Trying to date my Mandolin

[Sears]

I have had no luck in finding out how old and Besides being labeled a BRUNO who he used as a builder. Can anyone help me?
Thanks

[DavidKOS]

https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/C..._%26_Sons,_Inc.

"C. Bruno & Sons. guitar-list.com (2012-02-27). "Parent brand: KAMAN MUSIC CORPORATION / Information: An instrument importer and dealer, "

" Charles Bruno's 19th century firm sold all types of instruments but its not known how many were actually manufactured rather than just branded by the company."

From what I know and have heard, Bruno was a jobber not a manufacturer.

[Sears]

Thanks! how would I identify who made it? There are no markings besides BRUNO also I do not see a serial # ONLY the #5 on head. Mind that I have no idea about instruments. This has been handed down in the family. I do know that it was used by my great great grandmother around pre 1900.

[DavidKOS]

It's sometimes difficult to pinpoint which maker made these old mandolins. Some were imported from Italy, some were made in Chicago or New York.

I have a similar situation with ID-ing my old "Carl Fischer" mandolin - Fischer was a jobber not a maker too.

[Sears]

Thanks again!!! looks like this will be an adventure!! Not knowing anything about this I can only speculate. from observation of the internet and findings it looks to me to be a possible C. F. Martin. with the #5 on top along with the cut out at top. I appriciate the chat!

[MikeEdgerton]

It's not a Martin and as far as I know Bruno never made anything, they were always a distributor. That cut out was used by many builders, probably most at one time.

Take a look at this Martin. Yes, the cutout is similar but not the same and the amount of work put into the finish on the Martin is very apparent. Also, look at the back of the headstock. Martin attached theirs at that time with a very distinctive joint.

Lyon and Healy and some of the other larger builders that built for the trade (for people like Bruno) built bowl backs with the features the customer wanted. The differing color on the staves, the cutouts, the headstock shape. etc.

This was a low to mid level mandolin that Bruno had in their catalog and they might have sourced the same instrument from multiple manufacturers. There may be some hints with the inlay and binding that will give someone some direction to the actual builder. By the way, the case may be worth more than the mandolin.

[Sears]

Yes you are right Bruno was just a distributor. Again I am only going off of what I have read on the internet through googling stuff. I did read that C.F. martin did sell to bruno or at least worked with him early on. Yeah I am a bit clueless when it comes to this stuff. lol

[nmiller]

This model was introduced sometime between 1913 and 1917, based on the few Bruno catalogs available to me, and it was gone by the late '20s.

[Sears]

Nmiller,

Might you have some more information on this catalog? Is there anything else I can identify it by? Maker?

Thanks!!

[brunello97]

Sears....can you post some more photos of your mandolin. Some side views, full frontal views, details. It might help with the attempts to ID it.

Thanks!

Mick

[Sears]

Will do shortly

[nmiller]

Catalogs almost never listed the manufacturers behind the brands, and this one is no exception. It just gives a basic description and a price ($36.50).

[allenhopkins]

Am I right in deducing that the bowls with alternating maple/mahogany or maple/rosewood ribs, were phasing out by 1920? The reproduced Washburn catalog pics in Pleijsier's book don't show that style later.

I have a Washburn mandola with alternating maple and rosewood, and the badge inside dates it to the 1890's.

[MikeEdgerton]

I think anyone that was still making them later on made whatever they thought would sell. I don't think there was a date that they went out of style. I do think there weren't many bowlbacks being manufactured in the late 20's.

[rcc56]

Bruno is a very old company. There were some business dealings between them and CF Martin I, but they ended in 1838. My source is "Martin Guitars: A History," by Johnston, Boak, and Longworth.

The OP's mandolin does not remind me of any Chicago work I remember seeing. I'm going to suggest New York or Europe.

[David Lewis]

The stamp suggests it was distributed in New York. Is it too much of a stretch to suggest it was made there too? (Europe of course is the next possibility - I can't see a Chicago maker distributing in New York unless there were no other options...)

[MikeEdgerton]

I doubt it's from Europe, there were people building all over the US at that time. There's nothing there that doesn't look US to me including the case. This wasn't a high end instrument, it was a factory built product that was made for the masses.

[nmiller]

Bruno was indeed headquartered at 351-353 4th Ave, New York. And yes, it was common for NYC-based distributors to source things locally; Bruno's banjos in the '20s came from Lange and Epiphone, among others. There were a million small-shop instrument builders in the area back then, so even if it was built in NYC, that doesn't narrow it down too much.

There were still bowlbacks in the Bruno catalog in 1927, but as Mike said, they probably weren't selling too many by that date.

[Timbofood]

Gee, I was just going to say take it a bottle of wine!

[jaycat]

Flowers are good too.

[mmuller]

Some pleasant small talk.....

[Noteworthy]

I've got a couple of old Bruno catalogs...one dated 1885 (yes that's 1885!!) and the other dated 1926. I'll try and post some pics of both.<Removed by Moderator, please limit commerce to the classifieds> I know they are indeed rare since I've never seen another listed for sale. Incredibly, both are in excellent condition! Given their age, go figure!

[Loudloar]

I have a 1971 catalog for C. Bruno & Son. So they were around for more than 100 years.

Steve

[Timbofood]

I think I have a C.Bruno ashtray around here somewhere. I used to have two but, I’m fairly certain one was broken during a party.

[pops1]

I have owned an 1890 Bruno guitar and a 1930 ? Carl Fischer, Fischer C. Imperial, guitar, never found out who made either. Didn't have the benefit of the internet then.