Any thoughts on this instrument?

[Rob.christopher]

Hi

I created this account as I understand you guys know a thing or two about mandolins.

This has been passed to me by my Grandmother (she is 92) and from what I understand it belonged to her Grandmother.

http://imgur.com/a/acoLM#0

Hope that album is visible.

If it helps we live in the UK.

The booklet was in the case along with spare strings.

That is as much as I know about the instrument, I appreciate it's not much to go on...

Not interested in value - it won't get sold any time soon, but if anyone can help with age, maker, anything of interest it would be great as we know nothing!

Cheers

Rob

[allenhopkins]

1. It would be nice to see a pic of the back as well.

2. There's glue showing on the inside opposite the soundhole, where a label used to be. Any part of the label left inside?

3. The modest ornamentation suggests a low-to-mid-range instrument, from the turn of the 20th century or at least around there. Fancier instruments of that period had much more elaborate inlay work. One reason to see the back is to see how many ribs make up the bowl; the more ribs, the more expensive, at least as a rule.

4. Details of the rosette and the pickguard inlay suggest to me northern European manufacture, and the thistles on the pickguard evoke Scotland, though ornamentation often follows the builder's imagination. These are, of course, SWAG's*

5. Copyright date on the method book would help to date the mandolin as well. Doubt it goes back four generations; my grandparents were born around 1890-1900, their grandparents would go back to the mid-19th century. Mandolin could be that old, but I'd guess 80-100 years would be more likely (another SWAG*).


*Sophisticated Wild-A*sed Guesses

[Rob.christopher]

Allen

Thanks for the SWAG's - better than I had before!

http://imgur.com/a/acoLM#6. This, and a couple of others shows the back if it helps...

I looked through the book and could find no date at all, which is a shame - would have been really helpful.

As for dating - the anecdote may have got exaggerated through time as to who originally owned it, so I wouldn't doubt your view on 80 - 100 years old...

Thank-you for taking the time to look at the pics and reply!

Cheers

Rob

[mrmando]

It does seem likely to be European. I understand what Allen is saying about the rosette & pickguard ... there's a bit of the German/Czech style about the pickguard especially. But one also sees stuff like that coming out of Catania, which is the general vibe I get from the instrument. More likely Sicilian than Scottish.

[Ray(T)]

I'd agree that it does look more Sicilian than Scottish. The binding and rosette are similar to my Silvestri wall-hanger although the pick guard and rosette inlay are much cruder as is the placement of the tuner holes. My SWAG would be circa 1900 give or take 10 years. Probably worth more as a heirloom than an instrument.

[allenhopkins]

Didn't think that the mandolin was built in Scotland; were any mandolins made there a century ago? Perhaps someone has more expertise than I in this area.

Wondered, however, if the selection of thistles for the pickguard ornamentation, indicated an instrument specifically built to be sold in the UK, whether made in Italy or northern Europe. After all, it did end up in England. On the other hand, builders can select any type of ornamentation that suits their fancies, nymphs, doves, whatever, so the thistles might be just coincidence....

[Jim Garber]

I attached a couple of pics for when the link is no more...

Most of the mandolins in the UK back in the golden days were imported from the continent, largely Italy. This one does not strike me as Napoli-made -- I do not recall any of those makers using this shape scratchplate (sort of resembles those used by Lyon & Healy but I doubt that connection. Martin made be right with the Sicilian attribution. They seemed to like a little more color in their ornamentation. I am not too sure if the bridge is original tho it is prob old. Those nice old bone-buttoned tuners resemble other I have seen and owned so they prob date back to the turn of the last century thru maybe the teens.

[Schlegel]

It does seem likely to be European. I understand what Allen is saying about the rosette & pickguard ... there's a bit of the German/Czech style about the pickguard especially. But one also sees stuff like that coming out of Catania, which is the general vibe I get from the instrument. More likely Sicilian than Scottish.

Multiple details say Italian to me. The rounded beveled fretboard edge, looks like a veneered neck with peghead join, veneered peghead as well. These are very Italian features.

[Jim Garber]

looks like a veneered neck with peghead join

Maybe so.... you can see that in the pics?

[TEE]

5. Copyright date on the method book would help to date the mandolin as well. Doubt it goes back four generations; my grandparents were born around 1890-1900, their grandparents would go back to the mid-19th century. Mandolin could be that old, but I'd guess 80-100 years would be more likely (another SWAG*).


*Sophisticated Wild-A*sed Guesses

His grandmother is 92, her parents could have passed in the 70's, her grandparents in the 40's seems like plenty of time to have owned the mandolin.

Just thinking out loud.

[allenhopkins]

His grandmother is 92, her parents could have passed in the 70's, her grandparents in the 40's seems like plenty of time to have owned the mandolin...

Possibly. Grandmother was born in 1920. If her mother was, say, 25 when she was born, then the great-grandmother was born in 1895. If her mother was 25, then she would have been born in 1870. Could have owned the mandolin if it was built around 1900 or so.

[TEE]

The reason this struck a chord is because my children make the fifth generation to have lived in this house which is probably about the same age as that mandolin. My daughter and her great great grandmother had the same bedroom.

[Schlegel]

Maybe so.... you can see that in the pics?

I'm assuming the join from the veneer, but I'd bet a C-note I'm right. You can see the line of the neck veneer ending at the peghead.

[Jim Garber]

You are prob right. I usually look for that same thing, esp indicating Italian method of building. I just could not see much in those photos.