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**Alex Timmerman** · Feb-08-2004, 5:25pm

Hello,

Anybody seen a mandothing (mandohorn?) like this before?

Greetings,

Alex

PS. I wonder how it projects...

**Jim Garber** · Feb-08-2004, 6:38pm

I haven't seen a mandolin version of such a thing, but I own a Stroh recording violin with a similar contraption. This mandolin tho looks like it may not have the refinements of the Stroh intruments which were made in the UK in the 1920s. They were intended to focus the sound for early acoustic recordings.

Jim

**bolannta** · Feb-08-2004, 6:47pm

Modern Stroh violins for sale.

**Jim Garber** · Feb-08-2004, 6:53pm

Attached is a scan of a set of Stroh intruments from the Roy Acuff Museum in Nashville, TN. These include a single string fiddle, two 4 string fiddles and a Hawaiian guitar. I believe that they also made ukuleles but i don;t recall a mandolin.

There are these type of instruments based on acoustic phonograph principles made today in Romania. I believe those are the ones sold by Lark in the Morning.

Jim

**Jim Garber** · Feb-08-2004, 7:13pm

Here is another one, a violin at the National Music Museum in South Dakota.

And here's the Strohukulele.

On a second look at the one you picture, Alex, it is possible that someone took a Stroh-Viol (or something similar) and converted it for use as a mandolin. Otherwise why would they build it with that shoulder piece whch would be more of a positioning device forthe player of a violin. Also, I have never seen a fancy fingerboard on a Stroh.

BTW is that something you own or want to own or something you just saw somewhere.

Jim

**Alex Timmerman** · Feb-09-2004, 2:05am

Hello all,

I wonder if we will encounter a second mandolin like this?
Jim, I am not sure either, but it looks quite original (it also looks like there has been a 2nd smaller horn attached to the tin box). But if it´s been put together, it was done by someone who knew well what he was doing.

What you call the ´shoulder piece´ looks to me more like an metal armrest. Even a bit ornamentated like those we see on mandolins. But that could of course also be work of the converter.

But it is indeed difficult to say from photos if it´s a genuine example or not.
So let´s keep or eyes open for other horn mandolins.

I saw it at eBay France where it is still on auction. Nobody bidding (yet).
Here is the quick link to that page:

Objet eBay France

Cheers,

Alex

**Jim Garber** · Feb-09-2004, 8:11am

Alex:
Thanks for the link. I don't think this is a genuine Stroh and could have been built from scratch using a Stroviol as a model. The seller says, "Inscription :made by sayakoont tharrawdy". Strange spelling of a name -- I am not even sure of the nationality of that person tho of course it could be a mispelling.

Pardon my mis-describing the part: I meant by "shoulder piece" that small jutting metal part that approximates the upper treble bout of the violin. I was just musing that I wasn't sure how useful that would be on a mandolin whereas on a violin it would help with upper positions.

The second horn is called a monitor horn BTW and since the object of this instrument is to direct the sound outward away from the player, the second horn allows the player to hear what he/she is playing.

Jim

**etbarbaric** · Feb-09-2004, 5:42pm

One of these (perhaps this very instrument) sold at a French auction late last year. The location of this one in France makes me think it is probably the same instrument and not a second example.

It looks like a punch line.. and the answer to:

"What do you get when you cross a mandolin
with a trumpet?"

:-)

Eric

**Neil Gladd** · Feb-09-2004, 7:58pm

Stroh did make a mandolin, and somewhere I have a photocopy of a photocopy of their catalog. As soon as it turns up... This instrument on French eBay is the last thing I need, but I am so tempted. #I also want a Merrill aluminum mandolin.

**Jim Garber** · Feb-09-2004, 7:59pm

Eric
Perhaps the most prominent use of these Stroviols in contemporary pop music has been on recent CDs by Tom Waits. The woman who plays this instrument gets a tone that is a hybrid of trumpet and violin and is quite haunting. I can't quite do that with mine. In fact, I do take it out once in a while but it is rather unwieldy and tiring to play for #a long period of time.

Jim

**Jim Garber** · Feb-09-2004, 8:02pm

Originally Posted by (ngladd @ Feb. 09 2004, 20:58)

Stroh did make a mandolin, and somewhere I have a photocopy of a photocopy of their catalog. As soon as it turns up... This instrument on French eBay is the last thing I need, but I am so tempted. #I also want a Merrill aluminum mandolin.

Neil:
I have a feeling that this is not made by Stroh. As I said, I don't recall a Stroh having such a fancy fingerboard. I would be curious to see your copy catalog and compare. It sounds like this one might even be a more modern copy from eastern Europe.

You might contact the seller for more info -- it would be great if it were a decent playable instrument and you would be the man to have it-- or at least to keep it in our mandolin family.

Hey, get it and we can bring our Strohs (and a six pack of Stroh beer) to CMSA for some wild duets.

Jim

**etbarbaric** · Feb-09-2004, 8:26pm

Hi Jim,

I can imagine that the Stroh violin might be rather an ergonomic nightmare to play... Nonetheless, the look is entirely too cool. And Neil, as for the mandolin version... better you than I!!!

I've never heard a Stroh violin played but I have this idea that one would drag the bow across the string and something akin to the sound of an old cylinder recording would come out of the horn... :-)

No wait! I have it... Vivaldi's Concerto Con Molti Instrumenti. His instructions call for two "Violini in Tromba Marina"... we've never known quite what he meant... now we know!!! :-) :-) :-) :-)

Eric

**Neil Gladd** · Feb-09-2004, 10:19pm

A few years ago, I did a concert / recording session at the Edison Historic Site, the FIRST recording studio! We played some period tunes and recorded them with the 100 year old technology: wax cylinders. Here are some photos of the session. You can see a Stroh violin, and me playing into a tin horn.

**Jim Garber** · Feb-09-2004, 11:03pm

Neil--
Great pics. I love the one of cutting the cylinder with the wax flying. But, what's with that electronic keyboard? They couldn't find a piano or a pump organ? It ruins the mood, IMHO.

Jim

**Neil Gladd** · Feb-10-2004, 5:28am

Jim,

We were told they would have a piano there, and when we arrived an hour beforehand, there was no piano. Luckily, the keyboard player just happened to have that in his car. I thought it ruined the mood, too, but it's what we had.

**Jim Garber** · Feb-10-2004, 7:25am

I figured there was a logical explanation. Ah, the woes of a piano player... at least we mandolinists have control over what we play, and the tuning thereof.

Jim

**Bob DeVellis** · Feb-10-2004, 8:44am

"sayakoont tharrawdy" sounds like it might be a Thai name.

**Jim Garber** · Feb-11-2004, 7:37am

Here is a good picture of a real Stroviol at the Bowes Museum. This one has the monitor horn. The large horn looks more finished and polished to me than the mandolin on eBay France.

Jim

**gilgamesh** · Feb-17-2004, 6:16pm

From memory only - didn't the Temperance Seven use a Stroh?

**Alex Timmerman** · Mar-31-2004, 2:16pm

Hello all,

View here if you like Aluminium instruments: a Hutchins 1895 aluminum roundback mandolin has come up for auction at eBay´s.

Best,

Alex

**GBG** · Mar-31-2004, 3:11pm

Musical sausage grinders?

**Jim Garber** · Mar-31-2004, 3:49pm

I once had an aluminum-bowled mandolin by Merrill. But that one had the rest of the parts being standard: neck and top were all wood etc. There was some nice decorative engraving on the bowl.

But I certainly haven't seen an all-aluminum instrument.

Jim

**Alex Timmerman** · Apr-01-2004, 1:00am

Interesting isn´t it? There are always new things to discover; it looks like it never stops #

.

Here another VERY interesting instrument that I found yesterday on eBay.

A "one of a kind" 5x2 strung Chris Knutsen.

Click here to view it´s front and back at the eBay Webpage.

Best,

Alex

**Plamen Ivanov** · Apr-01-2004, 1:11am

Hello,

Yes, the engravings are great. I`m still curious about the tone. Does anybody have an experience with aluminium mandolins? I personally liked also the information about the countries, where this model was patented.
The second one is also interesting. I have seen similare shapes, but the second hole is new to me. Isn`t the price to high anyway? I suppose it might be an unique one, but...?! What do you think?

Good luck!

**Jim Garber** · Apr-01-2004, 7:15am

Alex:
I was trying to figure out what this thing was. The scale is 18 inches (457mm). I assume it is some sort of liuto-type or as we say 5-string octave mandola.

What is the measure for the scale of a liuto?

As to the Knutsen: we are not 100% sure that that is what it is but it is likely. The buyer is a colleague of Eugene's. He is a musician and a collector and player of the oddball instruments. Hie is Gregg Miner and is the proprietor of The Knutsen Archives, among other things. He also has a page about mandolinettos.

BTW Gregg tells me that he knows of the existence of another 10 string instrument similar to the one he just won on eBay.

Jim