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Thread: Best all time Inlay's

  1. #1

    Default Best all time Inlay's

    Hi Folks,

    I am interested in the best, favorite headstock inlays for mandos? Especially interested in vinatge inlays that are cool but less well know?
    Thanks!

  2. #2
    Registered User Denis Kearns's Avatar
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    Default Re: Best all time Inlay's

    This isn’t vintage, but it is cool. The headstock on my Phil Crump OM, which incorporates his initials and a cool floral design. As a botanist, I like it. Phil also has a botanical degree.
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  4. #3
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    Default Re: Best all time Inlay's

    I always liked the A-3 squiggle, and the long torch and wire.

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    Default Re: Best all time Inlay's

    Anything without an unnecessary apostrophe for me!

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    Registered User Jill McAuley's Avatar
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    Default Re: Best all time Inlay's

    I'm obviously biased but I think the inlay of my Beagle on the headstock of my Girouard A is pretty great!

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    2018 Girouard Concert oval A
    2015 JP "Whitechapel" tenor banjo
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    Mando-Afflicted lflngpicker's Avatar
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    Default Re: Best all time Inlay's

    I love the traditional fern on my Weber Diamondback.
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    Default Re: Best all time Inlay's

    Some of the upper line early Epiphone archtops had really nice inlays. Look up the Broadway and Deluxe models.

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    Registered User Glassweb's Avatar
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    Default Re: Best all time Inlay's

    Mike Kemnitzer (Nugget), Tom Ellis, Andrew Mowry, Steve Gilchrist, Austin Clarke... just a few of the many modern masters of mandolin inlay...

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    Registered User J Mangio's Avatar
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    Default Re: Best all time Inlay's

    The Michael Kelly Legacy Dragonfly fretboard inlay.
    2021 The Loar LM700 VS

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  17. #10
    Registered User Mandolin Deep Cuts's Avatar
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    Default Re: Best all time Inlay's

    I really enjoy the headstock of my Mowry Octave.

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  19. #11

    Default Re: Best all time Inlay's

    That Brentup mandola in the classifieds has some pretty spectacular headstock inlay going on.

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    Default Re: Best all time Inlay's

    Quote Originally Posted by rcc56 View Post
    Some of the upper line early Epiphone archtops had really nice inlays. Look up the Broadway and Deluxe models.
    rcc56 -- I agree! I really love the Epiphone archtop inlays-- the headstock and fretboard! My favorite is the Sheraton, among those you mentioned.
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    Default Re: Best all time Inlay's

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ID:	194969I like mine (see avatar) I think about the day Bill Halsey have it back to me! Reminds me of simpler time in my life, there is a “Yellow Rose” below the script.
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    Default Re: Best all time Inlay's

    Picture may be upside down but the truss rod cover isn't. Or is it vice versa?
    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).

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  25. #15
    Mando-Accumulator Jim Garber's Avatar
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    Default Re: Best all time Inlay's

    Quote Originally Posted by rcc56 View Post
    Some of the upper line early Epiphone archtops had really nice inlays. Look up the Broadway and Deluxe models.
    Agreed. My 1936 Deluxe (possibly renecked at the factory in 1940s):

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    And for comic relief, my former 34 Epiphone Spartan (sold to a friend so I can visit)—I love the exclamation point that only appeared in the first years of production of this model.

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    Jim

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  26. #16
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    Default Re: Best all time Inlay's

    The Gibson Torch and Wire (and the Brentrup above are probably my favorite.

    There's a thread from 2019 on peghead inlays to scroll through as well.

    Jamie
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  28. #17
    Registered User Charles E.'s Avatar
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    Default Re: Best all time Inlay's

    Ellis Hummingbird and this Oriole.....

    https://www.mandolincafe.com/ads/173081#173081
    Charley

    A bunch of stuff with four strings

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  30. #18
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    Default Re: Best all time Inlay's

    Anyone else out there who cares more about how a mandolin plays and sounds than how good the bling is?

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  32. #19

    Default Re: Best all time Inlay's

    https://williamlaskin.com/gallery/

    Let us not forget the "Masked Luthier of Dupont Street". Done long before cnc...

  33. #20
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    Default Re: Best all time Inlay's

    The original post was about mandolin headstock inlays, and I see we’ve wandered into guitar bling. So dare I bring up banjo headstocks? If so, my vote is for William Lange/Paramounts. And if banjo is beyond the boundaries of this discussion, paramount banjo-mandolin inlays were pretty sweet!

  34. #21
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    Default Re: Best all time Inlay's

    Here’s a paramount tenor guitar. Click image for larger version. 

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    And a paramount melody banjo: Click image for larger version. 

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  36. #22
    Registered User Jill McAuley's Avatar
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    Default Re: Best all time Inlay's

    Quote Originally Posted by Ray(T) View Post
    Anyone else out there who cares more about how a mandolin plays and sounds than how good the bling is?
    Are the two things mutually exclusive? I'd be a real muppet if I'd dropped several grand on a mandolin just because of the inlay on the headstock.
    2018 Girouard Concert oval A
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  37. #23
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    Default Re: Best all time Inlay's

    Quote Originally Posted by Jill McAuley View Post
    Are the two things mutually exclusive? I'd be a real muppet if I'd dropped several grand on a mandolin just because of the inlay on the headstock.
    Mutually exclusive? Not necessarily. But I certainly wouldn’t buy a mandolin because of it’s ornamentation and, to quite an extent, added bling generally puts me off.

    I’m surprised that nobody has mentioned the likes of Antoniotsai. His inlay work is impressive but I wouldn’t buy one of his instruments and, I suspect, neither would most serious mandolin players.

    The headstock of my 23/4 snakehead is enough for me - it’s screenprinted!

  38. #24
    Registered User Jill McAuley's Avatar
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    Default Re: Best all time Inlay's

    Quote Originally Posted by Ray(T) View Post
    Mutually exclusive? Not necessarily. But I certainly wouldn’t buy a mandolin because of it’s ornamentation and, to quite an extent, added bling generally puts me off.

    I’m surprised that nobody has mentioned the likes of Antoniotsai. His inlay work is impressive but I wouldn’t buy one of his instruments and, I suspect, neither would most serious mandolin players.

    The headstock of my 23/4 snakehead is enough for me - it’s screenprinted!
    I didn't see a post in this thread where someone said that they'd bought a mandolin because of it's ornamentation, but I'll scroll back and check, maybe I missed that one - I thought this was just a thread about inlays that people liked. Hopefully all the "serious" mandolin players out there aren't judging me too harshly for having inlay of my Beagle on the headstock of my mandolin.
    2018 Girouard Concert oval A
    2015 JP "Whitechapel" tenor banjo
    2018 Frank Tate tenor guitar
    1969 Martin 00-18




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  40. #25
    Registered User Charles E.'s Avatar
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    Default Re: Best all time Inlay's

    Quote Originally Posted by mjbee View Post
    Here’s a paramount tenor guitar. Click image for larger version. 

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    And a paramount melody banjo: Click image for larger version. 

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    Wow! I have never seen a Paramount tenor guitar. Any way we can see the whole instrument front and back?
    Charley

    A bunch of stuff with four strings

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