Mystery builder

[Mandolin Cafe]

Can anyone ID or name the builder of this mandolin? Got an inquiry from California Bluegrass Association that wanted to know. Instrument ws donated to their kids lending library program, something we've supported for years. Looks like a nice mandolin. Click images to enlarge.

[atetone]

I know that I have seen that "H" inlay before and it is driving me crazy trying to remember where.
I just can't seem to put my finger on it right now.
Hopefully someone will identify it and save me burning up too many brain cells agonizing over it.

[Mandolin Cafe]

I did a search through the builder database for any builder starting with H and came up with. Some of these are easy to weed out, others not so.

Heartwood
Heiden
Henderson
Hughes
Hora
Hamburg Guitar
Hans de Louter
Hiroaki Watanabe
Hilburn
Hendrik van den Broek
Holst
High Desert
Hirsch
Henning Doderer
Honest Ron's
Hugo Valcke
Hynek Pavlu
HMS Music
Harald Hougaard
Hill
Herb Taylor
Hinde
Hester
Harlan
Harshbarger
Harris
Haynes
Harris
Heikki Rousu
Healey
Hirschmann
Hungry Mountain
Hembry
Hyde Made
Hooper
Hovington
Haywood Music
Holt
Hook
Harley Benton
Hervé Prudent
Hennis
Hugh Hansen
Hagerty
Hatta
Hollister Instruments

Of course that list is just current builders still active. This could be someone no longer active, deceased or just moved on and stopped.

[Phil Goodson]

Here's a pic of an old Henderson, but I don't think your pic is a Henderson.

[Mandolin Cafe]

Appears it's someone's first build. The folks that inquired thought to look inside and here's what they saw.

[CABluegrasser]

Hello all. I am the current manager of the California Bluegrass Association Kids Lending Library and I had a new piece of information that may help discover the builder or maybe prove that the builder may be unlikely to be discovered.

I pulled the end pin and placed a light on an F hole to see if anything was written inside. I saw the following written in pencil on the neck block.

A5
#1
WHT
2006

So it looks like it was somebody's first attempt at building a mandolin. I think it came out rather well considering. It has a very nice tone and it is definitely on the loud side when I compare it to other mandolins I have on hand (a couple of them really nice!).

WHT, if you are out there thank you very much for making such a nice instrument that ended up in our program. It spent the last five years with a young girl in the San Francisco Bay Area who was taking lessons from Sharon Gilchrist. There is a another young lady that is itching to come try it out and see if it can be a step up from the Eastman she has started with for the last two years. I believe it will likely be much better.

It sure makes my job much easier to have such nice instruments to hand to these eager kids! Mandolin Cafe has played a big role in contributing to our program and we are very grateful!

Thanks so much,
Randy January
CBA Kids Instrument Lending Library Manager

Photo is attached for those that want a peek inside:

[CABluegrasser]

Oops, I was a little too slow. Still glad to be able to drop in and say thank you!

[Ivan Kelsall]

'Whowever' the builder was,it looks as though he did a very nice job !. The overall 'look' of the mandolin is really very nice & from the comment above,it sounds good as well.

It would be nice if we could find out who the builder was - 2006,isn't that long ago,so who began building around that time ??. What a shame that there's no label inside - we can't complement the actual builder on a lovely piece of work !,
Ivan

[William Smith]

That does look like a well built mandolin! For a #1? Kit maybe? Nice.

[Seter]

I wonder if the H could be from the original owner's last name, or perhaps the builder is someone who goes by their middle name?

[Steve Roberts]

This might be one of Roger Siminoff's kits. I built one of his A5s and it looks very similar.

[Mark Seale]

Agreed this is a build from a Siminoff plan or kit. The headstock is slightly oversized from the original. It appears to be well done, the tone bars are pretty heavy toward the neck block. It looks like a great instrument for a kids learning library.

[CABluegrasser]

Agreed this is a build from a Siminoff plan or kit. The headstock is slightly oversized from the original. It appears to be well done, the tone bars are pretty heavy toward the neck block. It looks like a great instrument for a kids learning library.

I was wondering about that as well. I noticed the body is about a 1/2" longer from neck joint to tail pin than my mandolin and a few others I compared it to. Is that a characteristic of the Siminoff A5?

Here are a couple more photos. I really like the color WHT went with on this.