Any chance of identifying this mandolin?

[TonyEarth]

This is probably a long shot, but there's a picture of one of my father's aunts playnig the mandolin and I'd be interested to know if it's at all identifiable (I think you can click the picture to expand). Not a great picture but I think the only one we have.

For context, this is probably late 40s/early 50s in Puerto Rico. I think it's neat that I ended up playing the violin and mandolin without knowing about this though.

[MikeEdgerton]

Parts of it are identifiable. Whomever built the one in your picture probably built this one too. Yours has F holes and a different head stock shape but the end of the fretboard and that tailpiece cover are clues.

[NickR]

The one in the photo posted by Mike is a Supertone 372made by Harmony. Harmony made a more expensive version which the company sold under the Valencia name.
Here is another and I seem to have Rick Nelson as well:

[NickR]

I notice that the mandolin in the picture has f holes as Mike mentions, the shape of the fingerboard end is typical of a Harmony in the late 30s with single cut f holes. as opposed to the segmented variety. It looks a lot like an early Monterey mandolin- the one on the left. I have a Monterey- but sold by a third party- S S Stewart and that has the crown tailpiece cover- unlike those in the ad

[MikeEdgerton]

I don't think hers was a Monterey but I do think it was a Harmony. I own the mandolin I posted, it was given to my uncle when he was a boy by a local fireman back in the 30's. It was well used when he received it. The catalog page you posted warms my heart because I actually bought that page for the other side that had identifiable Kalamazoo mandolins on it so I was able to date it and show that Harmony was using the Monterey name before the 60's as was commonly thought amongst the local Cafe folks at the time. I also think Harmony sold my uncle's models to other stores other than Sears but it's pretty safe to call it a Harmony built instrument. Years ago I was convinced my Uncle's mandolin was a Regal but over the years I've seen enough catalog pages that my opinion changed. By the way that mandolin came to me when his wife gave him the ultimatum that he get rid of the mandolin or she was throwing him out of the house. The top and back were nailed back on. I think he was thrown out of half the bars in my home town playing that thing. After I got it he underwent a life style change.

[allenhopkins]

...By the way that mandolin came to me when his wife gave him the ultimatum that he get rid of the mandolin or she was throwing him out of the house. The top and back were nailed back on. I think he was thrown out of half the bars in my home town playing that thing. After I got it he underwent a life style change.

I take it you didn't inherit his proclivities for mandolin annoyance?

[NickR]

That's quite a story behind your mandolin, Mike! That old ad you posted is interesting as it shows the prices for tailpieces back in the late 30s! I would imagine if your mandolin type was sold to other sellers (and it probably was) it would have a different (or no decal) as Supertone seems to have had its own styles which were changed very often as they tried to make eye-catching variants at minimal extra cost. As you probably noticed, Regal mandolins had a different end to the fingerboard which is often the most obvious difference to the similar Harmony product.

[MikeEdgerton]

I take it you didn't inherit his proclivities for mandolin annoyance?

It wasn't the mandolin as much as it was his associated behavior. Apparently chicks have always dug mandolin players. Who knew?

[TonyEarth]

You guys continue to impress me, thanks for all the cool info!

[brunello97]

.... Apparently chicks have always dug mandolin players. Who knew?

That's what I know, Miggy.....

Mick

[allenhopkins]

...Apparently chicks have always dug mandolin players. Who knew?

I sure didn't.