Mystery mandolin

[Krollins]

Can anyone help me identify this auction find?

[nmiller]

It's a Stromberg-Voisinet product. Not sure what the brand is based on the scrap of a label.

[Jeff Mando]

My guess is that the label originally read, "The Vernon, C Bruno & Son, Inc.

[EvanElk]

wow you guys are good

[EdHanrahan]

Too bad it's in such marginal shape, w/ cracks in the top. S-V's were produced more or less thru the '20s (mostly, I think, under their own name, rather than contracted for outside vendors like Bruno), and evolved into Kay-Kraft and eventually Kay. Pre-'50-ish Kay mandolins continued with a vaguely similar but wider version of the S-V 2-point body. IMHO, quality was highest during the lightly-built '20s S-V era.

It once had a black plastic (bakelite, I assume) pickguard that was held on by guitar bridge pins press-fit into those 2 holes on the treble bout. You may be able to see its shape in the fading & patina of the top. It followed the body curve & point on one side, the strings & soundhole on the other, and with a squared-off bottom (w/ radius) just above the bridge; not at all like the glued-on guard in Jeff's Vernon/Bruno photo.

[Krollins]

Too bad it's in such marginal shape, w/ cracks in the top. S-V's were produced more or less thru the '20s (mostly, I think, under their own name, rather than contracted for outside vendors like Bruno), and evolved into Kay-Kraft and eventually Kay. Pre-'50-ish Kay mandolins continued with a vaguely similar but wider version of the S-V 2-point body. IMHO, quality was highest during the lightly-built '20s S-V era.

It once had a black plastic (bakelite, I assume) pickguard that was held on by guitar bridge pins press-fit into those 2 holes on the treble bout. You may be able to see its shape in the fading & patina of the top. It followed the body curve & point on one side, the strings & soundhole on the other, and with a squared-off bottom (w/ radius) just above the bridge; not at all like the glued-on guard in Jeff's Vernon/Bruno photo.

Thanks for the information, guys. I'm trying to decide if it's worth attempting repairs, or if it's going to be wall art.

[Jeff Mando]

IF, and it's a big if, it were playable and just worn and ugly -- I would place the value at $200-250 max. I don't think you could repair the cracks, fretwork, missing tuner parts, tailpiece, and bridge for less than that, IMHO. It looks really dried out, a lot of times the top cracks will close with humidifying to the point where they can be glued and clamped. If you are handy, you might be able to do some of the work yourself and get it playable.