Idea-provoking Metal Inlay [Archive]

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BlueMountain

Dec-17-2005, 11:05am

Yes, I know it's a banjo. Get over it. It's probably a Buckbee or Ditson made in the 1880s. I hadn't ever seen metal inlay up close until I got this, and I thought I'd share it with you, as it might spark ideas for some nice alternatives to pearl.

BlueMountain

Dec-17-2005, 11:07am

By the way, these big photos are tiny files: about 50 K. They look pretty sharp, I think.

BlueMountain

Dec-17-2005, 11:08am

Anyone here ever used metal for inlay? Any suggestions? Any photos to add?

JGWoods

Dec-17-2005, 12:50pm

I love that one over the heel. I have never seen anything like those inlays in 40 years of banjo playing, collecting etc.- could it be they were added by a previous owner?

Jim Garber

Dec-17-2005, 7:31pm

I have seen metal inlay on many instruments of that period. In fact, I had in my posession a fancy Gibson 3 point with wire inlay. I sold this to Harry West many years ago. I believe it is around 1905.

http://web.iwebcenters.com/music/images/3pt4.jpg

Jim

JGWoods

Dec-17-2005, 7:42pm

Jim I bow to your expertise- in my causal experience I've never seen them before- and that does include seeing all of Jim Bollman's collection- but I have a bad memory.

Bill Snyder

Dec-17-2005, 11:38pm

There are several builders using wire in conjunction with pearl, but you don't see that much metal often.

Jim Garber

Dec-18-2005, 12:27am

There is a very similar one now featured in the Archive: Mandolin Style F4 (http://www.mandolinarchive.com/perl/show_mando.pl?3260).

You can see a nice closeup of the peghead where the wire inlay is. There are a few others in the archives, like this F4 (http://www.mandolinarchive.com/gibson/serial/5798).

Jim

berkeleymando

Dec-19-2005, 5:30pm

The "Lyre" inlay is really impressive. It would be a great model for some contemporary builder to emulate.

Mark Walker

Dec-19-2005, 5:35pm

VERY cool. I really like those inlays - regardless of the fact they're not M.O.P. or abalone. But what's a banjo? http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/mandosmiley.gif

Blueglass

Dec-20-2005, 10:37am

now I have a new type of mandolin envy. nice looking

Joe F

Dec-20-2005, 11:26am

David Freshwater uses pewter inlays for the name and a thistle design on the headstock of his instruments.

Big Joe

Dec-21-2005, 1:00am

Jim Garber

Dec-21-2005, 9:36am

Hey jgarber...I knew Harry was getting up there, but I did not know you were old enough to sell that mandolin in 1905! http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/laugh.gif . Makes me feel like a youngster.
Nah, I sold it to him in the 1980s. He has it on his site as a museum piece/not for sale. I am old but not THAT old.

Jim