mrmando
Aug-03-2010, 1:53pm
Here's the newest hoss in the stable, courtesy of a Craigslist seller in Gulfport, Mississippi.
61389
Missing the beautiful TPC. Spruce top is scratched up, but no cracks.
61386
Bookmatched flame maple back and rims.
61387
It's always nice to find such a beautiful and rare instrument, but it's far from perfect. Note the cracked headplate.
61388
Scroll headstock was busted nearly all the way off and has been reglued. I have no idea what glue was used or how professional of a job this is. It looks like a functional, decent repair but not a beautiful one.
61385
Transverse brace seems OK to my inexperienced fingers, but I'm not bringing this up to full tension until my man Duane can have a look at it. Appears to be a very slight dip in the top from this angle, so I want to make sure we're not facing any sinkage issues. I don't think this is the original bridge. It needs to be sanded down a bit to lower the action and improve the fit with the top.
61390
Still has the "Lyon & Healy" label, not "Washburn," so we can say it's not later than 1923. And given the high serial number, it's probably not a real early instrument either. Tailpiece base does have the 1919 patent date. Maybe 1920 or 1921 for the instrument, I'd guess. Unlike the Style A mandolins, I don't think the design of the mandolas ever changed, did it? AFAIK they're all the same 15.75" scale length with symmetrical points.
This arrived without a case, but I thought perhaps when the Eastman replicas hit the market, perhaps a spare Eastman case could be had. I do have a nice vintage double fiddle case that I'm not using for fiddles ... perhaps with a little interior alteration it could be made into a mandola case. We'll see.
A much nicer Style A mandola went for $6K at Skinner's last fall. I paid a bargain-basement price for this one, but considering its condition it may not be worth a whole lot more than I gave for it. I do expect it'll be a nice player with a little work.
61389
Missing the beautiful TPC. Spruce top is scratched up, but no cracks.
61386
Bookmatched flame maple back and rims.
61387
It's always nice to find such a beautiful and rare instrument, but it's far from perfect. Note the cracked headplate.
61388
Scroll headstock was busted nearly all the way off and has been reglued. I have no idea what glue was used or how professional of a job this is. It looks like a functional, decent repair but not a beautiful one.
61385
Transverse brace seems OK to my inexperienced fingers, but I'm not bringing this up to full tension until my man Duane can have a look at it. Appears to be a very slight dip in the top from this angle, so I want to make sure we're not facing any sinkage issues. I don't think this is the original bridge. It needs to be sanded down a bit to lower the action and improve the fit with the top.
61390
Still has the "Lyon & Healy" label, not "Washburn," so we can say it's not later than 1923. And given the high serial number, it's probably not a real early instrument either. Tailpiece base does have the 1919 patent date. Maybe 1920 or 1921 for the instrument, I'd guess. Unlike the Style A mandolins, I don't think the design of the mandolas ever changed, did it? AFAIK they're all the same 15.75" scale length with symmetrical points.
This arrived without a case, but I thought perhaps when the Eastman replicas hit the market, perhaps a spare Eastman case could be had. I do have a nice vintage double fiddle case that I'm not using for fiddles ... perhaps with a little interior alteration it could be made into a mandola case. We'll see.
A much nicer Style A mandola went for $6K at Skinner's last fall. I paid a bargain-basement price for this one, but considering its condition it may not be worth a whole lot more than I gave for it. I do expect it'll be a nice player with a little work.