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Thread: Pre-war Opry  Mando's?

  1. #1
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    I often think about the theme of, "...those old players never had high end equipment to make that music." So, here is my question: What type of Mando's were used for those back country recordings or what type of Mando's were used by the early Pre-war Opry types? Later, dy.

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    Registered User f5loar's Avatar
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    The big 4 prewar makers were Gibson,Epiphone,Martin and Bacon. There were several low end makers like Kay,Stradolin and KTel supplying the beginners.

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    Yep, I thinking that those persons traded some taters or a pig, or corn for an old Kay mandolin. #Then in a few years, after a few field recordings in a barn of "Nine pound hammer" and "Banks of the Ohio" they made some money and bought a Gibson A-40...stuff like that. #Not the F-5 vibes, dy.

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    Bill Healy mrbook's Avatar
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    In the classic "Grand Old Opry - the Movie" (w/Roy Acuff, Uncle Dave Macon, and the Weaver Bros. & Elviry) I think I remember a Martin A model. Other photos I've seen show low-end Gibsons (A-50, A-40) and even a Kay or two. Many had good instruments, but not the top models.

    Thirty years ago I held G.B. Grayson's fiddle (of Grayson & Whitter) and thought that I would have passed it up at an estate sale. He sure made some great music on it, though.




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    The early Opry "stars" and other country performers of the 1930s and 1940s played a surprising number of very high-end instruments, including pearl and herringbone Martin guitars and Gibson Mastertone 5-string banjos. In fact, they were the principal clientele for these sorts of instruments. As for mandolins: Someone correct me if I'm wrong, but it seems that Bill Monroe was the first country performer to pay much attention to Florentine-style Gibson mandolins. Most of the brother duets of the 1930s relied on A-model Gibsons, Martins (Bill Bolick of the Blue Sky Boys), and other quality makes. Even after the war, it was mostly the Monroe disciples who favored F-style mandolins, not just because Bill played one, but also for their cutting sound and power. The Bolicks, Louvins, and others still favored oval hole A-models which best complemented their gentle style of singing.

    Bob
    Robert H. Sayers

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    Registered User 8ch(pl)'s Avatar
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    Bill Monroe played an Epiphone Strand at one time I believe. Anyone put a date on this, if it is true.

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    Robt. Sayers: Correct! - Ira Louvin - on most, if not all - Louvin Brothers' recordings/shows, etc. played "A" model/oval hole mandos. There is a "promo" pic of Ira playing a rather strange-looking/guitar-shaped/"F" hole mando. Charlie told me that Shot Jackson(Opry member/,luthier/ShoBud Guitars/dobro) brought/bought that in Germany and gave it to Ira. Charlie said "..nice looking but being a cross between small-guitar AND mando..., Ira hardly played it." - He(Charlie) also said "...no matter where I go, someone will come up and tell me they have a mandolin that once belonged to Ira." - Ira was sometimes "hard" on his mandos ; always had 2 or 3 in for "repairs". Ira - at times - could be rather short-tempered with both mandolins,....and people!? - RIP Ira. - Moose.

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    Registered User f5loar's Avatar
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    Ira also played F2/F4 models. I never saw him with an F5.
    He had MAS real bad back then. In fact he may have been the first to contact the dreaded disease and gave it to the rest of us!!!!! Find old photos with different dates of Ira and you will find he never had on the same Nudie suit or mandolin. I think he changed mandolins when he changed his suits. I think Monroe had MAS until he found his first Loar. And face it, after you get a Loar how do you do better? It's true a Loar can be a cure for MAS.

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