Can't find much about this Broman brand

[vegas]

Any help would be appreciated.

http://lasvegas.craigslist.org/msd/3834414078.html

I found a reference suggesting it was a brand manufactured by Dobro years ago and the headstock certainly looks like a resonator.

[barney 59]

Not even listed in Michael Holmes' list of about a zillion fretted instrument brands. This is not surprising. Many instruments were made "for the trade" by companies such as Regal (which, by the way, could have easily made this one) and were branded with the names of distributors or even to sell out of music stores and branded with the name of the store. Kind of like having pens made with your company logo. So while there may be a great many mandolins out there that look very much like this one there may be very few that say "Broman" on the headstock. Mandolins like this one aren't worth much more than a couple of hundred dollars on a good day.

[Jim Garber]

VG Price Guide describes Broman as a 1930s studio or distributor brand with a connection to Regal. That would make sense since this looks very much like a Regal-made mandolin. I found a few guitars which have a similar pearloid headstock.

[vegas]

VG Price Guide describes Broman as a 1930s studio or distributor brand with a connection to Regal. That would make sense since this looks very much like a Regal-made mandolin. I found a few guitars which have a similar pearloid headstock.

Nothing under mandolins in my VG Price Guide, just what you mentioned under guitars. Yes, the headstock looks like a Regal resonator headstock but the body appears to not be a resonator. Evidently, they thought it warranted it's own listing, even though it's only one on Craigslist. I wonder where they did the "research" they claimed to have done? Maybe they hoped somebody would see the listing who actually knows something about the instrument and call about it?

[Jim Garber]

I guess there are some questions whether Harmony and Dobro built for them as well. Check out this page (http://www.jedistar.com/jedistar_vintage_guitar_dating_b3.htm).

Also this one (http://www.musiciansbuyline.com/classifieds/musical-instruments/guitar-acoustic/vintage-broman-archtop-guitar-vgc-2132.htm).


Broman was a marketing company that had guitars made by several Mid-Western companies including Kay, Oscar Schmidt (Stella), and Regal. The construction details on this guitar are almost identical to my labeled Regal. The only big difference is the headstock overlay.

[roberto216]

Can't offer any info. It has a very cool look to it though. Might be fun. I wonder if the highlight on the top indicates some sinkage of the top or if it's from the light fixture above only.

[Jim Garber]

In any case, I can't imagine that it will go for much money at the auction. It is a maybe $50-75 mandolin.

[MikeEdgerton]

I would take it to be Regal built, as was mentioned, for the trade. They went through a phase where they used a heck of a lot of mother-of-toilet seat for trim.

[vegas]

I would take it to be Regal built, as was mentioned, for the trade. They went through a phase where they used a heck of a lot of mother-of-toilet seat for trim.

:)) I may swing by there tomorrow just to preview it. If they have delusions about it being like a pre-war Martin, I'll let you know so we can laugh.

Again, thanks to all who offered an opinion.

[pefjr]

What did it sell for?

[vegas]

What did it sell for?

The auction isn't until tomorrow. I probably won't show up but I hope to preview it today.

[vegas]

I finally swung by to look at it and other than the very cool looking Regal style headstock, it was like the cheapest Kay or Stella you've ever seen. The cheapest Pac Rim mandolins could dance circles around it as an instrument. It even occurred to me it may have been a Hollywood prop that was made to photograph like a mandolin, but with absolutely no intention that it ever play like one.

I practically burst out laughing when I looked at the pick guard because it really did fit Mike's comment about "mother-of-toilet-seat." It literally looked like it had been fashioned from one. It was the same thickness and type of plastic as a common toilet seat even down to the beveling on the edge. I didn't even bother to try tuning it because I was afraid something would would pop or snap if I tightened the strings and I honestly don't believe any good sounds are possible out of something like this.

I think the listing has a phone number to call if you think it might be collectible to somebody and are curious, but I'm not going to the auction to find out tomorrow. I consider it a waste of time and gasoline to have even previewed it. Live and learn. :whistling: