PDA

View Full Version : Newbie: just purchased an older mandolin....unmarked


jun3machina
Dec-12-2011, 12:53pm
hi there,
im new to this forum. it looks like you guys have an amazing community here! i spent hours browsing last nite.

i recently purchased an old mandolin at a flea market. it's an instrument i have been interested in getting to know for a while. it sounds amazing.

but i have little info on it. the seller told me it was most likely american made and from about the 1880's. it has it's original case, which has of course seen better days. The mandolin itself is a bowl body. i counted 18 ribs on it (the larger strips across the back bowl, hope im counting correctly). I believe it's made of brazilian rosewood. The tuners look like ivory or possibly celluloid (under a magnifier, they have a definite texture). the pick-guard is tortoise inlaid with wood and mother of pearl.

i couldn't find any tags or anything on the interior, but while checking it out for the 3rd time last nite, i think i might be able to see something on the interior where the neck is seated. im going to change out the strings with some new ones and try to get my camera in there to photograph.

but as it stands, it's unmarked...

would anyone be able to ID it or possibly give me any more information? it would be much appreciate!!

here are some pictures

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v655/june2machina/IMG_9626.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v655/june2machina/IMG_9630.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v655/june2machina/IMG_9629.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v655/june2machina/IMG_9628.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v655/june2machina/IMG_9631.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v655/june2machina/IMG_9627.jpg
allenhopkins
Dec-12-2011, 2:23pm
Kinda looks like an American Conservatory mandolin, sold by Lyon & Healy. This one (http://www.larrysguitars.com/product/092) looks a bit similar. I think "1880's" might be a little early; I'd guess early 20th century.
JEStanek
Dec-12-2011, 3:15pm
Looks like an earlier American bowl to me too, but I'm not an expert. If it is one of those, it is not particularly valuable. If it is playable (no cracks and top is not sunk, and tuners hold pitch), great news. You have a good mandolin to play on. When you change the strings do NOT use regular strings on it. Those old American bowls are delicate and need light weight strings.

These (http://www.juststrings.com/ghs-a240.html)will be a good start.

Jamie
MandoSquirrel
Dec-12-2011, 8:57pm
Pickguard looks like L&H product for sure. The number of ribs indicates at least medium quality?
Schlegel
Dec-12-2011, 9:07pm
Yeah, probably L&H maybe made for them by Regal 1900 to 1915. It looks like one of their mid-grade mandolins, which were often surprisingly good. Rib number tends to but does not have to correspond to quality.
MandoSquirrel
Dec-12-2011, 9:19pm
Yeah, probably L&H maybe made for them by Regal 1900 to 1915. It looks like one of their mid-grade mandolins, which were often surprisingly good. Rib number tends to but does not have to correspond to quality.
Yeah, I probably should have said "suggests", rather than "indicates".
jun3machina
Dec-13-2011, 12:46am
thank you everyone for the help.

i picked up a set of martin strings for it. do you think i should return them???will they be too heavy?

my brother tuned it and it sounds great. the whole thing is very sturdy, no sinking, and the backside is tightly pieced. the neck is nice and straight too.

i paid $150 for it. do you think that was a decent price?
thanks for the info! i'll try and do some research based on the comments
Schlegel
Dec-13-2011, 1:17am
150 is fine. What are the gauges? Typically, bowlbacks use .009, .013, .020, .032 in phosphor bronze, to give you an idea. The tension is ultra-light. Medium or heavy sets will crush a bowlback. I mean that literally.
jun3machina
Dec-13-2011, 12:15pm
looks like the martin strings are .010-.034. they're martin 80/20 bronze..M400

these:79644
Schlegel
Dec-13-2011, 3:35pm
I would use GHS A240 on this mandolin. Those little increases in gauge add up to a lot more pounds than you might think.
MandoSquirrel
Dec-13-2011, 10:06pm
If it's solid, the Martin gauges could be fine, but if the condition is questionable, something more like the A240 would be safer. Black Diamond and others also make similar gauged sets, but the GHS are excellent quality strings for the price.