Re: Great American Mandolet ID and Date PLEASE Thanks
The Oscar Schmidt Company of Jersey City, New Jersey built a slew of strange instruments, Piano Harps, Guitar Harps, Mandolin Harps etc. in the early 1900's and sold them door to door along with lessons. I've never seen this particular instrument but the label looks very similar to the other Schmidt products and the music on the side would indicate to me that it was probably the same genre only using more of a mandolin base than the traditional zither base on the instrument. The sound holes on the side are unusual for when this was most likely built.
"It's comparable to playing a cheese slicer."
--M. Stillion
"Bargain instruments are no bargains if you can't play them"
--J. Garber
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