Need Help to identify this very very old Mandolin with case.

[MiTeFire]

The quality of sound is beautiful. The fabric case is rough but still protects the Mandolin. How do I describe this for a classified listing?

[August Watters]

There are some bowlback experts around, but until they weigh in, this much seems clear:

American-made bowlback mandolin, 100+ years old. Brazilian rosewood bowl.

Plus, need to add more description about condition, which is not visible from the photos. You need a close-up of the top, to show that there are no cracks. And clear photos from side, showing the string height, and side views of the neck, bridge and top. There are a million of these mandolins around still, and most of them have problems -- sunken top, excessive string height because of bent or twisted neck, cracks in top or separations of top/side. I don't see any of these in your photos, but the photos don't show enough detail. If it doesn't have those problems, someone will love it. If it does, it's a matter of finding someone who will spring for the restoration costs, which will almost certainly exceed the (unfortunately depressed) market value.

It's true things like this often don't find buyers on eBay. But I don't take that as much of a sign since eBay purchases can unreliable, especially for something like this where there are a lot of potential problems, and sellers often are not able to diagnose them. I've bought a few this way to offer to students, and despite all precautions it's not unusual to get a surprise when it arrives!

[Jim Garber]

I believe it is a variant of the American Conservatory line made by/sold by Lyon & Healy. Headstock matches shape of Washburn bowlbacks from around 1912-13. It was probably made for retailers who sometimes put their own labels on them. Condition would determine what you can ask as a selling price but the finish has a lot of checking. Still, if it is structurally sound with no warpage or cracks or separation you can probably ask a hundred or two, maybe.

[Ginridge]

I actually went on a buying spree with these last year and ended up with about 6 Brazilian bowl backs. I agree with the American Conservatory/Washburn/Regal assessment (they were all interconnected by that time period). I don't see any obvious issues with yours but these do tend to get warped necks. I can't tell from the pics if the fingerboard is ebony or "ebonized pear wood". Ebony is what you want. The top and back strips all look good. Assuming the action is in good shape, I'd say Jim is in the right ball park dollar wise. Market on these is very weak, though. I was picking up excellent Brazilian rosewood bowl backs with issues in the 60-80 dollar range. Get a good shot showing the string height and if possible, take a shot looking down the fingerboard to show if it has a warped neck or not.

Good Luck!

[August Watters]

I actually went on a buying spree with these last year and ended up with about 6 Brazilian bowl backs.

. . . .and?? Sooner or later, someone's going to start building new mandolins on these aged Brazilian bowls. There are some pretty good instruments being made in Italy this way. Maybe one of the builders will chime in here, but maybe the quality of the original build won't be critical, since the bowl is primarily a reflective surface.

[Jim Garber]

Actually, I was pretty impressed with the modern Eastman bowlbacks but you can get an excellent vintage simple Vega, Washburn or even Martin for less money. And I don’t think Eastman is importing many of those into the US. There really is not so much of a demand.

[MikeEdgerton]

Exactly. As long as you can buy a decent bowlback that was made in the US and can easily be made playable for well south of $200.00 most days you won't see a big market for new ones.

[Ginridge]

. . . .and??

I've got one largely re-built but am waiting on a couple pearl inlaid in pearl pieces that have been on order for about a year.... Once I get that, I'll put it all back together and try to sell it. I sold one very low end regal a couple years ago for 125. It was all original and in excellent shape and playing condition so I know the market is weak on these. I'm just a sucker for an old, high quality instrument in terrible condition!