Identification of roundback mandolin with star & moon inlay

[Steve97]

Hi all. First post. I have a manodlin I inherited from my mom quite some time ago. I recently started trying to identify it, but haven't had much luck finding a match. The headstock inlay and the band of inlay around the body bear a striking resemblance to the mandolin in this post:
https://www.mandolincafe.com/forum/threads/98183-quot-Nameless-quot-bowlback-mandolin
but my reply on that thread got no answer, so I'm hoping a new post will get a response. Here are some overall shots of the mandolin, I can also provide close-ups on request.

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Thanks much for any insight you can provide.
-Steve

[Jim Garber]

How about a good clear straight-on shot of the headstock both front and back. Might help for a couple of shots from the side on its back on a table. I can't really tell what the neck angle is from that face down shot.

It looks like some of the posts on the tuning machines were replaced by too-long ones from someone parts box.

The rosettes on this and the one on the other thread were likely purchased from a supplier and available to oth4r makers so that would not be an identifier. However the pickguard shape is similar to the one in the other thread and if the headstock matches closely then we can guess that it was likely made or sold by Lyon & Healy. They cranked out tons of instruments especially mandolins at the beginning of the last century so it is always a good guess.

In any case, it probably would not make much difference in terms of value (if that is what you care about). In current condition it is not worth that much but if you want to glue up the back and have a bridge made , as long as the neck is set back properly, it could be a nice keepsake. Did your mom play?

[DavidKOS]

It's not a bad instrument to restore as a project - lots of rosewood ribs, neck block looks OK - and the split in the back is almost easier to fix structurally than it will be to touch up the finish on the back...a set of new tuners maybe...

Then again, it could just be me, I like to see bowlback mandolins put back into playing condition.

[Irénée]

Hi all. First post. I have a manodlin I inherited from my mom quite some time ago. I recently started trying to identify it, but haven't had much luck finding a match. The headstock inlay and the band of inlay around the body bear a striking resemblance to the mandolin in this post:
https://www.mandolincafe.com/forum/threads/98183-quot-Nameless-quot-bowlback-mandolin
but my reply on that thread got no answer, so I'm hoping a new post will get a response. Here are some overall shots of the mandolin, I can also provide close-ups on request.

192767
192768
192766
192769

Thanks much for any insight you can provide.
-Steve

... What is the sticker in the box ?
Could you have this picture to show us please ?
Regards,

[August Watters]

Looks like a Bauer. Inlay configuration is right, and it has that carving at the heel of neck. Probably a very nice mandolin.

Similar to this one. (https://www.ebay.ca/itm/GEORGE-BAUER-MANDOLIN-EARLY-1900S-PHILADELPHIA-CARVED-HEEL-SELLING-AS-IS-/383889695677?_trksid=p2047675.m43663.l10137&nordt=true&rt=nc&orig_cvip=true)

[Steve97]

Thanks for your responses, so sorry I'm so late replying, I monitored for answers for a while, but never saw any, can't explain - browser cache maybe? Eventually forgot about it, and didn't check back until now.

Anyways, here are photos of the headstock, another profile shot, and close-ups of the neck carving. There is no sticker in the box, if there ever was one, it has long since detached and wandered off. The replacement tuner posts I believe were done by one of my older brothers decades ago. Other than him playing around with it a little, I'm not aware of anyone in the family who played. My mom once said it used to hang on a wall in my dad's parents' house, so I'm at least a third generation owner. I'd love to take it in somewhere for restoration and start learning to play.

It does bear some resemblance to the Bauer, but it'd have to be a lower end model if it is - the linked Bauer looks much nicer than mine. Also, the neck carving (actually, looks like it was done with a wood burning iron) is much more similar to the Lyon & Healy than to the Bauer. I don't expect it to be worth much, I saw an episode of Antiques Roadshow that featured a similar looking mandolin, and the comments by their expert lead me to believe there were a glut of cheap mandolins in the early 20th century with the result that most are not worth much these days.

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[rcc56]

I've seen similar heel "carving" on a Stewart branded banjo that was made sometime after the Stewart family lost control of the name to George Bauer. That instrument was definitely not built in the old Philadelphia factory. Bauer may have used several different jobbers to supply parts and/or build instruments for him.

[brunello97]

A nice looking mandolin, I think.

It does appear to have utilized the "one rib made to look like two" that I have discovered from some L+H basket cases...where an inlaid it strip of white lining was set into a groove in a rib to make it appear as if it were two.

Check the rosewood color and grain pattern on the pairs of 'ribs'.

Others might have pulled off this J-A-T besides, L+H...and why not?

L+H used the gimmick often...but I don't think it inherently reflects poorly on the potential quality of the instrument.

Mick

[Steve97]

Looks like you are right, Mick. The pairs of ribs are an exact match in grain to be one piece of wood. There are several places where there are cracks where the ribs are separating, and they are never between the matching ribs. Nice catch, I hadn't even noticed.

The inside of the body seems to have a piece of fabric glued to the inside surface, is that typical construction?

[DavidKOS]

The inside of the body seems to have a piece of fabric glued to the inside surface, is that typical construction?

Yes, fabric or paper is common.