I don't know if anyone else is interested in Strad-O-Lins (I am). I got a call from my friend Paul Unkert (a luthier in Toms River, NJ) that he had one open to reglue a brace. I stopped by and got some pictures.
I don't know if anyone else is interested in Strad-O-Lins (I am). I got a call from my friend Paul Unkert (a luthier in Toms River, NJ) that he had one open to reglue a brace. I stopped by and got some pictures.
"It's comparable to playing a cheese slicer."
--M. Stillion
"Bargain instruments are no bargains if you can't play them"
--J. Garber
Another
"It's comparable to playing a cheese slicer."
--M. Stillion
"Bargain instruments are no bargains if you can't play them"
--J. Garber
And yet another
"It's comparable to playing a cheese slicer."
--M. Stillion
"Bargain instruments are no bargains if you can't play them"
--J. Garber
And more
"It's comparable to playing a cheese slicer."
--M. Stillion
"Bargain instruments are no bargains if you can't play them"
--J. Garber
More
"It's comparable to playing a cheese slicer."
--M. Stillion
"Bargain instruments are no bargains if you can't play them"
--J. Garber
Clean joint.
"It's comparable to playing a cheese slicer."
--M. Stillion
"Bargain instruments are no bargains if you can't play them"
--J. Garber
And the tail block
"It's comparable to playing a cheese slicer."
--M. Stillion
"Bargain instruments are no bargains if you can't play them"
--J. Garber
Mike,
From the photos it appears that the back and top are both solid. Is that correct?
Bill Snyder
The top definitely is, the back appears to be. The other thing I noted was that the oval model was slightly narrower than the F-hole models I have, maybe an inch or so narrower.
By the way, the flame on the back was fake.
"It's comparable to playing a cheese slicer."
--M. Stillion
"Bargain instruments are no bargains if you can't play them"
--J. Garber
I thought the flamed backs where faux, but looking at the flame on the inside made me wonder.
Bill Snyder
I think those were actually tool marks on the inside. It wasn't totally smooth. To be honest it looks more like flame in the picture than it did in person.
I've had a few that had real flame, one that I have now is, and it's a two piece back. I've never seen another like that one.
"It's comparable to playing a cheese slicer."
--M. Stillion
"Bargain instruments are no bargains if you can't play them"
--J. Garber
Here's true flame on a Strad-O-Lin. I've never seen another one that was this nice, I'm sure there are some out there.
"It's comparable to playing a cheese slicer."
--M. Stillion
"Bargain instruments are no bargains if you can't play them"
--J. Garber
And the front
"It's comparable to playing a cheese slicer."
--M. Stillion
"Bargain instruments are no bargains if you can't play them"
--J. Garber
and one more
"It's comparable to playing a cheese slicer."
--M. Stillion
"Bargain instruments are no bargains if you can't play them"
--J. Garber
I recall Russ Barenberg playing a highly flamed fancy Strad-O-Lin many years ago. I haven't seen another like it since.
Jim
Jim
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1924 Gibson A4 - 2018 Campanella A-5 - 2007 Brentrup A4C - 1915 Frank Merwin Ashley violin - Huss & Dalton DS - 1923 Gibson A2 black snakehead - '83 Flatiron A5-2 - 1939 Gibson L-00 - 1936 Epiphone Deluxe - 1928 Gibson L-5 - ca. 1890s Fairbanks Senator Banjo - ca. 1923 Vega Style M tenor banjo - ca. 1920 Weymann Style 25 Mandolin-Banjo - National RM-1
This one would be pristine except for a repaired top crack. That and somebody rubbed the Strad-O-Lin logo off. You can still see the outline if you hold it just right in the light. It has the Treble Clef stencil on the headstock.
"It's comparable to playing a cheese slicer."
--M. Stillion
"Bargain instruments are no bargains if you can't play them"
--J. Garber
I have a Stradolin with a solid top, and as far as i can desctibe it - a solid back made of birch or sometthing similar with a papar thin veneer of maple. Now i understand that this would mean it is a ply back but surely its a solid back since the actual wood that is doing the work is 3mm of solid wood and the veneer is jus for decoration.
So when is ply solid ?
Of course the size of those braces is going to do more to determine the sound than the actual quality of back wood. seeing those pics is an eye opener for anyone interested in the ply versus solid argument, cos even if its solid it has half a tree running across its belly.
Mine sounds surprisingly good though.
warren malone
Your back would not be solid as it is laminated wood. Many of these did sound good. Why not post a picture of it?Originally Posted by (warren @ Dec. 09 2007, 08:20)
"It's comparable to playing a cheese slicer."
--M. Stillion
"Bargain instruments are no bargains if you can't play them"
--J. Garber
Selmer guitars had laminated backs and sides and there are some fairly expensive classical guitars that use laminated backs and sides.
This is not to say that the laminated material used in the Selmers is quite the same as the cheap imports. I believe the luthiers of some of the better instruments laminated their own backs and sides out of slected tonewoods.
Bill Snyder
Many early guitars had spruce back and sides laminated with Rosewood or other exotic wood veneer.
On the oval hole, Mike, it also looks like it has a shadow of a second top lateral brace. Do?
And by the way, your SOL is beautiful.
Thanks, every time I think about selling that mandolin to finance another I always stop myself.
"It's comparable to playing a cheese slicer."
--M. Stillion
"Bargain instruments are no bargains if you can't play them"
--J. Garber
Hey Mike E.,
Thanks for the great pix and infos! Fascinating.
BTW, I had a '52 Epiphone Devon archtop guitar that had laminated sides and back. It was a rompin' stompin'
guitar. Great sound, wonderful fun to play. I understand that a lot of Epi archtops of that time were made of
laminates....
Thanks,
stv
steve V. johnson
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Thought I'd add some pics of the inside of an F-hole Stradolin...different bracing from Mike's. No back brace.
Great shots, post one of the top from the top so we know what model it is by sight.
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