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Thread: Help figuring this one out; Bruno 12 string

  1. #1
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    Default Help figuring this one out; Bruno 12 string

    Buddy of mine came across this 1905 C. Bruno and Sons 12 string small concert body something- guitar(?), tiple, huarango, octave mandolin??? What is it? Bad photos, label inside says "The Vernon", mahogany body & neck, spruce top, slightly oval sound hole, fretted neck, solid, simple headstock w Gibson-like volute, and what I think, might really determine its identity- nut set up in four groups of three string slots with six on a side gear and shaft tuners. Pdf version of their 287 pg 1890 catalogue doesn't show it, go round and round with other websites and reference articles, history of Bruno, etc, some examples of mandolins, classical bowl backs. Interesting he partnered w the original CF Martin at the outset and stayed in NewYork and became a well known and large musical instrument dealer if not maker or actual luthier.
    Is there such a thing with that string spacing or nut set up in Portuguese, Italian or Celtic music? It was found in Rhode Island where a lot of the first two but not so much the last group of people settled.
    I'd appreciate any info or corrections. Might be a diamond in the rough or just a curiosity.

  2. #2
    Orrig Onion HonketyHank's Avatar
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    Default Re: Help figuring this one out; Bruno 12 string

    tiple? oops. my bad. charango?
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  3. #3
    The Amateur Mandolinist Mark Gunter's Avatar
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    Default Re: Help figuring this one out; Bruno 12 string

    My guess would be a tiple, would be nice to see a photo or two. There are a lot of knowledgeable folk here about vintage instruments; I'm not one of them.
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    Mando-Accumulator Jim Garber's Avatar
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    Default Re: Help figuring this one out; Bruno 12 string

    According to Mugwumps.com Vernon is a Regal brand name. Bruno was primarily a distributor.

    Post photos for sure otherwise we are just fishing in the dark. My guess is mandolinetto or tiple. Long shots would be Portuguese guitarra or Spanish or Filipino bandurria.

    Here is a The Vernon tiple. Does not have a slightly oval soundhole or neck volute and like most American tiples has ten strings.

    Click image for larger version. 

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    Aha! Could it be a 12 string mandolinetto? This one is from Gregg Miner's site.
    Click image for larger version. 

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    Last edited by Jim Garber; Jan-20-2018 at 9:33pm.
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  6. #5
    Registered User nmiller's Avatar
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    Default Re: Help figuring this one out; Bruno 12 string

    The Vernon brand was own by Bruno; it didn't appear until the later 1910s. As Jim noted, Bruno was a distributor and didn't make any of their own instruments.

    A 12-string mandolinetto was listed in their 1917 catalog (model 62), and they also offered tiples in the 1920s. A reasonable (but not infallible) rule of thumb is that a tiple will have a slotted headstock while a mandolinetto will have a solid one.
    www.OldFrets.com: the obscure side of vintage instruments.

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    Default Re: Help figuring this one out; Bruno 12 string

    Cool! Thanks! Yep, definitely looks like a mandolinetto. I'll try to upload the pics I was sent. They're awful and hardly tell much but as to form, shape and murky condition, which is pretty much as I described. Odd, had looked on Miner's site but guess I didn't dig enough and wasn't in the Bruno's catalogue I was able to see. Must have been introduced later after 1900. Thanks for the help.
    John

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    Default Re: Help figuring this one out; Bruno 12 string

    Have tried numerous times to attach a couple of pics of this sent to me by phone but have had no luck. Get some coded stuff that won't open or show that they're actually attached and are not the same file number assigned to the jpegs saved on my computer...
    Ought to be a piece of cake but after several attempts, have gotten p o'd and v frustrated. Any ideas? Thanks

  10. #8

    Default Re: Help figuring this one out; Bruno 12 string

    Mandrionetto?

  11. #9
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    Default Re: Help figuring this one out; Bruno 12 string

    No, I think it's exactly like the pic from Greg Miner's site that Jim Garber posted and called a mandolinetto. Same shape, pick guard, nut and headstock. Tailpiece broken but assume it was the same shell type. Still stumped trying t attach pics.

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