Biehl mandolins

[nicholasbarr]

A friend has a Biehl Style 28 mando (circa 1895) for sale. Looking for possible value, anyone interested in purchasing.

[Bob A]

I'm not familiar with Biehl. A few photos of front and back would be very helpful, if you can provide them.

[Jim Garber]

I have seen only one other Biehl in photos and the maker was Tony Biehl of Davenport, Iowa.

Jim

[dave17120]

Sorry to ressurect this old thread but I have a customer with a Biehl mandolin..... he says all he can discover is this....

"HISTORY: Biehl made guitars, mandolins and harp guitars between 1894 – 1904 in Davenport Iowa USA."

We are ideally looking for a photo, so we can see what type of tailpiece it had, so we can try and replace it as close to the original as possible. Any Photos anywhere???? Especially of tails.....

Thanks, Dave

[Jim Garber]

Here you go... hard to see the tp but it is all I have. it looks like those three-lobed tps that sometimes appear on Martin bowlbacks (see last pic).

[dave17120]

Thanks Jim, you are star as usual!! :) Dave

[Luiznoia]

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This Biehl Mandolin was given to my cousins grandmother while she was a teen in Davenport. Iowa. I intend to restore it.

[Jim Garber]

I love the details: the little doo-hickey on the neck collar; the thin inlay(?) on the cant crease; the inlay on the middle rib (very unusual); the engraved monogram on the tailpiece cover. Is that monogram that of your cousin's grandmother? My mind is a little clouded at the moment but what relation would that grandmother be to you? Your cousin twice removed?

[brunello97]

I come from a fairly stable Irish Catholic family-on both sides. My (first) cousins and I share the same grandmother. That is by definition from the 'ideal' family tree, but we all know it can certainly get complicated.

This new Biehl is delightful in its weirdosity. Proportions, details, materials. Would love to attract more information about 'Biehl' and examples of instruments here. The ongoing thread about Harwood instruments is a good example of that here. Great to here about other builders more remote from the East Coast or Great Lakes Rim. Granted Davenport looks closer (and more well connected) to Chicago than I am.

There is an exquisite Biehl mandolinetto on the ebay right now.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/ANTIQUE-TONY-BIEHL-1894-1904-GUITAR-MANDOLIN-DAVENPORT-IOWA-/120841132135

And an interesting discussion of 'Tony Biehl' at this site:

http://qctimes.com/lifestyles/article_2d2391b6-eb3c-5570-ad85-199f954ce8c6.html

Contrary to the writer's opinions about Biehl guitar sourcing, these mandolins don't shout Lyon + Healy to me. Maybe someone else, if not Mr. Biehl.

Mick

[Jim Garber]

Nah, not L&H. Thye look pretty unique tho the headstock on the mandolinetto (does it count as a mandolinetto with an 18" scale?) must come from a premade inlay shop... I have seen identical ones on Ricca and other instruments.

[Jim Garber]

There is an exquisite Biehl mandolinetto on the ebay right now.


I am pretty sure that this is the same Biehl mandolinetto (http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=261338890751) on eBay again.

I was going to say that the BIN price is reasonable but then I saw that it will need neck work.

[Tavy]

I am pretty sure that this is the same Biehl mandolinetto (http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=261338890751) on eBay again.

I was going to say that the BIN price is reasonable but then I saw that it will need neck work.

Ouch, better hope that has a dovetail that can be reset...

[brunello97]

Another Biehl mandolin has turned up on the ebay (http://www.ebay.com/itm/ANTIQUE-CUSTOM-MANDOLIN-WITH-ORIGINAL-CASE-BY-TONY-BIEHL-CIRCA-1895-1904-/151860568671?hash=item235b98625f:g:2CwAAOSwjVVViJG n) with the by now anticipated enthusiastic deployment of bling.

Some noteworthy other details:

_the Vish neck profile

_Larson-esque revelation of ebony fretboard below binding

_contouring of fretboard end to match soundhole curvature (a very Italian detail not often seen in the US)

The unfortunate neck crack might put a little pressure on that wishful BIN price.


Mick

[Jefftro]

nicholasbarr I have a Biehl mandolin in the shop for crack repair. It has been stable (and playable) in a case since 2007 even though it has one thick crack on the top, and three thinner ones. All I really need to decide is if I want my friend to go ahead with about $100.00 in crack repairs on a mando I got on Ebay in 2006 for less than $100.00. (In some shops, those cracks would cost $300.00 or more to fix.) Did you ever determine an approximate value on yours?

[Jefftro]

dave17120 I have a Biehl mandolin in the shop for crack repair. It has been stable (and playable) in a case since 2007 even though it has one thick crack on the top, and three thinner ones. All I really need to decide is if I want my friend to go ahead with about $100.00 in crack repairs on a mando I got on Ebay in 2006 for less than $100.00. (In some shops, those cracks would cost $300.00 or more to fix.) Did you ever determine an approximate value on yours?

[Jefftro]

Luiznoia I have a Biehl mandolin in the shop for crack repair. It has been stable (and playable) in a case since 2007 even though it has one thick crack on the top, and three thinner ones. All I really need to decide is if I want my friend to go ahead with about $100.00 in crack repairs on a mando I got on Ebay in 2006 for less than $100.00. (In some shops, those cracks would cost $300.00 or more to fix.) Did you ever determine an approximate value on yours?

[Jefftro]

brunello97 I have a Biehl mandolin in the shop for crack repair. It has been stable (and playable) in a case since 2007 even though it has one thick crack on the top, and three thinner ones. All I really need to decide is if I want my friend to go ahead with about $100.00 in crack repairs on a mando I got on Ebay in 2006 for less than $100.00. (In some shops, those cracks would cost $300.00 or more to fix.) Any opinion on an approximate value?

[Jim Garber]

Jefftro: no need to repeat the same thing multiple times. Everyone who subscribed to this thread can read it. Sounds like one of the cracks on your Biehl is substantial but if your luthier friend is competent it would be worth $100 it will cost to fix it. You should post some photos. He might have to humidify the wood a bit to fix the bug crack. Hard to tell how bad it is.

We probably can’t answer your question as to actual value. As-is you could probably sell it as a wall hanger but if you want to play it, fix it. The value is what someone is willing to pay. But anyone will have to fix it. We here appreciate bowlbacks and because of us they have gotten more respect. I say do the work. Biehl is a small shop and it will be worth it.