctive tone. This instrument could well be an off-shoot of (or inspired by) that development. The design has not survived in the mando world, though, so I suspect its tone is surpassed by other body shapes.

[Jeff Mando]

Very cool looking! I'm guessing 1930's Chicago-made. Not worth much, but has a very high "cool factor". Something you don't see everyday. Great wall-hanger, as they say.

[MikeZito]

Every once in a while I see scans of old Montgomery-Wards catalogs online - perhaps that could give you a clue as to year, model, etc. . . .

[MikeEdgerton]

I believe they were made by Regal, I've owned two. That one was sold by Chicago based retailer Montgomery Ward. I believe Tom Flood bought to carcass of the last one I sold on eBay many years ago. I was basically scavenging them for the tuners and tailpieces at the time.

[MikeEdgerton]

Found a picture of the carcass of one, the tailpiece and tuners. A perfect example of instruments built "for the trade" with no label so the retailer could label it. I always thought this was aimed at an ethnic group but it could have been a reaction to the Hawaiian music craze that enthralled the country twice between the teens and the forties.

[Mark Gunter]

Kinda cool, my first thought on seeing it was just how cheaply these could be built, with the pineapple shape, birch construction and painted adornments. The hawaiian/uke connection makes sense. As usual, kudos to the knowledgeable people on this board, there's a lot to be learned from you guys!

[jesserules]

Sort of a pineapple taropatch uke with steel strings.

Any chance the two low courses are meant to be tuned in octaves?

[MikeEdgerton]

I doubt anyone gave it that much thought. They were probably looking more for a look than a sound.

[allenhopkins]

I believe they were made by Regal,..

There is a nearly-identically-bodied guitar pictured on p.198 of Carlin's Regal Musical Instruments, 1895-1955. It's a 1949 catalog listing for a "Regal Model No. 511 Hawaiian Type Guitar," described as "A grand new shape for studio use where something distinctly different is needed," and is listed for $14.50.

[MikeEdgerton]

There is a nearly-identically-bodied guitar pictured on p.198 of Carlin's Regal Musical Instruments, 1895-1955. It's a 1949 catalog listing for a "Regal Model No. 511 Hawaiian Type Guitar," described as "A grand new shape for studio use where something distinctly different is needed," and is listed for $14.50.

Indeed there is.