Searching for info on my Dads 1955 custom built Mandolin

[Tiderider]

If you look at the first photo in the article with Harvey standing at a table with some instruments, Deke believes that's Ric's dad's unfinished mandolin dead center standing up. Compare the round fret dots.

There is no doubt it's the same. This is a fascinating story.

[mrmando]

If you look at the first photo in the article with Harvey standing at a table with some instruments, Deke believes that's Ric's dad's unfinished mandolin dead center standing up. Compare the round fret dots.

Great gosh-a-mighty, I believe he is right. According to Deke, that photo would constitute about 33 percent of Harvey's entire output.

Ric -- glad we could help. If you know anybody with a digital camera who can help you get high-resolution shots, I'll be happy to help you post them. You have a real piece of history there, and it shouldn't take too much work to put it into performing condition again, if that's what you want.

Now then -- who was "Dave" and where did that mandolin end up?

[eadg145]

This story is just amazing and wonderful! I'm so glad to be able to experience this. I must say that I actually read much of the story with a somewhat elevated heartbeat. (I love this kind of stuff.)

Ric, it sounds like you are on the path to restore this yourself. That's a good thing, if you have the skills to do so. If you don't, I will offer the advice a friend and guitar tech offered me when I presented him with a partially Frankensteined piece of history. He told me that if I ever had work done to it, make sure I really trusted the tech, and that I wrote down numbers or otherwise marked the components in the electronics cavity. He warned that some less scrupulous folks might restore the instrument, but swap out the valuable vintage parts for newer (but working) parts. Kinda caught me by surprise, but now it's something that I think about.

[heywally]

I can guarantee you that nothing like that will happen if he gets it to the people we've been discussing. True, there are plenty of unscrupulous people out there, who will do even worse than what you describe. I've heard of complete counterfeit instruments being returned to people. However, these guys are historians, not collectors and resellers. They bring one of a kind instruments back to museum quality. They have reputations to uphold and it would do them no good to sully their good names.

[Jim]

This thread and links is one of the best reads I've seen on the cafe. Thanks everyone involved.

[mrmando]

Just bumping this 6-year-old thread up ... any updates?

[Bill McCall]

Just bumping this 6-year-old thread up ... any updates?

You did just post the Paul Buskirk recording, I'd say you're on your own roll. Great stuff, looking at my Tiny instruction book as I take this all in.

thanks so much for this thread

[Don Grieser]

Yes, thanks for this thread. That was some of coolest stuff I've seen on the cafe.

[DocT]

This is a very interesting thread. What more to know is there?

[kegcrowe]

I would love to see pictures after the restoration

[mrmando]

The next chapter in the tale...

https://www.facebook.com/deke.dicker...bgJ38jJtofPUKl