Looks Like a Strad to me???

  1. Chernott
    Chernott
    Bought this on eBay on a whim. Don't have it yet, but wondered what it could be. It's in the mail now, so I'll post more pics when it arrives. I did notice that there wasn't any interest in it. The reserve was $175. They called it a Wm. J. Smith Music Co. mandolin. I noticed on the mudwumps mandolin makers list there is a William J. Smith listed: 1917 New York. I can't find info anywhere else that connects Wm. J. Smith to making mandolins.


    http://www.corgis.biz/Mandolin.htm


    Also.....is there a simple way to insert photos in messages? How?
  2. Bruce Clausen
    Bruce Clausen
    Hi Chernott and welcome to the club. Yes, it looks like the Strad-O-Lin logo is on the head of your mando. You've got the features that were probably standard in the late 1930s, and maybe still after WWII. Wm. J. Smith was probably the seller's guess as to who actually built the instrument. (Have we heard this name mentioned here before?) When you get the mando, do us all a favour: 1. check whether the top is plywood or solid spruce, 2. look for an ink-stamped date inside one of the f-holes. There's probably no label or other ID.

    For e-bay and other web photos, you can usually pull the photo off onto your desktop, then post it using the Choose File function. That way it stays on the site here after it disappears from where you found it.

    Strads like yours sell for $500. or more here in Vancouver. Well, they don't actually sell, but they're priced up there. Enjoy your new mando!
  3. Chernott
    Chernott
    Thanks. I'll look it over carefully and will post photos when it arrives. I've read a lot of the posts about SOL's. I've been researching the "Wm. J. Smith Music Co, NY" aspect some and have found that he had a well-known music company in NY in the 20's. People who collect vintage music know of him for sure. I found references to him importing instruments.
  4. Chernott
    Chernott
    I got my mandolin today and uploaded photos to the Strad-O-Lin main album. It is indeed, a Strad-O-Lin. It looks like it has never been used. There's not a scratch on it. I also uploaded a photo of a fingerboard diagram that was inside the case. It was copyrighted 1922 by the Wm. J. Smith Music Co. I guess that's what the seller was looking at when he posted the "name" of this instrument on eBay. I can't imagine why he missed the name on the instrument itself. I also uploaded photos of the case. It's the only thing that seems to have a little wear.........probably from being stored in the top of a closet for about 90 years!

    I couldn't find an ink stamped date in the f-holes. How do I determine if the top is plywood or solid spruce and how about the back and sides???
  5. Bruce Clausen
    Bruce Clausen
    Really nice looking Strad! Looks like a higher-up model in excellent shape. In your photo M-7 we can see the grain lines along the inside edges of the f-holes (so it isn't plywood). Nice purfling too-- is it three strips of inlaid wood (black-white-black), or some other material? I can't see clearly, but I take it there's no real binding; typically on these the top wood continues all the way out to the edges, but the inlaid purfling creates an impression of binding. Congratulations! How does it play and sound?
  6. MikeEdgerton
    MikeEdgerton
    It has the elevated fretboard, nice.
  7. Chernott
    Chernott
    The purfing looks like paint or a decal to me. Did they even have decals back then??? I had some guys look at the mando tonight at our weekly jam and they thought everything was solid wood. One thought the tuning pegs weren't the best and thought I should replace them, but they seem to hold, albeit a little stiff. Since I just got it yesterday afternoon, I only took the time to replace the one string that was broken. Of course, the other strings were dead sounding, but this little mando is loud and has a good distinctive tone. I'm going to take the time to change all of the strings tomorrow and give it a test run. So far I'm super happy with my purchase.
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