B & J Serenader Resonator Mandolin 1930s

[NickR]

I don't know if this is a genuine resonator as opposed to the Faux-bro. It looks like there may be a diaphragm inside. Certainly. Sears, Roebuck sold a very cheap Supertone example which looks just like this and the blurb for that mentions that is has the diaphragm- all for $12.95. Obviously, the body is not that great- looks like birch! Others will know if this is genuine or not.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/B-J-Serenad...0616%7Ciid%3A1

[AndyV]

It looks like there may be a diaphragm inside.

That's silver paint

[NickR]

Yes, it appears to be like this one- where we get to see the silver paint! However, the B & J appears to have something much closer to the cover plate.

https://reverb.com/item/3266319-rare...sion-potential

[MikeEdgerton]

It's a faux resonator, the bridge isn't right either. B&J was a brand name, they didn't build that.

[brunello97]

It's a faux resonator, the bridge isn't right either. B&J was a brand name, they didn't build that.

Of all the many examples of jive-axx trickery that we've seen over the years here, for some reason these fauxonators are among the very worst.

Mick

[Jeff Mando]

There is a little piece that is missing from the cover plate that goes over the bridge.

[allenhopkins]

B & J is Bugeleisen & Jensen, big-time distributors, not manufacturers. "Serenader" was one of their common pre-WII nameplates. This one (which sold, by the way) is IMHO a regular wooden mandolin with a circle of silver paint on its top, and a "for show" cover-plate screwed over that.

"Diaphragm" if it in fact was there, would be the resonator cone. I see no evidence of a cone, or of any mechanism to transfer the bridge vibrations to a cone, such as the National "biscuit" or the Dobro "spider." The bridge sits right on the wooden top.

Seems odd to me, actually: resonator mandolins were never super-popular, and why another company would try to skirt the National/Dobro patent protections, by phonying up a wooden mandolin to look like a resonator instrument, escapes me. But we need to remember -- cover-plate ≠ resonator.

[MikeEdgerton]

B & J is Bugeleisen & Jensen, big-time distributors, not manufacturers. "Serenader" was one of their common pre-WII nameplates. This one (which sold, by the way) is IMHO a regular wooden mandolin with a circle of silver paint on its top, and a "for show" cover-plate screwed over that.

"Diaphragm" if it in fact was there, would be the resonator cone. I see no evidence of a cone, or of any mechanism to transfer the bridge vibrations to a cone, such as the National "biscuit" or the Dobro "spider." The bridge sits right on the wooden top.

Seems odd to me, actually: resonator mandolins were never super-popular, and why another company would try to skirt the National/Dobro patent protections, by phonying up a wooden mandolin to look like a resonator instrument, escapes me. But we need to remember -- cover-plate ≠ resonator.

Buegeleisen & Jacobson?

[your_diamond]

A Stradolin by any other name, would smell just as sweat! Premier Multivox Antique Mandolin Banjo https://ebay.us/YzVHPm

Seems to be a lot of these on eBay lately.
That headstock, neck & neck heal look very Stradilon-ish to me, & aren't Premier & Multivox brand names for stradolin???

[Jeff Mando]

They are not worth that kind of money, but for $100 they are a lot of fun. And, sound surprisingly metallic, believe it or not. And, some people have gone to the trouble of "converting" them to actual resonators with stewmac innards....but really not necessary to get a cool sound, IMHO.

[allenhopkins]

Buegeleisen & Jacobson?

Right you are -- that'll teach me to rely on my aged memory.

[MikeEdgerton]

Right you are -- that'll teach me to rely on my aged memory.

I kept looking at it and I knew the first name was right but something was just not getting there for me on the second name so I looked it up. I couldn't remember the second name either.

[CarlM]

That brand name brings back memories. I had a Bugeleisen and Jacobson guitar that somehow acquired legs and walked away from a house I was renting back in 1974 never to be seen again.

[NickR]

I have a very nice B & J Serenader mandolin made by Regal in the mid-30s. It has a red spruce top and was doubled up by quite a nice guitar- which you saw commonly in the 30s. Here is the guitar- in this case, B & J has sold it under their S S Stewart brand which was a bit more up-market.

https://jakewildwood.blogspot.com/20...t-00-size.html

[allenhopkins]

I have a B & J Victoria bowl-back -- family heirloom -- that's pretty obviously a L & H Washburn with a different label. Nice little mando, once I had the top crack repaired.

B & J were distributors only, I guess, so no wonder "their" instruments look like those from other manufacturers of the period.