old Levin mando

[sander]

I found this mando in a store in Holland. Does anybody has some information about it?
It's has some scratches but plays fine. It's not in tune but I hope I can fix this by moving the bridge. What is a good price to pay!

I hope you can help!
145940145940

[allenhopkins]

Looks like a Model 54. (http://www.vintage-guitars.se/Levin/Levin_Model_54_Taranto_Mandolin_info.htm) Jake Wildwood of Antebellum Instruments has a lot of good things to say (http://antebelluminstruments.blogspot.com/2016/04/1954-levin-model-54-taranto-flatback.html) about one that he fixed up.

Reverb listed a Model 54 (https://reverb.com/item/1148827-levin-model-54-taranto-1954-vintage-8-string-swedish-folk-mandolin) for $475 US, about 415€. Seems generous to me, but I don't know the availability of decent mandolins in Holland. The Model 54 is all solid wood, birch back and sides, walnut fingerboard. Yours doesn't have the neat engraved "Levin" tailpiece, but doesn't seem to be in bad shape.

[Graham McDonald]

I am thinking maybe a Model 400 (http://www.vintage-guitars.se/Levin/Levin_Model_400_340_Mandolin_info.htm) from the late 30s, though it could be a few of them.

[brunello97]

Looks like a round soundhole to me. Perhaps more like the earlier models in the catalogs linked?

Mick

[allenhopkins]

Yeah, I probably stand corrected; soundhole's circular, not oval like the Model 54.

[Ron McMillan]

From the site linked by Graham, I wonder if this is the model:

http://www.vintage-guitars.se/Levin/Levin_1930_Levin_Model_400_73188.htm

145999

[derbex]

Vintage Guitars have a whole section (http://www.vintage-guitars.se/Levin/Levin_mandolins.htm) on Levin mandolins.

I played one a year or so ago and really liked it. There's a rather nice model 43 (http://r.ebay.com/zhsffk) on ebay uk at the moment, but £550 seems a bit steep.

[sander]

Thanks for your replies. I buying it and I'll post some detail pictures! Maybe I can find the serial number or some other information.