Spruce top / rosewood back + two point design makes this a desirable instrument.
Threads like this always are good for raising the value / price of hitherto lesser-appreciated instruments.
Mick
Ever tried, ever failed? No matter. Try again, fail again. Fail better.--Samuel Beckett
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This one first caught my eye because of the two-point design.
Before this I had only noodled around on a Kentucky F-style mando I bought for my daughter a few years back.
While a playable instrument, the tone did not make an impression on me. It has since been traded off for a guitar.
The smooth-sweet tone of this Washburn has me hooked.
Are the back and sides Brazilian Rosewood?
I wish more makers made a two-point model.
Weber has one.
Jonathan Mann is making some really interesting neck through two-points:
http://www.manndolins.com/
The neck through design is interesting.
Well, that's what Allen quoted from Keef's book...which was citing the L+H catalog. Does the back look like rosewood? It is pretty distinguishable from mahogany--which it is likely to be if not rw.
Besides being gorgeous, the rosewood backs on these old flatbacks make for a crisper, clearer tone, in my experience. Very desirable mandolins usually at an affordable price--at least for awhile.
Post some photos of the back if you're not sure.
Mick
Ever tried, ever failed? No matter. Try again, fail again. Fail better.--Samuel Beckett
______________________
'05 Cuisinart Toaster
'93 Chuck Taylor lowtops
'12 Stetson Open Road
'06 Bialetti expresso maker
'14 Irish Linen Ramon Puig
Allen Hopkins
Gibsn: '54 F5 3pt F2 A-N Custm K1 m'cello
Natl Triolian Dobro mando
Victoria b-back Merrill alumnm b-back
H-O mandolinetto
Stradolin Vega banjolin
Sobell'dola Washburn b-back'dola
Eastmn: 615'dola 805 m'cello
Flatiron 3K OM
Sorry....I thought you were trying to ID whether it was rosewood or not, not where the rosewood likely came from. Rainforests full of Brazilian rosewood were being cut down for the furniture trade, etc. in the late 18th and early 19th c. A tragedy, but at least some went into instruments still making beautiful music 100 years later.
Mick
Ever tried, ever failed? No matter. Try again, fail again. Fail better.--Samuel Beckett
______________________
'05 Cuisinart Toaster
'93 Chuck Taylor lowtops
'12 Stetson Open Road
'06 Bialetti expresso maker
'14 Irish Linen Ramon Puig
FWIW, not all instruments used SOLID Brazilian rosewood, even 100 years ago. I've found quite a few old instruments veneered with Brazilian rosewood. So, it is worth a check through the sound hole and try to match up the figure patterns with the back, to make sure. Same with birdseye and flamed maple.
Thanks Jeff.
The grain matches up inside and out.
I came across a Washburn Model 1915 style 1422 and have been trying to find information but not having much luck. The serial number is 1731 and has the original label inside. Wondering about the value. Not in very good condition but liked the 2-point look.
I had an 1890 guitar that looked like the most beautiful Brazilian rosewood, but when you looked inside it was Mahogany. The rosewood grain was hand painted and it was good enough to fool everyone who looked at the guitar, until they looked inside.
Just throwing that out there for the early years and things they were doing.
THE WORLD IS A BETTER PLACE JUST FOR YOUR SMILE!
It's called a Faux finish. Most of the Chicago builders used it one way or the other. Some were good at it, some were downright bad at it. For reference look at the 50's 60's Harmony guitars and mandolin that are supposed to look like flamed wood. That's a bad one. Some early Harmony guitars (as well as L&H and others) could get some pretty realistic looking Brazilian from a distance. Up close it wasn't as realistic and a look inside always gave it away. The funny thing was that those early guitars with the faux finish were solid not laminated wood.
"It's comparable to playing a cheese slicer."
--M. Stillion
"Bargain instruments are no bargains if you can't play them"
--J. Garber
From what I was told about my guitar mahogany was preferred for sound, but rosewood for appearance. They painted the grain on mahogany to appear it was Brazilian rosewood. The guitar sounded great by the way.
THE WORLD IS A BETTER PLACE JUST FOR YOUR SMILE!
I've always liked -- even preferred -- the sound of spruce top-rosewood back mandolins viz their mahogany backed cousins. Brighter and a bit crisper tone if those completely arbitrary terms mean anything.
Only time I could A-B it in any real way was on a couple of Martins, an A and a B and on a rash of likely Regal made Chicago flatbacks.
The Vega / L+H Leland line are, of course, stellar examples of this. I have a Wurlitzer labeled mando from the series with a mahogany back which doesn't quite cut it like the others.
Different storks for different forks.
Mick
Ever tried, ever failed? No matter. Try again, fail again. Fail better.--Samuel Beckett
______________________
'05 Cuisinart Toaster
'93 Chuck Taylor lowtops
'12 Stetson Open Road
'06 Bialetti expresso maker
'14 Irish Linen Ramon Puig
This is the only one I have.
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