Hi there, having trouble identifying an old mandolin. Anyone have a clue?
Hi there, having trouble identifying an old mandolin. Anyone have a clue?
For posterity:
"It's comparable to playing a cheese slicer."
--M. Stillion
"Bargain instruments are no bargains if you can't play them"
--J. Garber
Post some more pics. We can't even tell if it is a bowlback or a flatback and I have a feeling those may be banjo-style tuners which would be unusual. Show us the side and any details that might give us clues. I have no guesses but that headstock configuration is common to both Italian and American mandolins. I am guessing it is a flatback due to its unusual shape.
Jim
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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
Never seen anything like it. I would bet it is very difficult to tune with those tuners.
Charley
A bunch of stuff with four strings
Indeed. It plays beautifully but tuning is frustrating 🙃
Looks like a cross between a mandolin and a balalaika
Zachary Graft
Celtic and Christian fiddle and mandolin music
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It looks like a mandolin to me and the tailpiece resembles those made in Germany so it is possible that is where this was made. The headstock does not resemble the Italian or American vintage mandolins but is similar but more triangular.
Here are a few more of the provided photos:
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
The tailpiece looks German to me as well. Those banjo pegs would be a bear to keep in tune.
"It's comparable to playing a cheese slicer."
--M. Stillion
"Bargain instruments are no bargains if you can't play them"
--J. Garber
I love oddball mandolins but I was going to suggest you replace the banjo tuners. Actually, now that I look at the headstock it is probably way too narrow for any tuners except maybe Pegheds, Wittner violin tuners, or possibly Planetary banjo tuners—anything with internal gears. An example of a non-functional design.
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
Janet Davis Music (before they went out of business) used to sell these small diameter geared banjo tuners. I believe they were made in Germany. They probably would have fit.
"It's comparable to playing a cheese slicer."
--M. Stillion
"Bargain instruments are no bargains if you can't play them"
--J. Garber
Looks like good sonic potential with that big ol’ sound chamber. Too bad about the disastrous peghead design. Guess the designer missed “peghead do’s and don’ts” day at luthiers school. If the neck is otherwise good, as you imply, I’d be tempted to pull the tuners, fill the old holes completely with a drillable hard compound, trim the excessive paddle ends, and even stick on a bit of nice veneer to hide the inevitable ugliness—then drill all new holes in a configuration that makes some sense. (Parallel if not snakehead.)
And oh yeah, install actual mandolin tuners.
I mean, I wouldn’t actually do that, but I’d think about it.
2009 Eastman 505
2011 Collings MTO GT
2008 Toyota Sienna
2018 Sawchyn mandola
Mandoline or Mandolin: Similar to the lute, but much less artistically valuable....for people who wish to play simple music without much trouble —The Oxford Companion to Music
I suspect there are times when the outter E and G tuner buttons (knobs closest to the nut) don't quite clear each other?
- Ed
"Then one day we weren't as young as before
Our mistakes weren't quite so easy to undo
But by all those roads, my friend, we've travelled down
I'm a better man for just the knowin' of you."
- Ian Tyson
I was considering replacing the tuners, but also hoping to figure out if it has value before I start altering.
https://share.icloud.com/photos/0wO-...L31CuXLLy3RQjQ
Spacing does not seem great if I want to use the existing holes
Think about Pegheds -- geared tuners disguised as friction pegs. Might fit your existing holes. One concern is that they're basically designed for violin and/or ukulele, and mandolin strings may exert higher tension. Here's the Peghed website.
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
"It's comparable to playing a cheese slicer."
--M. Stillion
"Bargain instruments are no bargains if you can't play them"
--J. Garber
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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