This is a fantastic analysis of a recently discovered L-5 which turned out to be the oldest known example! It was signed on February 28th 1923 and was in remarkable shape- just a 1940s tailpiece and...
This is a fantastic analysis of a recently discovered L-5 which turned out to be the oldest known example! It was signed on February 28th 1923 and was in remarkable shape- just a 1940s tailpiece and...
That's amazing- a wonderful instrument and case. Here's one that appears to be exactly the same: http://www.mandolinarchive.com/gibson/serial/62722
The one who found it and was going to chuck it...
The Kluson tuners are of a type made from 1956 to 1958, so during that period or a year or so later would be an educated suggestion for its age.
Here is the site that details these tuners:
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This Windsor Whirle tenor guitar my luthier rebuilt for me was made in Czechoslovakia in 1927. It has really wide grain as can be seen. This instrument had been modified extensively and was crushed...
I had noticed the code looked similar but I did not click through them both. This is the $900 example which has a Kay bridge which adds to its value somewhat:
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It made $774. It has a good case but the guard is probably deteriorating but the clamp is there. As an A-Jr it has the cloud which does not command the price that the sliding tailpiece cover demands....
I saw this in an auction for a fairly portly Harmony made Supertone archtop mandolin from the 1930s. Not a booklet but an interesting item. Have you got your Strad-O-Line you bought playing okay?
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We get what reads like an AI puff piece. The mandolin is over- priced except it has a nice 1930s case that is meant for a Kay Venetian judging by its shape but it is still too pricey.
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It is more likely to be a German made instrument from the 30s or 40s.
Yes, I have posted up the eBay auction and it is a Regal and I have posted up a Regal made Lark guitar which also has the Regal decal on it. Kay never made anything remotely in this shape- the...
Much of the metalware on American instruments was made in Germany- this is even more true of European made instruments in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. It may be that the "clam shell"...
The clamshell tailpiece appears to be American- so it may be a replacement.
Here is that link that Brad mentioned. It's hard to think of anyone so well connected and immersed in the first wave of rock and roll/rockabilly/country boogie as Larry Collins....
One of the earliest rockabilly players- a teenager with prodigious talent and unbounded enthusiasm as can be seen on those Town Hall Party videos on YT along with his sister Lorrie as a part of the...
This is a very ornate Rex Professional which I assume was made by Lyon & Healy circa 1910. Great inlays but we see the same bowl and neck on much less ornate examples which do not command high...
Is it definitely an eagle or a phoenix arising from flames? An eagle is an extremely common motif- the phoenix represents the coat of arms for the University of Chicago dating from 1910. It is just...
Happy New Year, Ed. I was lucky with my Stromberg-Voisinet as it was not expensive and the seller said the neck was loose. When it arrived, he had been unduly pessimistic about the neck joint which...
This is the patent application below. Many people drill them out- plug the holes and use standard tuners. My Stromberg-Voisinet mandolin has them and they all work but it is advised to spray PTFE in...
Old cracks may be stable-- and it is rare to find an instrument made of solid wood that does not show signs of aging in the form of cracks and other imperfections caused by temperature and humidity...
With a decent case then that price is okay provided there is nothing else of concern which will not be apparent until it can be inspected. In truth most old instruments have issues- you just want to...
I bought a very nice 1930-ish Meinel & Herold made flat top in a great case for £120 about six years ago. This mandolin looks okay but you never know until you have it in your hands. Mine appeared to...
It is most likely a Lyon & Healy branded instrument from the early 1900s like this American Conservatory example. Post photos of the bowl and the tuners. That tailpiece you are holding is a Gibson...
The whole of this film is on eBay and at one point Mrs Apollon appears- her name was Danzi Goodell and she sings a Russian song with great feeling which Russian songs demand while Dave plays the...
This may need some work- there are loads of photos and it really is a delight to look at!
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I'm too busy counting the number of rice grains in 2 lb packs at the moment, so I can't oblige, I am afraid.