help Identifying a mandolin

**Diamondback_Jack** · Aug-22-2011, 6:43pm

Hey everybody, I picked up this old mandolin from a buddy of mine. At first glance I thought it was an old Martin but as you can see in the photos the back of the headstock is carved. The back and sides look like Brazilian Rosewood, the neck is Mahogany. The pickgaurd is inlaid in the bent top. The frets are bar frets, the markers look like pearl. If anybody can give me any more information on it I'd really appreciate it. Or if anyone can post a picture of a correct style bridge, I'd like to make one to fit so I can string it up. Thanks

-A.J.

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**MandoSquirrel** · Aug-22-2011, 7:04pm

Yours is almost identical to my "Victoria, B&J, New York", made by Stromberg- Voisenet in the first half of the 20th century.
I don't have good pics, but maybe you can see the bridge well enough in this one.

I've had to replace the tailpiece on mine, so the one in the picture is not the original, for which I don't have a cover.
Your tuners have been replaced with non-originals that don't really work with the design, but if they work, that's more important.

These are (at least mine is) quite nice mandolins when in proper working condition, and at reasonable prices.
Such pictures as I have are here:
http://mandosquirrel.u.yuku.com/gallery/ls/aid/74374

**Diamondback_Jack** · Aug-22-2011, 7:21pm

That's a very nice mandolin, thanks for the pictures! I don't have the tailpiece cover either, but I might end up making one. I noticed one both sides of the headstock their are dowels, I just assumed the headstock had busted but it still might have. When I picked up the mandolin it apparently had been in Someones basement for a while. I'm hoping I can fix it up to play. How does yours sound?

**MikeEdgerton** · Aug-22-2011, 8:44pm

It was made by Stromberg-Voisenet. That company became the Kay Company.

**Diamondback_Jack** · Aug-22-2011, 9:01pm

Would it be worth restoring?

**MikeEdgerton** · Aug-22-2011, 9:36pm

Only if you can do it for less than a hundred bucks or so. Other than that you better like it a whole lot.

**Jim Garber** · Aug-23-2011, 9:52am

I think it might be worth putting some money/time into this but don't necessarily expect to recoup your investment. The best part is the rosewood back and sides. I am not sure about the bridge indicated in MandoSquirrel's pic, tho. That looks mighty chunky to me and may or may not be in the proper place. I would not bother to find the ultimate vintage bridge -- just set it up to play with a stock flattop bridge. Elderly has a few. The tuners are not original BTW.

**Rodney Riley** · Aug-23-2011, 10:54am

Originally Posted by Diamondback_Jack

I noticed on both sides of the headstock their are dowels, I just assumed the headstock had busted but it still might have.

The dowels are filling the holes where the original tuning shafts came out.

**MandoSquirrel** · Aug-24-2011, 7:30pm

The bridge on mine is the one that was on it when I got it, in 1984(tuners, also). It's positioned so the intonation is correct, whether that's where it's supposed to go or not.

Mine has the sound I expect from a vintage flatback, similar to Howard Armstrong's sound. It works for anything but bluegrass, in my opinion.

Nashville session man & Levon Helm producer, Larry Campbell offered a similar mando in the Cafe classifieds a year or two ago, listed at $450, if I remember correctly. I don't know if he got it, but it would take more than that to pry Victoria from me.