Hutchins All Aluminum Bowlback

[BradKlein]

I don't know what aluminum instruments sell for although I suspect that Jack White has boosted the price of the ones he uses in concerts and videos - basses and fiddles, along with steel guitars.

The bowl-back mandolin may be one of the earlier experiments in aluminum, and this one looks great!

EBAY (https://www.ebay.com/itm/1895-Hutchins-all-Aluminum-bowlback-mandolin-engraved-silver-mother-pearl-SCARCE/292406309539?hash=item4414c632a3:g:oCAAAOSwhiZaWP8 H)

163988 163989

[DavidKOS]

Thanks for posting.
I got to try one of those some years ago, it sounded surprisingly like a mandolin.

[Jim Garber]

I love the engraving. All the Hutchins images I have are all-aluminum so I assume that is how they made them, whereas some of the other makers like Merrill made them with wooden tops. Those are sometimes problematic with tops coming apart.

Here are some additional photos before the listing disappears.

[brunello97]

Amazing. Thanks, Brad and Séamus.

Can you Patent Shamuses turn up something for the Hutchins?

This earlier thread (https://www.mandolincafe.com/forum/showthread.php?13511-Aluminum-Bowl/page2) had Shamus Séamus posting some amazing images of an all "silver" Hutchins and some insight into the relationship between Merrill and Hutchins.

Mick

[Christopher Stetson]

Somewhat amazingly, there is also a Merrill currently listed:

https://www.ebay.com/itm/RARE-MERRILL-ANTIQUE-ALUMINIUM-BODY-BOWL-BACK-MANDOLIN-1900-v-unusual-instrument/352252001904?hash=item5203dafe70:g:jwgAAOSwhzRaVmb N