found an old mandolin at yard sale no markings

[omiimiish]

Tuning head knobs are disintegrated. There are no visible markings. Finish is coming off. It was passed down a couple generations. Unplayable now. I tinker with old instruments. I am hoping to get an idea of age and maker. Thanks.

156000

[MikeEdgerton]

Made by Kay in Chicago late 40's early 50's most likely. Can you post a shot of the tuners from the back?

[Jeff Mando]

Looks like a Kay Kraft. Made in the 30's.

[MikeEdgerton]

I suspect the shriveled tuners are going to make it newer than the 30's. I just need to see them from the back. It's also missing the tailpiece cover.

[MikeZito]

Wow - all I ever find at yard sales are chipped coffee mugs and old Jim Nabors albums. I would be THRILLED to find one of those old Venetian Kay Kraft mandolins, even if it didn't play well - they are extremely cool! Nice find!

[omiimiish]

156003

[omiimiish]

picture posted

[omiimiish]

Mike I have many old unplayable but interesting instruments, they pop up all over.

[Seter]

How do tuners shrivel like that? What were they made out of? The finish on the body has a nice vintage charm.

[MikeEdgerton]

With those tuners it's 30's to 40's. Usually the disintegrating buttons are on the later years. Generally the neck joint on these fail. It it's tight be happy.

[William Smith]

Looks like a Kay Kraft. Made in the 30's.

I agree.

[MikeEdgerton]

They shrivel because the plastic was unstable. Kluson bought a boatload of white buttons that were used from the late 40's into the 60's. I had a set that was pristine and made the mistake of storing them in a ziplock bag. Two years later I took them out and they were shriveled. Old pickguards can and do disintegrate as well. With the finish as it is it might have been stored someplace where a chemical was in the air as well. Something got to it.

I should note that companies that sell things like plastic garbage cans use a different plastic formulations for cans going into cold areas than they do going into warmer areas. The environment plastics live in matters.

Here's (http://www.frets.com/FretsPages/Luthier/Technique/Tuners/NewButton/newbutton.html) an article where Frank Ford discusses changing buttons and mentions this issue.

[MikeEdgerton]

You can see a catalog page with this same mandolin branded Kay a few pages down at this (https://books.google.com/books?id=msEJ8cMqng4C&pg=RA3-PA1938-IA13&lpg=RA3-PA1938-IA13&dq=kay+kraft&source=bl&ots=z9G9t4s1N6&sig=WmkJdttQjhc9AkGqfjsi4LHGt-0&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwiu47W1naTTAhVpxlQKHW_kCD4Q6AEIlQEwFQ#v= onepage&q=kay%20kraft&f=false) link.

[omiimiish]

awesome resource, thanks

[Jim Garber]

Additional pics from my catalogs, I believe all from the 1930s. I think the oval hole models are prone to having sunken or warped tops as well as the neck joint fail that Mike mentions. I believe that these might have had steam-bent tops vs. carved.

[MikeEdgerton]

I don't think that one is arched at all, I believe it's flat. Look at the bottom of the bridge. I think it's a later model after they stopped using the Kaykraft designation and just used Kay.

[MikeZito]

I just happened to come across a very cool old Harmony mandolin at a Pawn Shop today - but the neck was warped (no truss rod) and the $150 price tag was way too much for an instrument that wouldn't have been a player . . . but had it been found for $15 at a yard sale, it would own it right now!

My bad luck continues . . . . .

[MikeEdgerton]

You aren't alone :cool:

[Jim Garber]

I don't think that one is arched at all, I believe it's flat. Look at the bottom of the bridge. I think it's a later model after they stopped using the Kaykraft designation and just used Kay.

You may be right about that tho they still would have some sort of slightly induced arch to them. The fake wood grain I also would think post-Kay Kraft. The one I have is a KK with the gold decal and pearloid "footstock."

[Jim Garber]

My bad luck continues . . . . .

It is really a matter of frequency + being in the right place at the right time. If you are always on the lookout eventually you will find some super bargain. OTOH you will have to sometimes pay the fair price or even the unfair one to balance it out. I have gotten super bargains and also paid through the nose. It is all part of the game. Patience!

[mandroid]

Some old Plastics Deteriorated like that, so that is not unusual ... replace them .

[allenhopkins]

Huh -- I better start going to those yard sales with no markings. Haven't been finding much at the marked yard sales.

[brunello97]

That's what I know, Allen.

A couple summers ago we were doing some interior painting on our house in Austin and had moved a whole lot of furniture and odds and ends out onto the front porch while the work was going on. Saturday morning at 6am came a rash of folks clamoring on the porch and knocking on the door looking to make some early-bird purchases. We had to put up a "no yard sale" sign.

Mick

[vic-victor]

I bought a few guitars from the bloke who did just like that, running around the yard sales. Got a few nice ones at bargain prices, and he was actually re-selling them so he got them for next to nothing.