help me identify this mandolin

[hieronymous]

Hi everyone, this is my first post. I'm really more of a bassist, but after discovering a cheap mandolin a few years ago, I fell in love with the instrument. Especially the tuning - having played instruments tuned to fourths for around twenty years, mandolin tuning was like a bolt out of the blue.

So I've been on the prowl for an electric mandolin, was considering a Rickenbacker but that was kind of expensive, and then I found this one used in Berkeley, CA:

http://img27.echo.cx/img27/2373/electricmandolin19ol.jpg

It's a great little instrument - it has a Bartolini pickup, maple neck, ebony fretboard. One problem is that whoever owned it before must've played G and C a LOT - the lower frets on the A and E strings are worn into V-shaped slots!

Anyway, I was wondering if anyone had a clue as to who may have made this thing? The store had a tag on it that said "Knutson", but there are absolutely no identifying marks on it anywhere - not on the headstock, not on the neck plate, and not inside the electronics cavity...

I can post more pictures if people are interested. And thanks for having such a cool board!

hieronymous

[berkeleymando]

Hi hieronymous,
I'm not sure who made it but I couldn't help recognizing it as the one that was hanging in Blue Note Music for a while. I went in there with my Schwab to try out some amps, and they said, oh we have an emando with a Bartolini pickup too. I hope they didn't fleece you for it. I find them slightly pushy in that shop, although I can understand that being right on Telegraph Avenue in Berkeley means all sorts of unstable personalities come in 'wanting to play the guitars'. This could make one cautious.
I am surprised that they themselves don't know. wasn't it on consignment or something?
Cheers, Chris

[mrmando]

Well, it could be a Knutson, I guess...although it looks a bit more "basic" than his other stuff. Maybe an early effort?

http://www.messengerbass.com/kluthiery/mandolins.html

If a Rickenbacker was expensive, how much was this?

Would love to see more pics.

[hieronymous]

Yup, bought it at Blue Note. I've bought stuff from there over the years - they often have just what I need or just what I want at just the right time. And in this case, the mandolin fit the bill.

I actually live in Japan now, and it's hard to find any mandolins here - my impression is that they're mainly used for classical music (a mandolin orchestra played at the entrance ceremony for my university!) Also, I live in an apartment and can't make much noise, so I've been on the lookout for an electric for a while. I definitely haven't seen any electric mandolins here - they probably exist, but are unusual and probably expensive.

I saw this one in the store, played it quite a bit (though not enough to notice the fret-wear) and really liked it.

I took the Knutson thing at face-value, but when I looked at his website, I started doubting it. I thought of emailing him and asking, just haven't got to it yet. I'm gonna take a few more pictures too - the ones I took last night didn't come out...

Thanks for the comments!

[hieronymous]

here's a couple more pictures:

http://img148.echo.cx/img148/3271/emandobody8tt.jpg

http://img67.echo.cx/img67/4093/emandoback3jl.jpg

[billkilpatrick]

what a beauty. changing frets shouldn't be too hard or expensive - it certainly looks like it warrants some extra tlc. may i ask how much you paid for it?

- bill

[hieronymous]

I paid $625 for it, IIRC. Not sure if that's cheap or expensive, but it's certainly cheaper than a new Ric! I'm satisfied with it - I'm definitely not gonna find anything cheaper of this quality here in Japan.

I thought it'd be fun to post a picture of my other mandolin:
http://img209.echo.cx/img209/8805/chairampmando29zm.jpg

[hieronymous]

And, right after my last post, I got a response from John Knutson - and this is definitely not a Knutson!

When I opened the control cavity, the plastic cover had a "Warmoth Guitar Products" sticker. I wonder if this is a one-off that some burgeoning luthier made?

[billkilpatrick]

i have no idea what electric instruments are worth. looking at the BEAUTIFUL blue rigel displayed on ted's jazzmando site, i begin to understand ... but apart from "bellezza", what else is calculated into the price, i have no idea.

in any case, your electric looks like a sweet little instrument. i imagine it sounds just as sweet, otherwise you wouldn't have bought it. do you use the marshall speaker for it?

ciao - bill

[mad dawg]

Here is Lief Sorbye of the Celtic-Rock band Tempest, with his Knutson double-neck electric mandolin/mandola...

[Moose]

Hey Hieronymous!!! - you ain't think'n of play'n THAT mandolin thru THAT "double-stack" Marshall...., are ya! - I'd start out real EASY if I were you... hee.., hee... http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/mandosmiley.gif http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/laugh.gif

[MANNDOLINS]

hieronymous, I sorta remember Warmoth making Emando body parts in the 70's. I put together one myself. They sold the hardware and all so it was more or less a kit. You could probably get a date from the code on the pots.

[Strange1]

Guess you have already settled on what kind of Mando that is. Just wanted to say the head and neck favors a Mandolin I have.
Mine is a 1959 Fender electric LH. Sometimes referred to as a Mandocaster. Mine is still stock (color/pickups/etc) I did change over to grover tuners about 25 yrs ago. It saw heavy use when I was on the road and a few yrs after that till I started playing bass then then it sorta went into retirement.

[hieronymous]

Hey Strange1, any chance of a picture of your Fender?

The only thing I've decided about mine is that it's not a Knutson! http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/laugh.gif Other than that I'm not sure. The numbers on the pots don't mean anything to me, though it's a good idea (thanks MANNDOLINS). The pickup's a Bartolini, the tuning heads are Schallers. But that doesn't necessarily mean anything - they could have been added later...

I guess I was kind of hoping that someone would say, "Hey, that's my emando! I built/bought it back in 19__!" It hasn't happened yet, but it could! I guess I could call the store and ask again for any more info, but I have a feeling they don't know and it'd be an international call. It's kinda more fun this way not knowing!

Again, thanks for the comments everybody! Keep 'em coming! http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/biggrin.gif

[Strange1]

Thanks for asking for a pic hieron....Will try to get one and post it. Not sure I know how to include an image but will give it a whirl.

Jack

[hieronymous]

While I'm procrastinating (have to do a presentation tomorrow for class), I just thought I'd say that that picture of the double-neck Knutson is awesome!!! http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/mandosmiley.gif