Hohner two-point mandolin maybe vintage

Hi folks. This is my first post here. Hoping for an insight to something. I picked up the Hohner mandolin pictured here at a local music shop this week. Shop owner said it is "vintage" but did not know anything about it. There is no sticker inside. I bought it because it looks and plays very well and the price was low. I have searched the web extensively to try and find a matching model and came up empty-handed. I can find a few mandos that look sort of like it but nothing matching and none like this one, with the two-points, from Hohner.

Anyone know anything about this particular model?

Sure looks good and made well!

Agreed. Just would love to know more about it. History. Year made. Woods used. Stuff like that....

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Originally Posted by Billy Packard

Sure looks good and made well!

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Agreed. Would love to learn more about it. Age, Origin. Woods used. etc....

I have a nearly identical one. A Madeira (by Guild) model M10 purchased new in 1982. Made in Japan. It has a solid Sitka spruce carved top (natural finish) and laminated rosewood back & sides. Nice little import. I have seen only a couple of others like it. They were labeled (head stock inlay) under Aria. I assume they were produced in the same factory. I recently had mine fretted. A few pics are posted on the website for Edney Guitars of Hiram, ME

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Shop owner said it is "vintage" but did not know anything about it.

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I wonder if the shop owner has a clue what “vintage” even means. It is probably worth what you paid for it, more or less. Enjoy it and make music.

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Originally Posted by Jim Garber

I wonder if the shop owner has a clue what “vintage” even means. It is probably worth what you paid for it, more or less. Enjoy it and make music.

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As we age what is considered vintage seems to chase us a bit.

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Originally Posted by MikeEdgerton

As we age what is considered vintage seems to chase us a bit.

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So I can tell my kids I am not old, I am vintage.

Taken literally, “vintage” simply refers to wine which has a production date assigned to it. In other circles, it seems to refer to whatever people in those fields choose to decide what it means - hence the confusion.

Electric guitarists say "vintage" is anything older than 30 years. That would make my 90s Flatiron vintage!

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Originally Posted by milli857

Electric guitarists say "vintage" is anything older than 30 years. That would make my 90s Flatiron vintage!

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Wrong. In US production musical instruments, to anyone who cares to taken as creditable when speaking on the topic, "vintage instruments" are those produced through 1969. The term has nothing to do with how much time has passed, but rather, a point in time. Dunno what is considered "vintage Asian-made instruments"...imagine my shock when learning that there are now markets for "vintage synthesizers" and "vintage computers"...

It is identical to the Madeira mentioned above, leading me to conclude that there is a factory across the Pacific ocean spitting out budget instruments with "Your Name Here" on the headstock. If you, as you state, like how it looks and plays, and you did not spend more than 150-200 bucks...huzzah!

In used or old musical instruments “vintage” means what the writer or speaker wants it to mean. It’s often an attempt to give the instrument a cachet (and often, a price) that it may/may not merit. There’s no consistent, defensible definition, though some arbitrary descriptions are widely accepted.

I attended my first vintage guitar show around 1984. Today, a guitar made in 1984 would be considered vintage. It is all a matter of perspective, somewhat based on your age and interests.

I recall an old George Gruhn article where he listed his top 10 vintage electric guitars. The "newest" guitar on the list was made in 1959.

Somewhat unrelated, but I thought of Sha Na Na performing at Woodstock, mockingly singing music of only 10 years earlier for laughs. Today, they would be considered "ironic."

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Originally Posted by Kenny

In used or old musical instruments “vintage” means what the writer or speaker wants it to mean. It’s often an attempt to give the instrument a cachet (and often, a price) that it may/may not merit. There’s no consistent, defensible definition, though some arbitrary descriptions are widely accepted.

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So true, your first two sentences...anything means anything anymore...which translates into everything means nothing.

As concerns your third sentence, dozens (conservatively rated...no doubt more like 100s if not thousands) of established, knowledgable and respected dealers and collectors/aficionados all agree that "vintage", when speaking of US made musical instruments, indicates pre-1970, being the point when quality went to crap. This is due to Martin/Gibson/Fender/et cetera all being run by lawyers and accountants who placed the financial bottom line as a priority over high quality output. Nothing arbitrary about it...