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Thread: *Far* from finding a Loar in the attic, still cool

  1. #1
    aka "Hydrilla" Darren Kern's Avatar
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    I posted an ad on a popular website asking if anyone had a free old monitor they could give me, for a Linux box I'm building. A lady responded, and I made arrangements to go by her house. She asked one favor in return, asked if I could please carry a heavy box from her garage to her house since she and her elderly mother were all that lived there. We talked a little while in the garage, and I noticed an old mandolin hanging from a couple pegs on the wall. I asked if I could look at it, and she said sure. While I was checking it out, her mom said "That was my husband's, you can have it. It's at least 80 years old, brought here from Puerto Rico."

    I thanked them and took it home. I was a little bit surprised that when I took the old strings off (the few that were left), and strung it up, it didn't break, and it stayed in tune reasonably well. It's actually fairly playable, too, although the intonation is bad past the 5th fret.

    It looks to me to be a cheapie. The label says it's from Spain I think (Espana?). It's got a hideous formica overlay over the headstock, that I don't think is original . The tuners work fine but they are missing bushings. The nut is bone I believe, but the slots are way too wide for all but the G strings, all the slots look like they are wide enough for 40s. The neck is surprisingly straight, but the action is pretty high past about the 7th fret. The neck joins the body at the 10th fret instead of the 12th. The bridge is glued on, and has a metal saddle piece, maybe brass? The tailpiece is riveted in and has open string hooks.

    The back is separated from the rim a good bit, and the top has a crack on the left side, but the body is stable. I think I could easily repair the crack and separation. Do you all think I could put a new fretboard on this little thing and actually make it a playable instrument? It has a surprisingly nice tone, and like I said, it seems stable. No truss rod but like I said, the neck is straight. Even if it's not worth anything, I like that it has a cool history, and as a newbie builder, it might be a good learning experience. Here are some pics.
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  2. #2
    aka "Hydrilla" Darren Kern's Avatar
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    Back pic.
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  3. #3
    aka "Hydrilla" Darren Kern's Avatar
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    Side view.
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  4. #4
    aka "Hydrilla" Darren Kern's Avatar
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    Tailpiece view.
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  5. #5
    aka "Hydrilla" Darren Kern's Avatar
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    Here's a pic of the label, best I could take. Can anybody tell me anything about this mando, based on the label?
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    Man, that thing is just oozing mojo (and who knows what else ).

    What is the scale length?
    "First you master your instrument, then you master the music, then you forget about all that ... and just play"
    Charlie "Bird" Parker

  7. #7
    two t's and one hyphen fatt-dad's Avatar
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    Careful on the string gauges - something like the GHS A-250s would be about right (I guess). I'd get it working!

    I like these stories!

    f-d
    ˇpapá gordo ain’t no madre flaca!

    '20 A3, '30 L-1, '97 914, 2012 Cohen A5, 2012 Muth A5, '14 OM28A

  8. #8
    Registered User MandoSquirrel's Avatar
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    Go for it! I'm almost drooling wondering how it'll sound!!!
    Elrod
    Gibson A2 1920(?)
    Breedlove Cascade
    Washburn 215(?) 1906-07(?)
    Victoria, B&J, New York(stolen 10/18/2011)
    Eastwood Airline Mandola

    guitars:
    Guild D-25NT
    Vega 200 archtop, 1957?

  9. #9
    Registered User Chip Booth's Avatar
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    Hmm, I'm more interested in knowing about that pick, but the mandolin looks like fun as well

    Chip

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    It´s cute!

  11. #11
    aka "Hydrilla" Darren Kern's Avatar
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    Thanks y'all, it is a pretty cool little guy. I don't know the scale length, Andy. Good idea to check it though, I'll let you know. Looks short to me. FD, good idea about the light strings, I've got some light cheapies on there right now. This one might end up qualifying as one of your beach mandos Chip, actually that pick is just a Fender extra heavy, nuthin' special. Funny thing is, the previous owner used the back separation as pick storage, had 2 picks sticking out between the back and sides, lol. I think I will try to fix it up and see if I can turn it into a decent little player.
    My original IV mandolin kit blog- http://makingamandolin.blogspot.com/

  12. #12
    Eric Hansen
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    Darren,
    #cool find. #and yeah that formica sure doesnt look original. #i sure would be curious to see what's under there. #it can't be any WORSE than the formica and considering the detail work aorund the sound hole and binding work, (not to mention that colorful label!), i'll bet there is something intersting up there. #just the plain wood would be nice. # take it off!!

    ahem... MHO...
    Eric H

    Aloha a hui hou
    mandolin no ka 'oi

  13. #13
    aka "Hydrilla" Darren Kern's Avatar
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    No worries Eric... believe me, the formica is coming off! I'm getting pretty good with headstock inlay, so if it's ugly under there, I'll do some research into instruments from that time period and try to do something that might look good, and antique it to match the rest of the body.
    My original IV mandolin kit blog- http://makingamandolin.blogspot.com/

  14. #14
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    You might find your missing bushings under that formica also. No cracks or signs of damage to the headstock? I have a hard time understanding why someone would slap that on unless it was a repair.
    "First you master your instrument, then you master the music, then you forget about all that ... and just play"
    Charlie "Bird" Parker

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    Here is something that just struck me when I saw someone post the question to Hydrilla. #The question was "What is the scale length?" #I now realize I don't know how scale length is measured. #Is it measured from the nut to the bridge? #Is it from the nut to the twelth fret, which is an octave, or scale? #So, how does one measure the scale length? #I need edge-u-ma-cated. #A simple thing I am sure, I just never thought about it before.
    Scott
    2006 Weber "Special Edition"
    1915 Larsons Brothers Flatback

  16. #16
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    Quote Originally Posted by (Smyers @ Sep. 29 2006, 09:10)
    Here is something that just struck me when I saw someone post the question to Hydrilla. #The question was "What is the scale length?" #I now realize I don't know how scale length is measured. #Is it measured from the nut to the bridge? #Is it from the nut to the twelth fret, which is an octave, or scale? #So, how does one measure the scale length? #I need edge-u-ma-cated. #A simple thing I am sure, I just never thought about it before.
    It depends, sort of. The scale length is the vibrating length of an unfretted string. If you have a fixed bridge, then you just measure nut to bridge. But if the bridge can move, it might not be in the right place, so you measure nut to 12th fret and double that.
    "First you master your instrument, then you master the music, then you forget about all that ... and just play"
    Charlie "Bird" Parker

  17. #17
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    Simple enough. Thanks arbarnhart for the description on scale length. I should have asked that question long ago!
    Scott
    2006 Weber "Special Edition"
    1915 Larsons Brothers Flatback

  18. #18

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    Quote Originally Posted by
    If you have a fixed bridge, then you just measure nut to bridge.
    It sure seems like the bridge on this mando is "fixed," at least for now!
    It's not that life is short, but that we waste so much of it.

    --Seneca (paraphrased)

  19. #19
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    Quote Originally Posted by (Tighthead @ Sep. 29 2006, 12:00)
    Quote Originally Posted by
    If you have a fixed bridge, then you just measure nut to bridge.
    It sure seems like the bridge on this mando is "fixed," at least for now!
    Darren said it is glued, which kind of puts it in the "not so sure" category, especially since the intonation is off up the neck. It may have been floating originally. Gluing a bridge that doesn't have a saddle seems like a really bad design. It's possible that it is glued in the wrong spot. When I said fixed, I was really thinking of flat top guitar style that don't have tailpieces.
    "First you master your instrument, then you master the music, then you forget about all that ... and just play"
    Charlie "Bird" Parker

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