L+H Model 5283 / A

[brunello97]

A very curious looking L+H carved top mandolin in the Classifieds right now for sale from Mandolin Brothers.

At first I thought it was a distorted photo but wading through the company's cloying prose there was some useful descriptive information (amidst the distracting blah-blah-blah.) Still nothing to explain why this seems so squatty. Checking the ad reproduction in Keef's book shows nothing distorted in the 5283 shape as advertised.

Any thoughts?

Mick

[Clement Barrera-Ng]

You beat me to it Mick. I was wondering exactly the same time. When I looked at the picture on my phone I almost thought it was some kind of octave mandolin on account of how long the neck I remember vaguely from past discussions that these L&H models came in both short scale (earlier ones) as well as long scale (later models). I am wondering if the one from MB isn't one of the later, long scale ones. In any case, it is a curious looking one to me and I've never seen one like it.

[mrmando]

It is a Bernado De Pace Signature Model. Already listed as sold on the Mando Bros. site. I posted about it here but I guess no one noticed.

Exchanged some email with squirrelabama about it today. He says the only other one he's seen belongs to Grisman ... it was mentioned (with photos!) in Grisman's highly informative Cafe interview.

Cafe ad here. The instrument was sold even before Stan posted his purple description, which you can read here. I see that Stan dutifully reported a conversation he had about the De Pace connection, but in such a way as to leave room for doubt. Maybe Grisman could persuade Stan that it's really true.

Interesting that, according to Stan, it retains the long 13-7/8" scale. I think De Pace played a regular Style A for a few years before having this designed, so perhaps he was accustomed to the long scale and wanted to keep it even though Washburn had already started making violin-scale instruments.

[brunello97]

Thanks, Martin, I hadn't yet seen your post. I knew De Pace played L+H models, but didn't know he had a 'signature' model made for him. An interesting design modification to get better access up the neck..

Mick

[Clement Barrera-Ng]

Wow that went quick. Thanks for the info Martin.

[Jim Garber]

That also seems to be one that escaped Hubert as well. I did not see any reference to it in his book.

[mrmando]

Yeah, man. Keef, are you catching this? Will there be a second edition?

[mrmando]

Holy cow, it's another De Pace!

The fretboard extension has been Apollon'd. Hm...

[Jim Garber]

Holy cow, it's another De Pace!

The fretboard extension has been Apollon'd. Hm...

Actually, Martin, if you go on their site there is only a photo of the case. That photo they posted with their ad looks suspiciously like the one that Mick posted on the first post of this thread. That one was also Apollon'd and that green felt under the tp looks the same. I guess the proof is when they post actual pics of that instrument.

[mrmando]

Ah well. Good catch on the photo.

I see Stan still hasn't gotten the memo on the difference between vulcanized fiber and vulcanized rubber.

[Mo Soar]

Vulcanized fiber? Like forbon, used in making pickup bobbins?

[Jim Garber]

Vulcanized Fibre

[Nat]

Link in the ad now goes to a standard style A, not a De Pace. Looks like the De Pace picture in the cafe ad is just an accident.