Hi, any help to identify the maker would be much appreciated. Antique bowlback mandolin with 40 ribs on back. Large MOP butterfly on front. Star on headstock. Vining inlay on fretboard. Bottom metal part marked Pat Pend.
Hi, any help to identify the maker would be much appreciated. Antique bowlback mandolin with 40 ribs on back. Large MOP butterfly on front. Star on headstock. Vining inlay on fretboard. Bottom metal part marked Pat Pend.
It would be useful to see the back of the headstock and the bowl as well! The star was a popular motif and was also favoured by various retailers for their instruments.
Tailpiece is generic and appears on many mandolins from the period so that patent pending is for that tailpiece. Butterfly inlay is also one of the more popular ornamentations for bowlback and often were purchased by makers from pearl shops. Here is my collection of butterfly mandolin images. I don't see any one that matches yours though.
Jim
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The shape of the headstock- and the binding of it is reminiscent of some mandolins Regal made circa 1900 but I don't know if it is a Regal build.
Enclosed tuners, lots of rosewood ribs in the bowl, extensive ornamentation. If it's from one of the "usual Chicago suspects," it was a higher-end model.
Allen Hopkins
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Not so sure... Workmanship is not exceptional. Except for multiple ribs (which are sometimes just disguised to be so) they bought the fancy pearl tree-of-life inlay. Take that way and it becomes mid-grade. Simple headstock.
Take a look at upper level Washburns, for instance, for comparison.
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
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