Mysterious Alabama Octave Mandolin (No Lable)

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Hi all, as the title says very little info on this and was hoping to learn more. No lable inside. Any ideas when/where it was made and if it's worth anything?

Jesse

Looks like an import from Asia. Here's a 10 year old thread. I think the brand is mostly sold in Canada.

Here's an Alabama mandola with similar triangular soundhole, a design also found on some older Gold Tone large mandos . As Jim mentions, listings for Alabama instruments are generally from Canadian sellers.

I wonder if the Alabama and older Gold Tone with the pick-shaped soundhole might be made by the same Chinese(?) Shop?

I thought Gold Tone instruments were made in Korea, but the company states "The majority of instruments produced by Gold Tone are manufactured in a Korean owned-and-managed factory in China that we've worked with since 1993, when Gold Tone was founded." Don't find any reference as to where other Gold Tone instruments are made.

I also noted the resemblance between the Alabama and the earlier Gold Tones. That soundhole shape and location are pretty distinctive.

You mean it wasn't made in Alabama? :cool:

Strong resemblance.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by MikeEdgerton

You mean it wasn't made in Alabama? :cool:

Strong resemblance.

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It was made in al-Bama which is in Guangzi Province China.

Perhaps made in the same factory as Kentucky mandolins, Blue Ridge guitars, Galveston resonator guitars, and a slew of other Asian instruments with American names...?

I would imagine that there are quite a few Chinese instrument factories that supply import instruments for branding. Same with violins. My violin guy here told me that he shopped around to find a shop there that would supply him with violin bodies that he could finish and sell to students at a reasonable price.