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I am wondering if anyone is familiar with the beautiful Vega model 307 cylinder back Mandola which is on reverb and being sold by Bernuzio's in Rochester, NY? I have sent an inquiry to Bernuzio's but was wondering if anyone previously owned this mandola or knows anything about this instrument. I am familiar with Vega cylinder backs so my question has to do strictly with this specific instrument and it's history. Thank you in advance!
https://reverb.com/item/41501474-veg...e-mandola-1919
14-3/4" scale length seems short for a mandola. Unusual headstock, too. That is a beauty. I wonder who owns it now.
It is indeed a beauty. Bernuzio's told me it was sold which is why it was not on their website and they had forgotten to mark it sold on Reverb. I have never seen a real Vega CB mandola- only an exquisitely made replica. The sound of the replica was unforgettable. Had this original not been sold I'd probably be driving to Bernuzio's right now LOL.
When I looked last night it said no longer available. Paul Ruppa is an expert on CBs and in the Milwaukee Mandolin Orchestra there are quite a few players who have them including mandolas, mandocellos and a mandobass. https://www.milwaukeemandolinorchestra.org/
i think there may be a CB mandola in the middle of this photo:
Attachment 197476
I was gonna offer to stop in at John's (he's mostly "by appointment only" for store visits) and give a hands-on evaluation, but it's apparently sold and gone.
Well that would have been super! Thank you. I wonder who the lucky new owner is!
Well, if I hadn't taken the pledge, it would have been mine the first day it was listed.
But I held firm, so it's not me.
And that's a good thing. I just had to put a new roof on my house.
Wonderful instrument. They didn't make a lot of them.
One of my old students has one that was converted from a 10 string that he's thinking about letting go. I don't remember for sure, but I think it's mahogany. PM me if you like.
There were two style of ten-strings Vega made. One was mandolin scale and one longer mandola scale. I had the mandolin scale one many years ago and it didn’t do it for me. I think the longer scale one was a better instrument.
Ha! Me, too. Just last month. I won't be buying any new instruments for awhile, either. :(Quote:
Originally Posted by rcc56
Mick
Fred Oster has a similar Vega CB mandola (branded Bradbury) on his site here in not as pristine condition or original but a closer-to-earth price. I do love the headstock shape on both of these examples.
Kind of has that Sam Samudio turban thing going on.Quote:
Originally Posted by Jim Garber
Mick
Here is more of the plain Jane variety; coincidentally bought from Bernuzio's last year.
https://music.jasonbeals.com/1920s-v...-back-mandola/
Coincidentally, my own plain Jane came from Bernunzio's many years ago. I was in the store and played it against a vintage Gibson mandola (don't recall its specs ... likely an H4). The Vega didn't need a concert hall to sound like one. The Gibson ... well, maybe this one just wasn't up to par.
I owned three CB mandolins many years ago. I started with a 201, I think, mahogany. Then moved “up” to the 206, maple, two different ones. My mistake was letting the 201 go before I tried the others. I definitely liked the mahogany best, despite its warped top. You don’t see many come up on the Cafe these days.