Wear and tear

[Austin Koerner]

I was reading the "Stupid Mistakes" thread and started thinking about wear and tear on mandolins. I know there are probably a bunch of threads about this but I'd like to see some mandos that have honest, road worn scratches and dings! I think it's the coolest looking thing to see natural wear! Mic bumps, pick scratches, finger rubs, and whatever else. Show me whatcha got!

[houseworker]

Shouldn't you be showing us yours to get things rolling?

[Michael Bridges]

Just look at a picture of Mike Marshall's Loar! Enough wear and tear on that one for a lifetime.

[Rush Burkhardt]

This thread sounds pretty cathartic! I look, often, at the pristine instruments pictured and try to remember those days with my mandolin. My mandolin started life as a '37 F-12. In 1966 or 1967 Randy Wood converted her to Loar specs (according to Rual Yarborough, from whom I bought it [in 1969], and later, Randy , who's become a good friend) it was a complete rebuild [his 1st or 2nd conversion]...wood removal, re-calibration and graduation, raised fingerboard, complete rebinding and fern in the head-stock. The "distressing" is honest road-wear. [the "speed-neck" is custom by wear and a pen knife in a hotel room in Prague] She's closed many smoke-filled bars, sat in the trunks of cars [summer and winter], been hauled around dozens of bluegrass festivals, traveled many tens of thousands of air miles [over-head; in her Travelite Case] and even been picked at by a grandkid or two. She has a goose inlaid in the back of the head-stock. I've never named her.111506111507111508111509111510

Thanks for the opportunity to wish you all, and my mandolin, a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!
:popcorn:

[dustyamps]

1933 km-11

[Bertram Henze]

1933 km-11

You need a bigger pickguard...

[Marty Jacobson]

This is one of my favorite examples...

111515

[jim simpson]

111516111517

Can't take credit for the wear on this recent aquisition.

[Austin Koerner]

That's what I'm talkin' about! I'll post pictures of mine tomorrow, though it's not near as worn as these puppies. Keep em coming folks!

[John Flynn]

This could be considered "normal wear and tear" if you hang around a "scorned woman!"

[pelone]

Man oh man----My 1921 Gibson A is looking danged near mint when compared to these naturally distressed instruments. It appears that I need to let go of my inhibitions and do some power playing!!

[William Smith]

This thread sounds pretty cathartic! I look, often, at the pristine instruments pictured and try to remember those days with my mandolin. My mandolin started life as a '37 F-12. In 1966 or 1967 Randy Wood converted her to Loar specs (according to Rual Yarborough, from whom I bought it [in 1969], and later, Randy , who's become a good friend) it was a complete rebuild [his 1st or 2nd conversion]...wood removal, re-calibration and graduation, raised fingerboard, complete rebinding and fern in the head-stock. The "distressing" is honest road-wear. [the "speed-neck" is custom by wear and a pen knife in a hotel room in Prague] She's closed many smoke-filled bars, sat in the trunks of cars [summer and winter], been hauled around dozens of bluegrass festivals, traveled many tens of thousands of air miles [over-head; in her Travelite Case] and even been picked at by a grandkid or two. She has a goose inlaid in the back of the head-stock. I've never named her.111506111507111508111509111510

Thanks for the opportunity to wish you all, and my mandolin, a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!
:popcorn:

Very nice 12 conversion!, Just too bad Randy didn't leave the original finish on your prewar 12!, but they didn't know to do that back then. There are only a few original prewar 12's that are still around today. Does yours still have the original label or was that lost do to the regraduation? I bet that sounds pretty darn good with all the tunes/years in her! I give her 2 thumbs up. way KOOL.

[Rush Burkhardt]

Thanks, Bill! My mandolin still has the label in it, although the years have treated it as you would expect. There are only 3 digits, the last three of course ...303 distinguishable. My only real way of dating it was the story told me by Rual Yarborough (in'69) and later by Randy (a few years ago). The back of the mandolin seems to be birch, which would also lead me to the earlier dating. It sounds great, and has been played, over the years by some pretty good pickers (Bill Monore was at the Berryville Festival, where I got it, and, after watching me, from his car nearby, sweat over my decision [the F-12 conversion or one of Randy's earliest Loar replicas] he asked if might play it, and after 10 minutes said, in his own inimitable style, "that's a good 'un."

Incidentally, Bill, it's not unlikely we ran across one another. In those days (until 7 years ago) I lived in MD and roamed the PA, MD, VA and DC areas to pretty much every BG venue...even as far North as Sugar Grove!
:popcorn:

[Jim Hilburn]

Positive proof I can't play up the neck.

[lorrainehornig]

I'm just curious...why so much wear below the e string? It is because the player is positioning the mandolin with the bottom tilted outward causing the pick to strike the wood in that area? Would the problem be more likely to occur if the player is standing while playing? I don't have a pick guard and don't have wear below the e string...of course my current mandolin is less than 2 years old. Maybe some of you who play gigs would have more insight into this. Sorry if I'm missing something obvious.

[Bertram Henze]

I don't have a pick guard and don't have wear below the e string...of course my current mandolin is less than 2 years old.

I play mandolin family instruments for 30 years now and never had wear below the E string(s) either. I don't understand how they do it or why. It must be a Freudian thing, beating your instrument to death because your Ma gave you your first instrument for Christmas instead of the motorcycle or flamethrower you really wanted... :whistling:

[sebastiaan56]

I just gagged on my cereal, thx!

[lorrainehornig]

I play mandolin family instruments for 30 years now and never had wear below the E string(s) either. I don't understand how they do it or why. It must be a Freudian thing, beating your instrument to death because your Ma gave you your first instrument for Christmas instead of the motorcycle or flamethrower you really wanted... :whistling: HA...that's so funny! You gave me my big laugh for the day! Thanks!

[J Mangio]

I too don't have wear in that area, but I don't post, drag, or rest my fingers there.

[dustyamps]

I bought the Kalamazoo pictured above with all the wear and tear on it. I imagine the previous owner was an enthusiastic character who played this mandolin hard so he could be heard at the barn dance Saturday nights. I imagine they truly loved this instrument as it's a fine sounding mandolin.

[Eric C.]

Guilty as charged!
111765

[twilson]

The wear below the e-string in my case is from curling my fingers; my fingernails hit the top when doing tremolo. Whadya gonna do? Can't blame anyone but myself. Bought it new in '82.

111778

Tim Wilson

[mtk]

112019
had it for about 16 years, traded it in for something else last week.

[Paul Busman]

I too don't have wear in that area, but I don't post, drag, or rest my fingers there.
I do post my fingers there, but the only sign of wear is that the matte finish on my mandolin has gotten glossy in that area. I keep my fingernails short so all that touches the instrument's top is my skin.
It has always seemed to me that excessive wear below the E strings is a sign of poor technique, but some of the very best players really beat the heck out of it, so what do I know?

[yankees1]

I cringe every time someone wants to play my mandoling ! I first check to see if they are wearing any buttons/zippers, etc. I do offer my micro-fiber cloth to place between the player and my mandolin ! Some get the hint and tell me to forget it and won't play it! :)

[Vernon Hughes]

Here's my 1976 alvarez mandolin I bought off the wall and brand new at Miles music in Harrisonburg,Va.. I played it on the road for 20 years. Bars and nightclubs 5 days a week to start,festivals from Va. to CA. and from Fla. to Canada in later years. Also played it 3 times on the grand ol' opry. I've filled the hole with epoxy numerous times and refretted more times than I can remember. She's retired now but it still sounds great!