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Thread: Anyone ever heard of a 'Kitolin'?

  1. #1
    Jo Dusepo, luthier Dusepo's Avatar
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    Default Anyone ever heard of a 'Kitolin'?

    I am a luthier specialising in historical and world stringed instruments. You can see more info at my website.

  2. #2
    Registered User Peter K's Avatar
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    Default Re: Anyone ever heard of a 'Kitolin'?

    No, I haven't. It almost looks to me as if "Kitolin" was coined up as a contraction of kithara-mandolin.

  3. #3
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    Default Re: Anyone ever heard of a 'Kitolin'?

    Fan frets or bad drawing?

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  5. #4
    Jo Dusepo, luthier Dusepo's Avatar
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    Default Re: Anyone ever heard of a 'Kitolin'?

    Quote Originally Posted by Ray(T) View Post
    Fan frets or bad drawing?
    Well spotted!
    The nut is slanted, so that would suggest fan frets, even though the bridge is straight.
    I am a luthier specialising in historical and world stringed instruments. You can see more info at my website.

  6. #5
    not a donut Kevin Winn's Avatar
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    Default Re: Anyone ever heard of a 'Kitolin'?

    Isn't 'Kitolin' one of those rapid weight loss programs....?

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  8. #6

    Default Re: Anyone ever heard of a 'Kitolin'?

    Actually I did see one for sale the other day but I thought it was just a mandolin

  9. #7
    Jo Dusepo, luthier Dusepo's Avatar
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    Default Re: Anyone ever heard of a 'Kitolin'?

    Quote Originally Posted by albino View Post
    Actually I did see one for sale the other day but I thought it was just a mandolin
    I'd love to see a link or a picture if possible.
    I am a luthier specialising in historical and world stringed instruments. You can see more info at my website.

  10. #8
    Mando-Accumulator Jim Garber's Avatar
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    Default Re: Anyone ever heard of a 'Kitolin'?

    I don't know about the illustration in the ad but I found an archive with a Swedish newspaper article about the inventor/designer. I will post more but gotta run.

    Here is a photo from the article. Looks like a guitar to me and this one does not have the oddball portuguese tuners.

    Click image for larger version. 

Name:	EdgrenKitolin.png 
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  12. #9
    harvester of clams Bill McCall's Avatar
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    Default Re: Anyone ever heard of a 'Kitolin'?

    Pretty early f hole guitar-like instrument, isn't it? I have no idea when f hole guitars originated.
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  13. #10
    Registered User mandolinstew's Avatar
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    Default Re: Anyone ever heard of a 'Kitolin'?

    google J.W. Jenkins Sons Music

  14. #11
    Registered User mandolinstew's Avatar
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    Default Re: Anyone ever heard of a 'Kitolin'?

    Then google J.W. Jenkins mandolin.Mandolin and guitar at MandolinCafe.

  15. #12
    Mando-Accumulator Jim Garber's Avatar
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    Default Re: Anyone ever heard of a 'Kitolin'?

    The patent, granted in 1900, seems to cover the tuning mechanism as well as the fan-frets—could be the first of its kind in US? Very interesting.

    The 1905 article I found in Swedish mentions the Kitolin (translated through Google Translate:

    Edgren has also started a business relationship with the big music company Kohler & Chase, which will sell the band's patented and award-winning new musical instrument "The Edgren Kitolin".
    Attached Thumbnails Attached Thumbnails US652353.pdf  
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  17. #13
    Confused... or?
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    Default Re: Anyone ever heard of a 'Kitolin'?

    Fan frets and the bridge is not fanned at all ... is there any possible chance of actual "intonation"?? Other than, ya know, the bad kind?
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  18. #14
    Mando-Accumulator Jim Garber's Avatar
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    Default Re: Anyone ever heard of a 'Kitolin'?

    Quote Originally Posted by EdHanrahan View Post
    Fan frets and the bridge is not fanned at all ... is there any possible chance of actual "intonation"?? Other than, ya know, the bad kind?
    That is odd but hard to tell whether the patent drawing is inaccurate, however it does look like in the photo that the frets are fanned. You are right. Strange.
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  19. #15
    Registered User mandolinstew's Avatar
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    Default Re: Anyone ever heard of a 'Kitolin'?

    Maybe when it was built the old guitar wasn't so imperfect.

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  21. #16
    Moderator MikeEdgerton's Avatar
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    Default Re: Anyone ever heard of a 'Kitolin'?

    All these years I figured uncle Adolph just didn't know how to spell our last name, now I find out he couldn't cut frets straight either.
    "It's comparable to playing a cheese slicer."
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  22. #17
    Mando-Accumulator Jim Garber's Avatar
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    Default Re: Anyone ever heard of a 'Kitolin'?

    Even more amazing was when Uncle Adolph tried to mate the kitten with a mandolin.
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  23. #18
    Moderator MikeEdgerton's Avatar
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    Default Re: Anyone ever heard of a 'Kitolin'?

    Quote Originally Posted by Jim Garber View Post
    Even more amazing was when Uncle Adolph tried to mate the kitten with a mandolin.
    Nah, that was pretty much expected behavior for the guy.
    "It's comparable to playing a cheese slicer."
    --M. Stillion

    "Bargain instruments are no bargains if you can't play them"
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