View Full Version : First Post: My lineup of 5
jnigh
Nov-12-2010, 10:32pm
Hi everyone. I've been lurking here for awhile, but was finally motivated to join because I had some questions. I've been playing mandolin casually for about 15 years or so. My first instrument is the Viola. I'm classically trained. I love the mandolin and it's in my blood to play it. Here's a link to view my collection.
<link removed by site owner. not working and was possibly problematic for other reasons>
< left ----- right >
1. Martin Backpacker Mandolin
2. ? Banjolin
3. Sears Roebuck Mandolin
4. Washburn M3SW Mandolin
5. Victoria (B&J) Flat Back Mandola?
The Sears mando and the banjolin belonged to my grandpa. They started off my love for mandolins. I play the Washburn most of the time. Not a bad instrument, but I'd like to upgrade to a stronger instrument at some point.
I just picked up the Victoria today. Got it on Craigslist for $100, which I thought was decent. I know next to nothing about it though, as there's really very little in the way of info about Victoria instruments on the web. It was advertised as a mandolin, but the finger spacing is a good bit larger than my other mandolins, and it's also longer and has a deeper body. Is it a mandola? I haven't been able to find if they even made mandolas. If someone could help me learn a little about the Victoria that would be awesome. Being a viola player it's awesome to think that's what this is.
Bill Snyder
Nov-13-2010, 10:24am
Your link takes me to an "Access Denied" site.
bratsche
Nov-13-2010, 5:26pm
Welcome to the Cafe! We can never have too many violists on board. :grin:
And yes, please do provide a better link to your photo. As one who prefers mandolas, I'd love to see your newest acquisition. And to know where the heck you live, to find such neat stuff on your local Craigslist!
bratsche
hummingbirdsprings
Nov-13-2010, 7:55pm
Reload the photos please. Have you tried using photobucket?
Thanks for the warm welcome despite the photo blunder. Sorry about that. I tried linking straight to the photo on twitpic but I guess it doesn't work unless you're logged into it as me. I uploaded to my photobucket account so it should work now.
http://i310.photobucket.com/albums/kk420/iinigma7/the-lineup.jpg
1. Martin Backpacker Mandolin
2. ? Banjolin
3. Sears Roebuck Mandolin
4. Washburn M3SW Mandolin
5. Victoria (B&J) Flat Back Mandola?
It's cool to find a fellow violist here! If you want to hear me playing the mandolin and viola you can check out my band's facebook page (http://www.facebook.com/pages/WoodNigh/122547121720). We haven't really put out a proper album, but we've recorded a few Christmas songs that we put out on the web to download for free (http://www.woodnigh.com), and there are a few of our standard songs on the facebook page as well. Let me know what you think about our stuff. I'd love to hear some feedback. We're getting together for another Christmas session next week... should be a blast as always.
Anyway, thanks again for the welcome. You should be able to see the pic now.
...where the heck you live, to find such neat stuff on your local Craigslist!
I live in upstate South Carolina (Greenville area). There are quite a few gems that come across Craigslist. Matter of fact, I missed out on purchasing an old F5 Fern for $1,400 last July... all because of a traffic jam that made me 40 mins. late which caused the seller to think I had bailed. He sold it to someone else. That is truly my "one that got away" story. A much longer post for another day, but it's a great and tragic tale that I must share with everyone here. I even have pictures! Ah... I've gone and depressed myself now. :) But yeah... I love where I live. Good music is alive and flourishing here.
bratsche
Nov-13-2010, 10:00pm
How cool is that! Oh yeah, that definitely looks like a mandola - and it's a flatback? I'm so jealous! LOL! I snagged a Strad-O-Lin for $50 on my local CL but it's only a laminated one. That's about the best I've been able to do. Ebay is another story, though. :grin:
I have bookmarked and will definitely listen to your music! I've only got 2 videos so far in my YouTube channel (link below) and haven't gotten around to putting my viola in anything. Although I have many plans in mind. They just take a rather long time to come to fruition, due to extremely limited and crude "production methods."
Take care, and enjoy this crazy place!! Oh, and there are other violists here, too, though I think I'm the one who's been here the longest... ;-)
bratsche
hummingbirdsprings
Nov-13-2010, 11:25pm
Beautiful :)
jnigh
Nov-14-2010, 12:04am
Oh yeah, that definitely looks like a mandola...
Phew... as I've already ordered two sets of mandola strings I'm relieved to hear that. :) I just checked out your stuff on youtube. Very nice playing and creatively done to boot! Awesome mandos too. Such a nice resonant tone. I can't wait to tear into some of my viola music with the Victoria... especially the Katims arrangements of Bach's 6 Cello Suites.
Bill Snyder
Nov-14-2010, 10:16am
I started playing viola when I was 9 (a few decades ago now). I still have it, although it languishes away on a closet shelf under the stairs.
Jim Garber
Nov-14-2010, 1:25pm
I believe that B&J (Buegeleisen & Jacobson) was primarily a distributor and had their instruments made for them by other companies. Your mandola resembles the Leland Brilliantone instruments sold by Lyon & Healy and it may very well have been made by whoever made them. Here is a picture of a Leland mandola and mandocello.
brunello97
Nov-14-2010, 6:49pm
Nice shot of the Leland mandocello. What about the round sound hole?
Finally got my Leland mando set up to play. Curiously, the bridge is properly north of the cant. If the 'cello bridge is proper then these Lelands are confusing me even more. Would L+H have jobbed them out to multiple firms?
JNIGH, could you check your B+J mandola for a serial number perhaps located on the brace to the neck side of the soundhole? Do you have more pictures of the mandola that you could post?
thanks!
Mick
JNIGH, could you check your B+J mandola for a serial number perhaps located on the brace to the neck side of the soundhole? Do you have more pictures of the mandola that you could post?
Thanks for the tip, but I checked all over the inside and didn't see anything in the way of a serial# or date of manufacture. I have posted more pictures, but I went ahead and put them in their own thread (http://www.mandolincafe.com/forum/showthread.php?67382-B-amp-G-Victoria-%28aka-Leland-Brilliantone%29-Mandola) in case anyone else is looking for similar info down the road.
Very nice small collection.