Looking for info on mando

[Charles meadows]

Hi all. I recently bought a mystery f5 mandolin with only a flowerpot on the headstock. It seems patterned after a Gibson master, but not identical. Quality and sound are professional. I'm curious as to its provenance.

[Randi Gormley]

photos, please

[Charles meadows]

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[William Smith]

anything written on the inside of body???

[Charles meadows]

No identification whatsoever anywhere inside or outside.

[rcc56]

Apparently the builder wished to be anonymous.
Like the Lone Ranger.

[mrmando]

Wow. Where did you buy it? And how much did you pay?

You could try looking at the underside of the top with a flashlight and a dentist's mirror. Or unscrew the truss rod cover and see if there's anything engraved underneath.

[Charles meadows]

Literally bought it for $800 out of the trunk of a guys car! What's so surprising is the quality. It put this thing against most anything on the shelf at Carter vintage! Ok maybe not the Loars...

[lenf12]

It's weird that there's no identifiers, given that it looks like pretty good quality and you like the sound. I have no idea...

Len B.
Clearwater, FL

[mrmando]

Was this in Houston, or elsewhere?

[Charles meadows]

Bought it from a guy outside Cincinnati.

[Bill Kammerzell]

Bought it from a guy outside Cincinnati.

What sort of history on the mandolin did the guy in Cincinnati give you? What did he know about it?

[Ray(T)]

Perhaps it's an unsigned Kimble

Looks like the flowerpot was installed too high on the headstock to allow a name to be added.

[yankees1]

Might be HOT !

[mrmando]

There's a seller in Houston who regularly sells unbranded mandolins that are built overseas. He had a couple of really nice-looking H5 mandolas — I think a Cafe member bought one although I don't recall who.

There might be a similar operation afoot in Cincinnati. Your mandolin could well have been built by someone in China toiling away in anonymity.

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Might be HOT !

If so, it'll be hard to trace with no identifying marks!

[jd.panko]

Kinda reminiscent of a Sullivan, but I think he signed the top.

[HoGo]

Looks very nicely built mandolin. The scroll is not easy to bind so cleanly. Is there a trace of glue where label is supposed to be? Could be chinese no-name but one never knows... Have a look iside with mirror and please post more pics. That may help.