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Spruce
Feb-18-2004, 2:09pm
Ran into this beast in a pawn shop--not for sale....

No labels or markings, although I didn't pull it off the wall to have a close look at it...

Anyone ever seen anything like this?

Eugene
Feb-18-2004, 2:25pm
Absolutely...at least similar. The term "mandolinetto" is often applied to waisted mandolins, not just guitar-profiled things by the Howe-Orme Co. So, the John Brandt Co. of Chicago made mandolinettos with odd, cutaway violin profiles in both mandolin and mandola sizes. Brandt's had oval holes. I have also seen English-made pieces with both oval and strange, squiggly, reduced f holes in the same piece. I don't recall the maker of the latter (if I ever really knew).

Bob A
Feb-18-2004, 3:03pm
Is this instrument set up to be bowed?

Spruce
Feb-18-2004, 3:06pm
Apparently, but only because the chin-rest gives that impression...

Bowing double-course strings might be a tad problematical though, no?

John Rosett
Feb-18-2004, 4:23pm
bruce-
that might account for the fact that we're all playing mandolins now, instead of those...
john

Eugene
Feb-18-2004, 4:39pm
Ah, I retract my former observations if the intent is to bow. However, it doesn't look like there is enough radius to the fingerboard to allow independent bowing of courses.

pklima
Feb-18-2004, 5:18pm
Bowing double courses is possible - after all, violinists bow double-stops on a regular basis - though I imagine even a small drift in tuning would cause problems. My greatgrandfather made an eight-string fiddle which is still in the family. He supposedly tuned the strings a little bit apart to get a vibrato effect.

However, I don't think this particular instrument was meant to be bowed - the fingerboard looks to be too flat. Looks like one of the many attempts to "ennoble" the mandolin by making it more violin-like.

FrankenMouse
Feb-18-2004, 5:45pm
Yeah, the puzzling thing is that chin rest. The flat neck and bridge would indicate it's not intended to be bowed... but then why have a chin rest?? Perhaps someone added it later, mistakingly thinking it was meant to be bowed??

A mystery to me...

Spruce
Feb-18-2004, 6:45pm
Man, there must be some stunning maple on the back of this thing...
Look at the figure peeking through the f-holes....

I'll see if I can have a better look the next time I'm over there.....

neal
Feb-18-2004, 7:27pm
Yeah, check this one out. (http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=3703387755&category=10179)