Lucky number 13

**MANDOLINMYSTER** · Jan-23-2010, 7:03pm

Heres a Slingerland songster mandolin that I picked up over the summer that I have been slowly repairing. I say lucky number 13 because when I removed the neck and fingerboard I found the #13 penciled on each of the parts. It had some issues but I feel it will turn out nice when completed. For now I'm just dry fitting the parts and need to coax the rim back to align with the back.
I'm not sure who really made these, but its X braced and has a cool look and feel to it.

**MANDOLINMYSTER** · Jan-23-2010, 7:07pm

some more

**Jill McAuley** · Jan-23-2010, 8:13pm

Cool! Looking forward to seeing that one when you're all done!

Cheers,
Jill

**allenhopkins** · Jan-23-2010, 8:19pm

Originally Posted by MANDOLINMYSTER

I'm not sure who really made these...

Apparently an open question as to how many Slingerland and Maybell guitars and mandolins were actually made by Slingerland, and how many were contracted from other Chicago builders like Regal and Harmony. Here's a Slingerland website with a nice picture gallery and a short but interesting history of the company, which basically made banjos, then drums, and never really was a major player in the wood-bodied instrument market. Still, there are quite a few Maybells around, and some Slingerlands as well.

**jim simpson** · Jan-23-2010, 10:38pm

Michael,
Great photos! Good luck with your restoration, it looks like a quality mandolin.

**Dale Ludewig** · Jan-24-2010, 10:46am

David Kolars, whose site Allen referenced, is my best, not counting my wife, friend. He has to our knowledge the largest Slingerland collection in the world. Plus MayBells. A fine fellow. An incredible musician. If you have any questions I can't think of a more knowledgeable person on this topic. Contact him.
Dale

**MANDOLINMYSTER** · Jan-24-2010, 12:09pm

Thanks for the kind words and I did corespond with David Kolars about it. Seems even he is not certain about manufacture. Its kind of like the Stradolin saga. It looks very Harmony like, but it has different bracing and f hole shapes, someone said perhaps Gretsch? One good thing about this one is there are no cracks, just the typical neck bow and failed neck joint so common on 60 plus year olds of this caliper. Another interesting note is the use of a hard wood strip down the center of the neck and lets not forget the jewels in the peghead...so ugly its cool.

**dkolars** · Jan-24-2010, 12:33pm

Hey, Michael, looking good... I've had a Maybell apart, but not the Songster... they're built the same, as I suspected... Let me know how it sounds when it's up and running... I have one that is really nice, and another that is kinda ho hum... How much they were played makes a BIG difference in the sound. Much more so than with modern instruments... dk www.davekolars.com