I recently saw this at a co-op flea market. On the positive side it was only $35.
I recently saw this at a co-op flea market. On the positive side it was only $35.
I have thought of doing things like that. Years ago someone on the site found a bunch of bowl backs that had been previously picked over for anything remotely viable as in instrument. What was left was good only for scraps and parts and art installations.
This was made by the lamp-making department at Oscar Schmidt during the Great Depression. They had quite a few of those 12-string bowlbacks for some reason.
This one is nicely done though I would think a lighter color for the reflector bowl would work better as a lamp.
Jim
My Stream on Soundcloud
19th Century Tunes
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
www.OldFrets.com: the obscure side of vintage instruments.
Wow. They couldn't pay me $35 to take it.
If I recall correctly the Guarneri cello which was stolen in Los Angeles was about to be repurposed as a cabinet or nightstand by the cabinetmaker boyfriend of the woman who ended up with it when she saw a news report about the theft and realized what she had.
A few years ago there was a sale on eBay for an Emberger bowlback, one of the more desirable of that ilk. It was sold by an antique store near me and I went to examine it in person before bidding. Evidently the family of the original owner brought it to a music store who told them that it was a piece of junk and would only be a wall hanger and they should make a lamp or a planter out of it. I was outbid by a dealer in France and it sold for about $1800.
I wonder how many Loar-signed F-5 lamps and planters are out there.
Jim
My Stream on Soundcloud
19th Century Tunes
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
About 50 years ago I saw a kinda cowboy group playing at a trade group luncheon in Wichita KS. One guy was playing a tenor banjo with different colored Christmas tree lights inside that blinked on and off semi-randomly. I can't remember if the group was any good or even what kind of music they played. But I can't get the image of that darn banjo out of my head. It's kind of like an eye-worm.
New to mando? Click this link -->Newbies to join us at the Newbies Social Group.
Just send an email to rob.meldrum@gmail.com with "mandolin setup" in the subject line and he will email you a copy of his ebook for free (free to all mandolincafe members).
My website and blog: honketyhank.com
Banjo...Head...
And the light goes on!
Timothy F. Lewis
"If brains was lard, that boy couldn't grease a very big skillet" J.D. Clampett
I've seen quite a few cheap banjos converted into wall clocks, with a solid white board replacing the head, hour numbers attached, and the clock mechanism installed behind it. They make much less noise...
There's a small brass band out of Buffalo that plays restored 19th-century instruments -- rear-facing trombones, "teardrop" cornets, etc. The tuba player has a Civil War-era brass instrument that he located at a rural home somewhere; it was painted red, filled with dirt, and set in the yard as a planter. He bought it and had it restored, which must have been a chore.
Allen Hopkins
Gibsn: '54 F5 3pt F2 A-N Custm K1 m'cello
Natl Triolian Dobro mando
Victoria b-back Merrill alumnm b-back
H-O mandolinetto
Stradolin Vega banjolin
Sobell'dola Washburn b-back'dola
Eastmn: 615'dola 805 m'cello
Flatiron 3K OM
The banjo player was light headed!
Everybody I know wishes that I would 're-purpose' all of my instruments, instead of having to hear me play them . . . .
That flute lamp hurts me to look at. Unless you could detach it and play a bit on it...
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1920 Lyon & Healy bowlback
1923 Gibson A-1 snakehead
1952 Strad-o-lin
1983 Giannini ABSM1 bandolim
2009 Giannini GBSM3 bandolim
2011 Eastman MD305
I’ve seen old instruments repurposed into garden planters...pretty fun project.
Northfield F5M #268, AT02 #7
It was a very old non playable flute that I bought for $40 and made the lamp for my daughter who is a fabulous flute player. The cello was also not worth fixing so I made that for her husband who plays up right bass. If it is fixable (affordably)I would not do it.
Not a problem Randi I understand.
THE WORLD IS A BETTER PLACE JUST FOR YOUR SMILE!
Hey, at least they're still being useful! We should all be so lucky.
-- Don
"Music: A minor auditory irritation occasionally characterized as pleasant."
"It is a lot more fun to make music than it is to argue about it."
2002 Gibson F-9
2016 MK LFSTB
1975 Suzuki taterbug (plus many other noisemakers)
[About how I tune my mandolins]
[Our recent arrival]
Allen Hopkins
Gibsn: '54 F5 3pt F2 A-N Custm K1 m'cello
Natl Triolian Dobro mando
Victoria b-back Merrill alumnm b-back
H-O mandolinetto
Stradolin Vega banjolin
Sobell'dola Washburn b-back'dola
Eastmn: 615'dola 805 m'cello
Flatiron 3K OM
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