Looking for info on F body built by Jim Harvey of Western MD

[Focusedcycling]

About 2 months ago I purchased this mandolin from a woman whose father had recently passed away. The father had the mandolin built for him. The woman was able to find a house phone number for the builder but the wife of the builder was the one who answered, stating that her husband was unable to come to the phone due to health issues(Builders name and street address is inscribed inside the mandolin). Not a lot of information on woods used or anything.

This is my first mandolin and I know little to nothing about them. I have been researching feverishly since deciding to take up playing this instrument. I fell in love with the look of this mandolin, some of it's unique history/mystery also intrigued me.

I had a friend that is a decent mandolin player accompany me to the purchase and we felt the build was of good quality and I purchased it.

I paid $600 for it including the hard case and a strap just for reference. Not really concerned with whether it was a good deal as I absolutely love it and believe it is good sounding(the best if can be for a hack like me)

I was hoping someone might have some information about the builder or any clues as to what the top and fretboard/pick guard could be made of. I have an unfinished cedar Seagull Acoustic guitar and don't believe the top on this mandolin is cedar but I don't honestly know.

Thanks in advance for any help!
-Ben


-Also I am aware and have read some about Jim Harvey of California who did a lot with the electric mandolins, I don't think this is the same Jim Harvey. Even crazier thing is that is my neighbors name also...

[Charles E.]

Nice find! It looks like the back and sides are domestic maple (local ?), the top looks like cedar. I can't say what the fingerboard or pick guard the are made of but the peg head overlay looks like cherry wood. I love the little name badge on the peg head. Enjoy!

Welcome to the Cafe.

[Focusedcycling]

Thank you! As I mentioned, I am in love with it and have a hard time putting it down. Can't wait to be able to play some tunes with confidence on it.

Couple of other questions that have come to mind are who makes the tailpiece and tuners? Any ideas or are they something "no name"?

The tailpiece slides back and the cover plate comes completely off. Inside are little metal hooks that the old strings were looped under making the string turn 90 degrees to the hook. The mandolin stays in tune fine and the tuners seem to function well, just curious if they are by a reputable/known company. Same can be said of the tailpiece, works fine for me, just want to know who it is made by.

I still haven't had it set up by a shop as I wanted to get some time under my belt first. As soon as things settle down I plan to.

Thank again for your knowledge and I am excited to be a part of the community!

-Ben

[pops1]

The tailpiece is a standard tailpiece that is on thousands of mandolins. I would guess the headstock overylay is the same as the pick guard and fingerboard. I have seen rosewood with lighter streaks in it like this, but it is hard to tell in a pic.

[Charles E.]

I am certain that the peghead overlay is cherry. It looks like Mr Harvey was using domestic if not locally available wood so My guess for the pickguard would be butternut or light walnut. What ever it is, it is a cool piece of playable American folk art.

[CES]

I like it. If it sounds as good as it looks, you got a heckuva deal on a scroll...

[Jim Garber]

The top looks like wood you would use to build a cedar closet, unlike the cedar that is used for gutars.

I believe that the tuners are Gotoh MF40 like these:



I am curious how thick the neck is. From the photos it looks a but chunky. Still the maker has a good sense of how a mandolin is built. I would guess he has built at least a good handful of these and this is not his first. What does it say on the label? Is there a number?

[pops1]

The top looks kind of like redwood. The mention of a builder of the same name in California would mean access to lot of local redwood.

[Focusedcycling]

The top looks kind of like redwood. The mention of a builder of the same name in California would mean access to lot of local redwood.

This was built in Western Maryland by a gentleman who lived in Western Maryland. I was noting that he had the same name as a semi famous electric mandolin player in California. Sorry for the confusion.

The lighter streaking matches up between fretboard, top and pick guard. Not saying they are all the same wood but the way the streaks line up is very nicely done.

[Focusedcycling]

The top looks like wood you would use to build a cedar closet, unlike the cedar that is used for gutars.

I believe that the tuners are Gotoh MF40 like these:



I am curious how thick the neck is. From the photos it looks a but chunky. Still the maker has a good sense of how a mandolin is built. I would guess he has built at least a good handful of these and this is not his first. What does it say on the label? Is there a number?

Those do look a lot like the tuners.

I will get some measurements of the neck.

He inscribed his name and street number and name inside the mandolin and a small initials above that but thats it. Plus the Harvey inscribed piece on the head.

[Focusedcycling]

The daughter of the owner said she wasn't sure but thought she had been told the builder used local deer antler for the pieces on the points. Don't know if that's common/possible but it looks like it could be some kind bone or antler.

[Charles E.]

Considering the use of likely local woods for the instrument, that seems to make sense. With that cedar top, you don't have to worry about moths getting in your mandolin case.

[LadysSolo]

That's a good-looking mandolin - hope it sounds as good as it looks. Enjoy!

[Rush Burkhardt]

Great looking mandolin! Real homegrown craftsmanship! I'd be anxious to have it set-up, only to improve its playability and, perhaps, sound. One-way-or-another, I'd be happy with a purchase like that!

[Focusedcycling]

The top looks like wood you would use to build a cedar closet, unlike the cedar that is used for gutars.

I believe that the tuners are Gotoh MF40 like these:



I am curious how thick the neck is. From the photos it looks a but chunky. Still the maker has a good sense of how a mandolin is built. I would guess he has built at least a good handful of these and this is not his first. What does it say on the label? Is there a number?

Finally got around to measuring the neck.

At the base it is 3.75cm wide/3.5cm tall and 2.75cm wide/2.5cm tall at the head.

[Bill Kammerzell]

That top surely does remind me of the pattern on a Cedar Chest my mom had many years ago.

[multidon]

There is sometimes a lot of confusion over the term “cedar”. Most “cedar” instrument tops are Western Red Cedar (Thuja plicata). This one, judging by color and pattern, especially the contrast between the sapwood and heartwood, is almost certainly Eastern Red Cedar (Juniperus virginiana), also known as Aromatic Red Cedar. The two trees are not related, not even being in the same genus. Western Red Cedar is very soft at around 300 Janka while Eastern Red Cedar, though technically a softwood, is much harder at 900 Janka. It is unusual to find a piece of ERC that is knot free enough to make an instrument top. One other point of interest: Neither of them is a true cedar (Genus Cedrus). Hope this helps.

Just noticed it is not knot free. That makes Eastern Red Cedar pretty much a certainty.

Workmanship appears to be quite good. Some will find fault with the scroll design, but you know for an amateur this one looks a lot easier to execute than the classic scroll. I’d rather see a non traditional design done well than a classic design done badly. I would have been on top of this one at 600 bucks for sure.

[Dave Hanson]

To me it looks like a candidate for the worst scroll post.

Dave H

[Cary Fagan]

It's a unique variation on the F style, I'd say. The work looks very clean. I love seeing this kind of work. Enjoy it!

[multidon]

I do not think this is a “worst scroll” candidate at all. As I stated before, F style scrolls are really hard for an amateur. Why not change it into something else that can be done well? Why oh why must every mandolin with a scroll adhere slavishly to the Lloyd Loar design? And everything else “ain’t no part of nuthin’ “? I used to have Breedlove that I regret selling, a very nice instrument, but of course it was derided by others for having that “ugly” hook scroll. There is such a thing as ugly scrolls, but to me if a design is well executed with good workmanship, who’s to say? I think the OP is lucky to have it for 600 dollars. Play on and enjoy, Focusedbiker! And just ignore any and all ugly scroll comments.

[Nevin]

The daughter of the owner said she wasn't sure but thought she had been told the builder used local deer antler for the pieces on the points. Don't know if that's common/possible but it looks like it could be some kind bone or antler.

I don't know how common this is but it certainly is possible. It is kind of a nice touch.