Hi Folks,
I am interested in the best, favorite headstock inlays for mandos? Especially interested in vinatge inlays that are cool but less well know?
Thanks!
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Hi Folks,
I am interested in the best, favorite headstock inlays for mandos? Especially interested in vinatge inlays that are cool but less well know?
Thanks!
This isn’t vintage, but it is cool. The headstock on my Phil Crump OM, which incorporates his initials and a cool floral design. As a botanist, I like it. Phil also has a botanical degree.
Attachment 194839
I always liked the A-3 squiggle, and the long torch and wire.
Anything without an unnecessary apostrophe for me!
I'm obviously biased but I think the inlay of my Beagle on the headstock of my Girouard A is pretty great!
Attachment 194843
I love the traditional fern on my Weber Diamondback.
Attachment 194959
Some of the upper line early Epiphone archtops had really nice inlays. Look up the Broadway and Deluxe models.
Mike Kemnitzer (Nugget), Tom Ellis, Andrew Mowry, Steve Gilchrist, Austin Clarke... just a few of the many modern masters of mandolin inlay...
The Michael Kelly Legacy Dragonfly fretboard inlay.
I really enjoy the headstock of my Mowry Octave.
Attachment 194960
That Brentup mandola in the classifieds has some pretty spectacular headstock inlay going on.
Attachment 194968
Attachment 194969I like mine (see avatar) I think about the day Bill Halsey have it back to me! Reminds me of simpler time in my life, there is a “Yellow Rose” below the script.
Oops, sorry it’s upside down! It means a lot to me!
Picture may be upside down but the truss rod cover isn't. Or is it vice versa? :)
Agreed. My 1936 Deluxe (possibly renecked at the factory in 1940s):
Attachment 194973
And for comic relief, my former 34 Epiphone Spartan (sold to a friend so I can visit)—I love the exclamation point that only appeared in the first years of production of this model.
Attachment 194974
The Gibson Torch and Wire (and the Brentrup above are probably my favorite.
There's a thread from 2019 on peghead inlays to scroll through as well.
Jamie
Ellis Hummingbird and this Oriole.....
https://www.mandolincafe.com/ads/173081#173081
Anyone else out there who cares more about how a mandolin plays and sounds than how good the bling is?
https://williamlaskin.com/gallery/
Let us not forget the "Masked Luthier of Dupont Street". Done long before cnc...
The original post was about mandolin headstock inlays, and I see we’ve wandered into guitar bling. So dare I bring up banjo headstocks? If so, my vote is for William Lange/Paramounts. And if banjo is beyond the boundaries of this discussion, paramount banjo-mandolin inlays were pretty sweet!
Here’s a paramount tenor guitar. Attachment 194978
And a paramount melody banjo: Attachment 194977
Mutually exclusive? Not necessarily. But I certainly wouldn’t buy a mandolin because of it’s ornamentation and, to quite an extent, added bling generally puts me off.
I’m surprised that nobody has mentioned the likes of Antoniotsai. His inlay work is impressive but I wouldn’t buy one of his instruments and, I suspect, neither would most serious mandolin players.
The headstock of my 23/4 snakehead is enough for me - it’s screenprinted!
I didn't see a post in this thread where someone said that they'd bought a mandolin because of it's ornamentation, but I'll scroll back and check, maybe I missed that one - I thought this was just a thread about inlays that people liked. Hopefully all the "serious" mandolin players out there aren't judging me too harshly for having inlay of my Beagle on the headstock of my mandolin.