Albert Shutt mandolin on Ebay

[jim simpson]

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Original-191...97.m4902.l9144

too bad there are top cracks, might be a good project though.

[allenhopkins]

Currently around $150, but active bidding; probably will reach double that, and would be a good buy anyway -- providing you can do the work, or know someone who will do it at a reasonable price.

Shutt's credited as the real inventor of the carved-top, f-hole mandolin; take that, Messrs. Gibson and Loar!

[jim simpson]

Wow!, it ended at $422.77

[BradKlein]

An historically important mandolin. It has the tortoise headstock inlay and rather plain woods that I've seen on #2084, an A-1 also dated 1915. A well informed expert suggested to me that #2084 seemed rather rough to have been made in the Harmony factory as some of these almost certainly were. The Music Emporium has had an earlier A-2 that seemed to have been made and finished to a higher standard, and seems to have been made at the Harmony factory. The expert suggested to me that perhaps production moved (back?) to Kansas after an unsuccessful run from the Harmony factory?

Too bad about what looks like a serious top crack, missing bridge, and what may be serious heat and humidity damage to the laminated neck block and neck on this recent ebay sale - A-2 #2102, also from 1915.

These instruments still have plenty of mystery about them. Here is the top of the very fine 1913 A-2 from the Music Emporium. Info HERE.

[BradKlein]

For posterity, here is the back view of #2102 from the ebay listing.



Compared with the back of Lowell Levinger's A-2 with it's sycamore (?) one piece (?) back. Strangely, it is numbered #2505 but dated 1913.



The preference for what appears to by sycamore, seems to have carried over to the familiar two-shouldered variant that Harmony continued producing long after Albert Shutt left the instrument business.

And the A-2 from TME, which looks to be a two piece sycamore back.

[G7MOF]

I tried to bid on this but the auction said he wouldn't ship to the UK, I even tried to contact him but was blocked from doing that also. I know Europe are trying to block the UK from shipping in or out, but the US?

[Bill Kammerzell]

Some sellers only want to ship to the continental US. Easier if you're a private seller. I myself only ship to the lower 48. Just a preference for ease of shipping. If I know the weight, I can cut the mailing label that day and I'm done.

[mrmando]

It was tempting, but I need another project like I need a hole in the head. Of course, if I didn't have any holes in my head, how would I eat?

This year I've seen two, count 'em, two examples of the even MORE rare Shutt A3 offered for sale. That model had twin scrolls rather than twin points! One of them was also on eBay. The other was a private seller; the instrument looked like it needed a neck reset. I offered $700 but no dice.

[BradKlein]

This year I've seen two, count 'em, two examples of the even MORE rare Shutt A3 offered for sale. That model had twin scrolls rather than twin points! One of them was also on eBay.

Actually, each of the Shutt designs was offered in multiple grades, like the Gibson marketing scheme. So the two point model was known as the 'Professional' in Shutt's catalogue - available as the A-1,2,or 3. The double-scrolled model was known as the 'Artist model' which, according to expert, Gregg Miner, came in style 2 and 3.