Can anyone PLEASE tell me what type of instrument this is?

[davesmandolin]

Hi anyone Please help? I was given this very small instrument from my grandparents. i Beleive it to be a bowlback mandolin. It has the name Lugen on the end of the neck by the Tuners. It also has 8 strings. Do not know if this makes a difference, so adding. Also has a serial # inside. Quite a rare peice. Tried researching the Name Lugen online. But no hits for a instrument at all. The pick guard area seems to be made of a very very thick Old Leather, which is also scrolled. I was told by my Parents that my Granparents have had this Instrument since the late 1930's. Also has Ivory Tuners & Ivory completely around the top of the Bowlback.

[F-2 Dave]

Yep. that's a bowl back mandolin.

[davesmandolin]

Thanks so much. Have you ever heard of the name LUGEN? Tried on a few search engines but nothing comes up. Sounds like a GERMAN Name. But i am not sure. Thanks for your reply!!!

[mrmando]

Ja, das ist ein Bowlback-Mandolin. It has Taken Ein Lotten der Heat, which has Kaused Die Grosse Finnisch-melten.

Can you post a photo of the "Lugen" name on the headstock? It is very unusual for old bowlbacks to have any name at all on the headstock ... what you have there might be a name inscribed by a previous owner, rather than a brand name.

[davesmandolin]

Sure Here is the top. Hope this helps ya!!!

[davesmandolin]

Oops wrong Picture.Here it is!!!

[mrmando]

Never seen a maker's name on the end of a headstock like that ... although there's a first time for everything. I think it's just as likely to be an owner's name or the name of the music store that sold it.

[Schlegel]

I don't want to disappoint you, but that's not actually rare. It's headstock shape is like a 1905 or later Regal. All the white material, including buttons is most certainly celluloid rather than ivory. Given the condition the tailpiece is probably worth more than the rest of the mandolin , if it's a two-parter with separate cover, as it appears to be.

[davesmandolin]

Thanks to everyone that responded to this thread. I really appreciate everyones comments. So is it to beleive that this is from the 1930's or earlier. Also some type of value input also. For something of this age. Average price. Thanks davesmandolin!!!!

[Bruce Clausen]

Also some type of value input also. For something of this age. Average price.

Precisely.

[Martin Jonas]

Well, it's a fairly modest US-made bowlback, which may conceivably sound quite nice if set up properly and structurally sound. It's almost certainly quite a bit older than the 1930s, probably 1900 to 1910. The bad news is that it has very little commercial value, as "old" does not equal "rare" or "valuable". Bowlbacks like this were made in their millions (the mandolin was more popular than the guitar back then), and only those made by a select few American makers have any sort of market demand today. The commercial desirability of yours is greatly reduced further by the fact that (as Martin Stillion has said) it has suffered severe damage to its finish as a result of heat exposure. It's always difficult to predict what somewhat is willing to pay for an instrument if it were offered on, say, Ebay, but realistically I think you have no better than 50/50 chance of getting more than $100.

Martin