Are you looking for a Strad-O-Lin?

[MikeEdgerton]

There's on on eBay here (http://cgi.ebay.com/Vintage-Mandolin-wood-Stradolin_W0QQitemZ120377848409QQcmdZViewItemQQptZ LH_DefaultDomain_0?hash=item120377848409&_trksid=p3286.c0.m14&_trkparms=66%3A2%7C65%3A10%7C39%3A1%7C240%3A1318) but be forewarned. In the auction it says:

"This auction is for a vintage Mandolin - Stradolin. This is 26" long- all wood construction. It is used. Looks to be complete- will most likely need tuning."

That need of tuning could be the deal breaker :))

[TomTyrrell]

FRAUD!!! The seller says it "Looks to be complete" but it is MISSING A STRING!!!

Somebody should report this to ebay!

[Eric Platt]

Wonder how many pops and pings you'd hear trying to tune up those strings?

[man dough nollij]

Nah. I think I'll pass. I'm holding out for one that has eight strings, all tuned. If I'm really lucky, I might find one with Gibson strings.

[Christian McKee]

I get the sense that folks are very interested in these instruments - what's the special appeal? I see they have unique f holes, but do they sound extraordinary or something? Just curious and a bit ignorant.

Christian

[MikeEdgerton]

I get the sense that folks are very interested in these instruments - what's the special appeal? I see they have unique f holes, but do they sound extraordinary or something? Just curious and a bit ignorant.

Christian

For inexpensive mandolins they have a decent sound. This one is a cheaper version, doesn't have the Waverly Tailpiece.

[Django Fret]

Nah. I think I'll pass. I'm holding out for one that has eight strings, all tuned. If I'm really lucky, I might find one with Gibson strings.

Good thing you held out since it looks like you're in luck! Here is a Old-Strait-o-lin-Stratolin-Mandoli (http://cgi.ebay.com/Old-Strait-o-lin-Stratolin-Mandolin-w-Gibson-Strings_W0QQitemZ290296204624QQihZ019QQcategoryZ10 179QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem)n WITH Gibson Strings. According to the listing, "This stays in tune very well also."

What more could you ask for?

[MikeEdgerton]

Other than the refinish, that was is the better choice.

[allenhopkins]

I get the sense that folks are very interested in these instruments - what's the special appeal? I see they have unique f holes, but do they sound extraordinary or something? Just curious and a bit ignorant.

Hard to beat for less than $250, if they don't have serious issues. The nice ones (Mike E's, e.g.) are worth considerably more, IMHO. And then there's the mystery -- we don't know who made them, lots of opinions and inconclusive research.

My Strad-O-Lin, which cost me $25, crazed finish, top cracks and all, is the quintessential "beater," and has accompanied me to the White House Easter egg roll, across the country on AmTrak, even into the studio.

Sturdy, unassuming, decently made and decent-sounding instruments from a half-century or more in the past. Artifacts of an era when US companies could prosper, making inexpensive instruments for the honest musical yeomanry.

[Eric Platt]

~:>
I get the sense that folks are very interested in these instruments - what's the special appeal? I see they have unique f holes, but do they sound extraordinary or something? Just curious and a bit ignorant.

Christian

Like others have said, really good sound for not much money. Sorta like the old Danelectro guitars. One local picker put his better known mandolin in the case and just plays his Strad-o-Lin full time these days.

[Paul Weber]

I ran across this paragraph in an article in Vintage Guitar last month by Michael Wright on the Premier E-727 guitar manufactured by the Peter Sorkin Music Company. The Peter Sorkin Company was a wholesaler that built or outsourced building of Premier/Multivox amps, solidbody guitars and archtop electric guitars by United Guitar Corp. Here's the paragraph related to Stradolin.

"In the late 50's, Sorkin's Multivox subsidiary purchased the Strad-O-Lin factory in New York city. Owned by the Hominic Brothers, Strad-O-Lin produced mainly mandolins which still occasionally show up, often worse for wear. Strad-O-Lin had a full woodworking shop and was moved to what would become the Multivox factory on 6th Avenue between 15th and 17th Streets. With the name changed to Multivox, limited guitar production commenced".

[MikeEdgerton]

I saw that last time, I certainly wish we could find some other backup for that. I'd love to see this put to bed.

[dallash43]

Are there Strad-o-lin's with the more common f-style holes? Like this one http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll...id=p2759.l1259

I'm looking for one, but am not so sure of this one.

[MikeEdgerton]

The link doesn't work, what is the item number?

[dallash43]

item number 260407781785

[JEStanek]

Here's a direct link to the auction (http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=260407781785&ru=http://search.ebay.com:80/260407781785_W0QQfviZ1).

Jamie

[MikeEdgerton]

It's not labeled Strad-O-Lin, the F holes are wrong for any non-imported Strad-O-Lin I've ever seen. As much as the seller says it's like all the Strad-O-Lin's he ever owned, it isn't like any Strad-O-lin I've ever seen or owned and that would be quite a few. The only Strad-O-Lin I've ever seen with the bridge centered on the F-hole was the Artist Model like Bruce Clauson owns and I've only see that one and one in an ad Jim Garber had. It still had one of the two standard Strad-O-Lin style f holes. They are segmented and either have round holes at each end or comma shaped holes. Click on the link in my signature to go the Strad-O-Lin Social Group. There are images there and links to all Strad-O-Lin threads on the cafe. This isn't a Strad-O-Lin. I'd take it for an early Harmony, possibly a Regal.

[dallash43]

Thanks, very disappointing, but more or less expected.

[MikeEdgerton]

Looks like he took the auction down. I wrote him about it, I'm guessing he decided to research it further.

[dallash43]

Here's another same seller, with the bridge in the center of the f-holes:

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT&item=270389581211

[dallash43]

Here's (http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT&item=270389581211) another, same seller, with the bridge in the center of the f-holes. Sorry, the first actually works.

[MikeEdgerton]

That is a Strad-O-Lin Artist model, only the second one I've seen, Bruce Clausen owns the other. I posted a message about this earlier today. The tuners have been changed and it has some differences from the one Bruce owns. The BIN price is high in my book or I would have already grabbed it myself :)

Other discussion (http://www.mandolincafe.com/forum/showthread.php?t=51022&highlight=stradolin)

If you go to the Strad-O-Lin Social Group and look through the threads you'll find a catalog page that shows this model. It's the only model that I know that had the bridge centered in the F holes.

[dallash43]

Thanks, I'd read that. This is a very nice forum, full of informed people.

[jeff mercer]

This is interesting..

ebay 140320033656

Don't think I've ever seen a Strad-O-Lin banjo before ! ( Or do I just not spend enough time looking at banjos ? :whistling: )

This has your name written all over it, Allen :) !

[jeff mercer]

...And anyway, should'nt that technically be "Strad-O-Jo" ??

[allenhopkins]

Don't think I've ever seen a Strad-O-Lin banjo before ! ( Or do I just not spend enough time looking at banjos ?
This has your name written all over it, Allen!

Not tempted, sorry, Jeff: I've already bought three instruments this year (Gold Tone cello banjo, Eastman DGM-1 mandolin, Tom Morgan Autoharp), and I'm considering a new PA (Fishman SoloAmp). Can't see adding this li'l gem to my accumulation...

After the Mystery Builders stopped making Strad-O-Lin mandolins in the US, the nameplate was sold (the name Sorkin sticks in my head, but I'm too lazy to do the research now) to a NYCity distributor, who stuck in on a congeries of musical instruments, many imported. I've seen Strad-O-Lin guitars, amplifiers, even brass instruments! These are from around 1960 or later. From general appearances, the banjo in question is one of the '60's imports.

An early example of the Epiphone/Washburn/Flatiron/Regal/etc. etc. practice of taking inactive American nameplates and assigning them to lines of inexpensive imports. I've bloviated about this in the past; no need to climb back on the soapbox now.

May well be a perfectly acceptable mid-range banjo, but I ain't biting...

[MikeEdgerton]

....Don't think I've ever seen a Strad-O-Lin banjo before !....

No relation to the real Strad-O-Lin mandolins, an import brought in years after the last real Strad's rolled down the assembly line.

[Bruce Clausen]

[From Harmony Central's site:]

"In 1969 or 1970, Valco Guitars, Inc. went out of business. The assets of Valco/Kay were auctioned off, and the rights to the National trademark were bought by the Chicago, Illinois-based importers Strum'N Drum. Strum'N Drum, which had been importing Japanese guitars under the Norma trademark, were quick to introduce National on a line of Japanese produced guitars that were distributed in the U.S. market. Author/researcher Michael Wright points out that the National "Big Daddy" bolt-neck black LP copy was one of the first models that launched the Japanese "Copy Era" of the 1970s."

I remember these cheap bolt-on National Les Pauls. Enough to get one bloviating.

BC

[Guitarstudent]

Hey guys I have a Strad-O-Lin model K202s made in korea can anyone tell me when they where made and/or how much it costs?? its in ok conditions.



refresh page for a new angel!!

http://aoriryuujin.co.cc/randomizer/index.php/image.png

[MikeEdgerton]

Sometime in the late 1900's like 1970's-80's at best. If you're looking for the value the answer is not much, way less than $100.00. These were plain jane imported instruments that were less than spectacular and have nothing in common with the Strad-O-Lin's made in the US other than the name.

[MikeEdgerton]

I've started listing Strad-O-Lin genre mandolins that I find on eBay (real Strad-O-Lin genre) on the Strad-O-Lin social group. There's one listed right now. NFI.