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Thread: bohman mandolins

  1. #1

    Default bohman mandolins

    anyone notice the amazing family of bohman mandolins, mandolas and mandocells in the classifieds?? not mine and i have no interest or ownership, but what an amazing collection. please give us some history.

  2. #2
    Mando-Accumulator Jim Garber's Avatar
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    Default Re: bohman mandolins

    They are being sold by Matthew Woods, an avid collector, who is also the seller of the Gelas set of instruments. I guess he is de-accessing some of his collection. A year or so ago he was posting video demos of his amazing collection and talking and playing them. He goes by the screen name gweetarpicker. His web site is here.
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  4. #3
    Moderator MikeEdgerton's Avatar
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    Default Re: bohman mandolins

    I've always thought of Bohmann as the worlds greatest musical instrument manufacturer, as did he.
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    "It's comparable to playing a cheese slicer."
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  6. #4
    FIDDLES with STRADOLINS your_diamond's Avatar
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    Default Re: bohman mandolins

    Looks like he sold the Bohman guitar mentioned in the last paragraph. Can't find it anywhere.

  7. #5

    Default Re: bohman mandolins

    Quote Originally Posted by Jim Garber View Post
    They are being sold by Matthew Woods, an avid collector, who is also the seller of the Gelas set of instruments. I guess he is de-accessing some of his collection. A year or so ago he was posting video demos of his amazing collection and talking and playing them. He goes by the screen name gweetarpicker. His web site is here.
    great site and what a collection. we are not worthy. that collection on the classifieds alone is a fantastic tribe

  8. #6
    mando-evangelist August Watters's Avatar
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    Default Re: bohman mandolins

    Sheri Mignano Crawford recently published a history of Bohmann, who claimed to have built the first American-made mandolin, in Chicago, perhaps as early as 1883. Maybe she will weigh in here.
    Exploring Classical Mandolin (Berklee Press, 2015)
    Progressive Melodies for Mandocello (KDP, 2019) (2nd ed. 2022)
    New Solos for Classical Mandolin (Hal Leonard Press, 2020)
    2021 guest artist, mandocello: Classical Mandolin Society of America

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  10. #7
    Sheri Mignano Crawford Mandophile's Avatar
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    Default Re: bohman mandolins

    thanks, August!
    I'm only too happy to share my research. Here's the paper on Bohmann and how he intersected with the Spanish Students mania (these were Curti's "Roman Students" known as recent Italian immigrant mandolinists: Fachutar, Valisi, Colombo, Ricca and others).
    Bohmann was a hyperbolic self-promoter but I believe that he did the world a great service by taking a risk by trying to build a mandolin in America. He had models to study from the so-called Spanish (AKA Roman) Students. As to whether he built a decent one, we will never know as nothing has survived from the 1880s. Occasionally, one finds a mid-1890s or late-1890s mandolin but that's about it.
    Happy Holidays to everyone! Sheri
    Attached Thumbnails Attached Thumbnails First_American-Made Mandolin-FINAL.pdf  

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  12. #8
    Registered User gweetarpicker's Avatar
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    Default Re: bohman mandolins

    [QUOTE=your_diamond;1746217]Looks like he sold the Bohman guitar mentioned in the last paragraph. Can't find it anywhere.[/QUOTE

    The guitar is still for sale on Reverb. I just got busy over the holidays and accidentally let the café ad expire.

    Also love the new info in the Bohmann paper.

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  14. #9

    Default Re: bohman mandolins

    the beautiful bohman's are back on the classifieds individually. just beautiful, and i found the videos. they sound great as well. if i won the lottery(i'd need a second house for instruments)

  15. #10
    Mando-Accumulator Jim Garber's Avatar
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    Default Re: bohman mandolins

    Let's post some pics for usual reasons...
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    Jim

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    Playing lately:
    1924 Gibson A4 - 2018 Campanella A-5 - 2007 Brentrup A4C - 1915 Frank Merwin Ashley violin - Huss & Dalton DS - 1923 Gibson A2 black snakehead - '83 Flatiron A5-2 - 1939 Gibson L-00 - 1936 Epiphone Deluxe - 1928 Gibson L-5 - ca. 1890s Fairbanks Senator Banjo - ca. 1923 Vega Style M tenor banjo - ca. 1920 Weymann Style 25 Mandolin-Banjo - National RM-1

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