Vega L-100 mandolin

[dorenac]

Just ran across one of these for sale. Never heard of them. I am looking for a 2-point Stradolin when I happened on the Vega. It's similar in appearance to a Vega cylinder back, two point, spruce top and mahogany back and sides, but a carved back not cylinder. Seems to be a 1940's vintage mandolin. Can anyone tell me more about these? Are they worth considering? Thanks

www.reverb.com/item/7370939-vega-l-100-mandolin-sunburst

[nmiller]

It's definitely post-War, but since it doesn't appear in any of the catalogs I have, I can't narrow it down further than that. I strongly doubt it was built after the '50s, though, since Vega seems to have dropped all their mandolins by the end of that decade. I have catalogs describing the L-100 as an oval-hole, flat-topped mandolin, though an L-150 is listed (but not pictured) with a description featuring f-holes and fancy pearl trim. While I have not seen either model in person, I suspect that the Reverb description is wrong and that this has a flat top.

I have seen one post-War Vega mando in person, an electric D-100. It was built quite well, apparently up to the standards of the cylinder-backs, but I couldn't really evaluate its acoustic tone due to the pickup mounted on the top.

My gut feeling is that this is a fine-sounding mandolin, probably somewhere in between a cylinder-back and a bluegrass design, but that's just based on speculation.

[Mark Gunter]

For the record

[Jeff Mando]

yet another example of where I like the case better than the mandolin.....

[Mark Gunter]

Left out a few of the photos, but I had to get that case - muy cool.