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Looks like U. of Iowa has revamped their historical database. Lots of interesting data for anyone that likes deep diving into old information of all types. Today is of note, the 99th anniversary of...

I just found this one hanging on a laundry room wall. It's been there for the last 50 years. Other than a couple small cracks in the headstock under the machine head screws and a crack in the pick...

Nice work indeed ! I couldn't have said it better myself. I'm proud to bring my contribution.

Benjamin, this is so cool. The group of people here and the widespread generosity in knowledge sharing is so refreshing.
Nice work on the registry!

Hi,
here is my contribution to the registry :
1935 Vivitone guitar
France
The pickup and the tailpiece were lacking, I rebuilt them.
The tailpiece were cut in an old pressure cooker.
No serial...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xN9FqvK9hpA

With links to:


New Yorker article
Washington Post review

Alex Ross' column on classical music, p. 77, in the April 17th New Yorker magazine mentions the performance of Jeff Midkiff's mandolin concerto, "From the Blue Ridge" performed with the Boulder...

For what it's worth, I just found a Kalamazoo newspaper article dated February 21, 1936 entitled "Vivi-Tone plant moves to Detroit." It appears they moved their operations at the beginning of 1936.

I don't know what this might mean to this thread, I'll let you collectors and builders tell me. I think what they are offering is the exchange of this Vivi-Tone brand acoustic guitar for an...

And this just showed up:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/332137715019?ul_noapp=true

Maybe it is just me but I have this thing for A-4 clones. I just happened on this Gilchrist 2 at Carter's. Of course, Marc MacGlashan playing one of my favorite Kenny Baker tunes makes it all the...

Thanks for the kind and insightful words, Jeff. In the wake of the recent books by Graham McDonald and Paul Fox, I felt the mandolin models and makers had been thoroughly covered, so I was free to...

Expand your imagination. Possibilities are endless.

Happy birthday to Lloyd Loar, born this date 1886 in Cropsey, Illinois.

152875

One of the paragraphs I typed somehow disappeared.

With respect to documenting the mandolin in1977....

Mr. Pat Holland of Eastern NC owned the mandolin and graciously let me play and inspect...

Evidence exists that there "MAY" have been two before this one. However, those mandolins may or may not exist. The only shred we have is a pickguard that was originally installed on a July 9, 1923...

Roger Siminoff posted earlier.

I have to share a Virzi story he told me a number of years ago. He said he was in New York City, standing in line waiting to get into a Broadway show and a guy was...

Someone sent this to us, knew it was a Virzi but wasn't sure from what, or its worth. Rather than tell what we think it is--believe it's from a violin--thought we'd toss out here because they're...

Looks like you all have this under control. All I can add is that my guess it is from that German romantic period, the same one that produced those lute guitars. The carved or arched top tho is...

Give them time, the bowl back users come in at different times during the day and night.

Hey Allen!

Bluegrass is the new, chique, millennial, cool term that encapsulates just about any kind of acoustic music these days. Back to roots, nature, etc. is popular with millennials and with...

Bit late to the party. Repost of a B&W Maurice Seymour of Dave A that graces my walls..


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Digging into some146833 more not so common Apollon photos, here is one from the 60's Vegas years which shows Apollon with Rena Kuebler, who took lessons from Dave, bought one of his 50's F5s, and...

Here's perhaps a more accurate color version of the photo of Dave holding the two Gibsons. It's great to see the interest in one of the true giants of our instrument and perhaps the first mandolin...

The other Apollon 78rpm box set from 1946 is this "Modern Gypsy Melodies" on the Manor Records label. Dave made a visit to Budapest which gave him the inspiration to make this double album of Gypsy...