I recently acquired this nice Vega cylinder back mandolin. The previous owner thought it to be a 207 model. I think its a 205 model, however there is a reference to the 207 models as having "a lighter-finished maple body", posted here. http://bellsouthpwp.com/r/d/rdevelli...%20Mandola.htm It lacks the Abalone purfling but the binding is Ebony, not celluloid that I have seen in another 205 example. The tail piece cover is not original and would have been engraved, the cloud shape is correct though. The body is also deeper than another 205 I compared it too. The headstock is also different from what I have seen. I believe that there is a certain amount of variation within the cylinder back family. Scale length is 13 5/8". The serial number is 37184, I have no idea where this dates the instrument. It is stamped with the patent dates so it was made after Nov. 4 1913. Maybe some one here is familiar with Vega's serial numbers.
I can't find much about them on the Internet. Bernunzio has some pictures of them but none are labeled with the model numbers.
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