Mandolin recognition and dating

[Alan Clark]

Hi I recently bought a mandolin on ebay which looks to be a Harmony Monterey, reckoned to be from about 1959. The serial No on the back of the headstock is 319.12971000 Made in USA.Inside there are two numbers stamped which look like 28, but not very clear, and there are no names on the front of the headstock. I am not even sure of the wood that has been used on its construction but i'm really impressed on the tone, any information about this mandolin would be appreciated . Regards to everyone. Alan Clark, Scotland, U.K.

[cstewart]

I was expecting a story when I clicked on this link.

Attractive woman: "Excuse me...is that a mandolin you're holding?"
You: "Why, yes it is. Would you care to join me for dinner?"
Attractive woman: "Certainly. I always have time for mandolin players."

Good luck finding info on your new acquisition!

[mrmando]

Alan, you might want to post photos of your mandolin. I don't think there's any such thing as a Harmony Monterey with a serial number stamped on the headstock; furthermore, although tastes vary, I've never seen a Harmony Monterey with what I'd call impressive tone. The same quality of wood used in a Harmony Monterey might be found in the paneling on the wall of the world's sleaziest billiard room ...

All of which is to say, I doubt what you've got there is a Harmony Monterey.

[mrmando]

Attractive woman: "Certainly. I always have time for mandolin players."

And you proceed to have the perfect evening together ... that is, until you go "back to her place" and trip over her banjo case on the way to the living room.

[MikeEdgerton]

In the late 60's early 70's Harmony stamped the model number on the back of the headstock of some guitars. I'm assuming they did the same for some mandolins. That is probably a model number, Harmony didn't put serial numbers on their instruments. I'd like to see pictures of the internal stamp, the body, headstock and back of headstock. They are pretty recognizable by era.

[rogranz]

Hey Alan , I also have one of those 319s and also wondering the makers. Did you find out if it is a Harmony or a Kay?
I have no idea of the year it was built tho, there's no date insight with it. unless is from the 40s. Please let me know where you see the date on yours and if you got a positive ID on the maker
Thanks a lot
8 D

[Justus True Waldron]

I too thought this was about the other kind of dating... as in, if the first thing she says is "Oooh I like your Ukulele!" Than she's obviously not the one :p

[MikeEdgerton]

Hey Alan , I also have one of those 319s and also wondering the makers. Did you find out if it is a Harmony or a Kay?
I have no idea of the year it was built tho, there's no date insight with it. unless is from the 40s. Please let me know where you see the date on yours and if you got a positive ID on the maker
Thanks a lot
8 D

If you can post a picture I might be able to help you. Harmony's were actually built from solid woods, many Kays were not. Most but not all Harmony instruments had a date code stamped inside.

[Paul Merlo]

this site has some info about Harmony instruments. They don't talk about mandolins, but I imagine the date stamp would be similar to the guitars. http://harmony.demont.net/faq.php

I've got an old Master Model archtop guitar and a (somewhat) matching tenor guitar. The date stamp is on the inside, as it the model number. They can be difficult to read, so try looking from different angles or use a flashlight too.

[MikeEdgerton]

Actually the date code information is wrong on that site. The F or S doesn't stand for Summer or Fall, it's stands for First half and Second half of the year. A few years ago someone actually interviewed an old Harmony employee that made that revelation. Prior to that we all made that same assumption.

[Paul Merlo]

Actually the date code information is wrong on that site. The F or S doesn't stand for Summer or Fall, it's stands for First half and Second half of the year. A few years ago someone actually interviewed an old Harmony employee that made that revelation. Prior to that we all made that same assumption.

ok. thanks for the clarification.

[Tom Lockhart]

Mandolin Recognition and Dating

Alan,
Good afternoon, I just saw your post on this website, I come from Bannockburn and also have a mandolin with the same model number as you, I bought it about 15 years ago at a 'yard sale' just along the road from the Carter family fold in Virginia USA.
I always thought that it was possibly made by Sears or one of the other national US stores or catalogue company's, if you have any other manufacturers information I would be please to hear from you.
Kind Regards, Tom Lockhart

[MikeEdgerton]

Hi Tom. Alan hasn't been on this website since Feb-22-2012. Post a picture if you can. The catalog stores (Sears, Montgomery Ward, and the rest) didn't manufacture instruments. Instead most of them bought from the major builders in Chicago, Harmony, Kay, Regal, Lyon & Healy). Sears for a time did own the Harmony Company however. It's much easier to identify one of these instruments from a picture. The Chicago builders probably built more instruments "for the trade" with no logo or label than they did instruments that they placed their own brand names on.

[Mandodork]

Hi all. Craigslist has a 319 listed and I'm looking for any details on age/value before contacting seller.
https://minneapolis.craigslist.org/r...814354612.html
I see tailpiece cover is missing, but otherwise know nothing about them. Looking into it as a travel/beater if tone is halfway decent.