# General Mandolin Topics > eBay, Craig's List, etc. >  Latest Acquisition: S.S. Stewart Bowlback

## Petrus

Just won an auction on this vintage S.S. Stewart bowlback mando. My first (intact) bowlback.  :Cool:

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derbex

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## allenhopkins

For $50 you did well.  Have those neck cracks checked out before you tune it up to pitch or restring it.

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## Jim Garber

Good luck. Let us know how you like it when you get it.

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## Petrus

Yeah I was surprised nobody else bid on it. There were a total of 2 bids, mine being the winning one.

And that Martin 1899 model 5 bowlback project got zero bids and I presume has been relisted.

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## Petrus

Anybody have any idea what era this thing might be?

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## pfox14

My understanding is Samuel Swain Stewart died in 1898, but the SS Stewart brand continued to be made by Stewart's partner George Bauer in Philadelphia. Sometime around 1910, Bauer sold the name to Beugelseisen & Jacobson, a New York-based distributor. B&J used several different manufacturers to make their instruments, so I am guessing that your mandolin was made after 1910, as I think Bauer only made banjos. I could be wrong.

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## Jim Garber

I know there were some bowlbacks labelled Stewart & Bauer and some that were George Bauer only. I am not sure if Bauer actually ran a shop to produce these. 

Mugwumps has S&B as 1898-1904 and George Bauer from 1894-1911 so maybe they were sort of partners or independent simultaneously. There was also an Italian maker in Phila that may have built these instruments for one or both of them at some times. I can't recall the name,. I thought it was Martelli but I don't see anyone of that name.

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## brunello97

There was a Silvio Martucci working out of Philadelphia at this time.   He doesn't show up on the Mugwumps list.  Some speculation here that he might have done work for Weyman and perhaps Schmidt over in NJ.  Don't see any reason not to suspect he may have been involved with the Bauer-y boys.  

Mick

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Jim Garber

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## brunello97

I have a number of Bauer bowlbacks in my files and one mandolin whose images are labeled "Bauer and Stewart" but the label only lists George Bauer.

Plenty of SS Stewart _flatbacks_ around with a similar engraved tuner cover.  This is only the second Stewart bowlback I have come across.  Hard to pin a date down on this one.  Could be as late as 1910 and a transitional product for the company....

Mick

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## Petrus

And with the original clown-shoe box too!  :Grin:

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## Jim Garber

> And with the original clown-shoe box too!


Technically (!) the clown-shoe is the end-opening style usually made of leather.




> There was a Silvio Martucci working out of Philadelphia at this time.   He doesn't show up on the Mugwumps list.  Some speculation here that he might have done work for Weyman and perhaps Schmidt over in NJ.  Don't see any reason not to suspect he may have been involved with the Bauer-y boys.


Thanks, Mick for filling in the holes in my sieve-like memory! That is the maker I was thinking of.

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## Martucci

> There was a Silvio Martucci working out of Philadelphia at this time.   He doesn't show up on the Mugwumps list.  Some speculation here that he might have done work for Weyman and perhaps Schmidt over in NJ.  Don't see any reason not to suspect he may have been involved with the Bauer-y boys.  
> 
> Mick


To clarify, my GGF Silvio arrived in Philadelphia around 1895.  He had a shop located at 753 S. 8th St. until 1904 after which he relocated a number of times as his family grew.  At some point he began building/contracting for Weymann - probably around 1904 when Weymann set up shop in Philadelphia.  I have no evidence that he ever built for Oscar Schmidt and have no reason to suspect that he did.  I do, however, have evidence that one of his mandolins was re-labeled by Carl Fischer of Philadelphia.

With regards to Bauer/Stewart I agree with you that he could have also supplied mandolins to them as well prior to 1904.  The Stewart & Bauer office at that time was less than a mile from my GGF shop and as I have pointed out previously I have seen quite a few similarities between my GGF's mandolins and Bauer's (also the OP's Stewart).

Fred

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## Petrus

> To clarify, my GGF Silvio arrived in Philadelphia around 1895.  He had a shop located at 753 S. 8th St. until 1904 after which he relocated a number of times as his family grew.  At some point he began building/contracting for Weymann - probably around 1904 when Weymann set up shop in Philadelphia.  I have no evidence that he ever built for Oscar Schmidt and have no reason to suspect that he did.  I do, however, have evidence that one of his mandolins was re-labeled by Carl Fischer of Philadelphia.



Ah yes, great little shop. Had banjolins and some old fiddles (Guarnerius or one of those old European guys), but I could never scrape together the $20 for a decent one with the ivory and tortoise shell inlay.  There was a great pharmacy next door where I could get my laudanum and just sit there listening to the minstrels play all night by gaslight. Luckily my addiction kept me out of the Spanish-American War!

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## Martucci

> Ah yes, great little shop. Had banjolins and some old fiddles (Guarnerius or one of those old European guys), but I could never scrape together the $20 for a decent one with the ivory and tortoise shell inlay.  There was a great pharmacy next door where I could get my laudanum and just sit there listening to the minstrels play all night by gaslight. Luckily my addiction kept me out of the Spanish-American War!


So, assuming you were 18 at the time of the Spanish-American War you're now 134!!!  If you can remember any other details of my GGF's shop please let me know.

Thanks, Fred

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## brunello97

Yeah, Fred, the  speculation on SM and the Schmidt folks was pure conjecture on my part. 

We've had discussions here about the resemblance between some work associated with Schmidt–the Galiano line and Rafael Ciani et al–and Weymann.  (Which varied makers built the SS Stewart line falls into the mix there somewhere.) If your GGF didn't work with those guys, I'll bet he probably knew them.  It was an (even) smaller world back then.  Some folks here have speculated on Ciani doing work for Weymann due to design resemblances.  I was wondering if the NJ - Philadelphia flow might have gone both ways.  

Bob Carlin's recent book helped sort out a lot of information about the interrelationships between various Chicago builders.  I'm waiting on the Mike Edgerton / Jim Garber opus on the Philadelphia - NJ - NY axis of mandolins.   :Wink: 

Great to have  you on board in these conversations.  

Mick

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Martucci

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## Petrus

Arrived today as described in the eBay auction. Fairly solid, about as intact as can be expected.  I took off the strings (very old and rusty; missing the E course altogether) but strummed it a little bit first, and the sound wasn't too bad.  Removed tailpiece cover and bridge and set them aside.  Now for the cleaning ... got a little Brasso on the tailpiece and the wonderful Stewart plate on the back of the headstock, really shined them up significantly.  Need to figure out how to get the yellowing off the pegs without ruining them. Might polish up the frets and fretboard a bit, then finalize with some Watco wood rejuvenating oil on the wooden parts. Then will restring, preferably with flatwounds (or would those have too much tension?)  I've set aside the bridge -- it seems to be fine.

I haven't decided if I want to remove the headstock plate and tuners to clean them up. I usually removed old tuners and go at them with an old toothbrush and Brasso or toothpaste to clean out the gunk, wipe them dry, then put on a little WD40 or other oil to lubricate them.

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## Petrus

More photos.

Note you can see a little light through a crack between the back ribs, very minor.  The bridge and tailpiece cover are just sitting there loose for the photos; I removed them when I removed the old strings and have them set aside.

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## Oms

Kind of new here. I'm not even sure if I managed to get the photos in here.
 Anyway, I guess I'm the annoying cousin that joins a conversation at the tail end and says "what?"
 I just bought this for a restoration project. Not new to that, but this animal was not familiar to me. The info on it said 1940s but I don't think this is accurate. It isn't a bowl back, or a Regal.  Anyone know what where how when? I know the SS Stewart was a pass around name, but I swear I can't even find one of these in another solar system. 

OMS

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## Oms

Sorry for interrupting and will gladly move if someone tells me where.

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## Petrus

Don't worry about it ... it was sort of a dead thread anyway (I've since got the Stewart sufficiently the way I want it; shoved some putty into the back crack & polished it up, etc.)  I've not seen a Stewart A-style like in your photos. I recommend reposting your query in the "Looking for Information about Mandolins" subforum for more exposure.

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## Oms

Thank you Petrus. 
 I did post in the looking for information. If you see any place where I might find a reference let me know. I am going to a full restore and it would be nice to see one like it. These old instruments can become a thing of beauty because of sound and construction. I've done them and you really have to be ready to spend some time. That is if you are after what is hiding in the instrument. Getting in a hurry destroys them even if you get them to look sharp.

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