Another Aluminium Frying Pan

[vic-victor]

There is one in classifieds in Russia. Any idea of maker/origin? Thanks.

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[Jim Garber]

My guess would be Russian-made or even home-made... At least the back. It looks like the back was hammered.

[pelone]

Man---this is so cool. I love when a builders passion drives him/her to make a unique instrument to satisfy the need to make music.

[Marty Jacobson]

That's a non-trivial bit of sheet metal work. Whomever did the main return (edge where the sides meet the bowl) was certainly skilled enough to use an English wheel/planishing hammer/etc to smooth out the form. So the hammering marks in the back are probably from someone trying to repair it after it got sat upon or something, and indented inwards. Maybe they stuck a dowel through the soundhole and tried to pop the dent out. Anyway it's not the same level of craftsmanship.

[pfox14]

I don't know, the hammer marks are from the inside out, so I doubt they are due an attempted repair. My guess would be garage-built.

[zedmando]

My guess would be Russian-made or even home-made... At least the back. It looks like the back was hammered.
It looks like someone tok the neck & top and built new back & sides for it--looks cool.

[Marc Katz]

And I've got to ask - how does it sound when it's strung up?

[Jim Bevan]

Hey, I'm in Russia! I'll be in St Petersburg until Tuesday morning.
Where's the mandolin/seller located?

[vic-victor]

Not sure where. It's being auctioned here: http://molotok.ru/mandolina-i5292017227.html

Thanks everyone for the oppinions. Honestly I do not think it is garage built. Looks more like a factory job to me and probably not Russian, though anything possible. Looks like hammering is a later "improvement". Certainly not typical for Russia.

[Nevin]

Pfretzschner, a repected German instrument manufacturer made Aluminum upright basses before WWII. They may have made it. Also, a quick Google search on aluminum mandolin gives results on an aluminum mandolin made by the Merril Company. http://www.gbase.com/gear/merrill-aluminum-mandolin-1895-natural. It appears these have been discusted on the cafe before.

[allenhopkins]

Merrill made bowl-backs, as far as I know (I have one). Never seen an aluminum flat-back. My guess -- and it's just that -- is that someone constructed an aluminum body for a wooden instrument that suffered body damage. Could easily have been done in a professional metal shop. Lots of wear on the top, and the back shows signs of hard use as well. The thick, elaborate rosette definitely suggests Central-Eastern European construction.

Interesting that with all the wear and damage, including the split headstock, a few strings still cling to it. Halfway around the world from where I live, but I'd love to see it restored and hear what it sounds like.

(Oh, and I have an aluminum bass fiddle that's probably a Pfretzschner. Their aluminum basses had wooden necks, while I think the Alcoa ones had aluminum necks. Don't know about the Merrills.)

[Graham McDonald]

There were German made aluminium bodied mandolins made (I think) in the 1900s by Paulus of Markneukirchen, though the catalogue page I have seen is undated and may be from the 1920s. They used a similar screw attachment into the neck block, though the soundboard de4coration was fancier.

Cheers

[vic-victor]

Thanks again everyone. Allen, aluminium basses are very cool, so good on you. I have slapped my own hand, but couldn't help it and finally bought the pan in question. The last thing I need is another broken mandolin so it will be a project No... ( if it gets to that stage). The seller is willing to post, so see what happens. Will keep you informed.

P.S. Thanks Graham, it also looks to me that it is possibly German. If it gets here safely I bring it over.

[Jeff Mando]

Hey, I'm in Russia! I'll be in St Petersburg until Tuesday morning.
Where's the mandolin/seller located?

It's only about 8 days from there by dogsled (fairly small country). You might run into Sarah Palin's husband with his team, he can see the mandolin from their house.....

(sorry, couldn't resist!)

Needs a little TLC, but hey, its got a speed neck.....

[mtucker]

My guess -- and it's just that -- is that someone constructed an aluminum body for a wooden instrument that suffered body damage.
My guess is that it's just that. Looks like the pan is a slip cover.

[vic-victor]

My guess is that it's just that. Looks like the pan is a slip cover.

I thought aluminium was put over the original wood, too. But checked with the seller and it looks like the aluminium body is the original one. No signs of wood inside.

[vic-victor]

The pan has arrived from Russia and it is a lovely instrument, well played over the years and in fact just a couple of steps from being playable at the moment. It needs frets levelling, nut adjustment and the new bridge made (the original one is too low). Headstock has been fixed with the screws, which is a shame, but it is stable and does the job. There is a stable tiny split in the middle of the top, which can either be fixed or left as is for the time being.

It is definitely a factory made instrument, given the level of craftmanship and is probably of German origin, as Graham suggested earlier. Could have been a war trophy. Lots of old German mandolins in Russia have been brought by Russian soldiers returning from Germany in 1945.

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More photos:

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[vic-victor]

Moderator's edit: Please refrain from posting sales transactions in the forum as per Posting Guidelines (http://www.mandolincafe.com/forum/faq.php)