"Century" Mandolin

[coldwar]

https://plus.google.com/photos/102069536756120601742/albums/6071544242225653729?banner=pwa

New here - don't know about the photo uploader. Hopefully this link will take you directly to the Picasa Web Album.

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Anyway, I just bought this. The Mandolin has an inner label "Century" - "Century Mandolin & Guitar Mfg." - "Mandolins, Mandos and Guitars" - "Chicago Illinois", and a number handwritten on the sound hole brace 12725. A couple of peculiar feature are the metal plate on the back of the peg-head, and what might be a thin Ebony strip underneath the fingerboard binding. As you can see, the top was badly broken and repaired, but everything works great - no buzzes or rattles, and it has great playing action.

[pheffernan]

There's a thread on one of these in the archives: http://www.mandolincafe.com/forum/showthread.php?99476-1920-s-Century-Mandolin&highlight=Century

[coldwar]

There's a thread on one of these in the archives: http://www.mandolincafe.com/forum/showthread.php?99476-1920-s-Century-Mandolin&highlight=Century

Interesting - it occurs to me that username jdsobol might be the guy I bought it from, based on what he's saying, and he also mentions the crushed top... It occurs to me that back in the roaring 20's, things might have been a lot like today - companies would farm out all their manufacture elsewhere, once the "elsewhere" is proven to be capable of manufacture. Anyway, for me this is a keeper, to practice on - it plays and sounds so nice, so I don't really care who made it or what it might be worth - I'll cross that bridge if the time ever comes. My other Mandolin is an Eastman MD-305.

[Jake Wildwood]

Interesting. I'd love to see the back. Also: any #s stamped on the main brace below the soundhole on the top??? Educated collectors know where I'm going with this...

[coldwar]

Interesting. I'd love to see the back. Also: any #s stamped on the main brace below the soundhole on the top??? Educated collectors know where I'm going with this...

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[MikeEdgerton]

Interesting. I'd love to see the back. Also: any #s stamped on the main brace below the soundhole on the top??? Educated collectors know where I'm going with this...

From the OP:

and a number handwritten on the sound hole brace 12725

[ollaimh]

looks like the mandolin I just sold, mr hartmann said it was a Larsson, it was nice but I have too many mandolins and I do like to see them played.

it did sound great, but I am into my vegas and gibsons right now. I bought it from mr. Hartman, the guy who wrote the book on Larson instruments. I suppose I should have kept it but as I say, they should be played

[MikeEdgerton]

mr hartmann said it was a Larsson

I believe that is probably wishful thinking. It seems that every well appointed mandolin from this era with the back covering the neck button is attributed to the Larsen's. I don't buy it.

[ollaimh]

I don't know , it was a good deal and I sold it at a good deal, now someone gets to play it. it was being ignored by me. I collect but to the limit of what I play at least occasionally. I have two gibsons, two vegas, a neufeld, a martin and a great cheapo Korean aspen,, I could still sell two more and not miss anything.

[coldwar]

I don't know , it was a good deal and I sold it at a good deal, now someone gets to play it. it was being ignored by me. I collect but to the limit of what I play at least occasionally. I have two gibsons, two vegas, a neufeld, a martin and a great cheapo Korean aspen,, I could still sell two more and not miss anything.

I wasn't sure if this would happen on here or not, but yes, the buyer and the seller have connected:mandosmiley:

I can barely put the thing down - lovin' it so much! The origins don't matter much to me - it's very playable, stays in tune, and sounds amazing. I think there's a rarity factor going on here too, as nobody has yet absolutely, positively established with certainty who made "Century" labelled instruments. I know "rare" doesn't always mean "valuable" - if I made one really great mandolin myself, and called it "The Usher" or something, it would be very rare, but a hundred years later, it would still be only "the mandolin that Dave built".

Owning an instrument like this started off as "affordable to me" (thanks ollaimh), and more importantly, it is encouraging me to learn a lot more things - I just spent the whole day with it in the "University of Youtube". It's quickly become like an extension of myself, and helping me overcome a physical disability. In fact, I'll do a separate post about that.