Any photos of the A model-or any other pix? I love these old odd balls!
Any photos of the A model-or any other pix? I love these old odd balls!
I think these are great photos of an obscure quality mandolin, I'd love to get my hands on her to restore to playable condition! Looks likw a neck set is also in order! I'd love to give this one some justice!
i remember two different friends finding frank benko mandolins in flea markets in the good old days. they were a couple of hundred dollars and fantastic finds. benko was an excellent lutheir. i believe he had a cousin who made instruments in chicago as well, which were mostly balkan instruments. i saw a set of tamburitza rchestra instruments made by another benko and the label said chicago. also to quality lutheiry. i'd snap up any benko instruments if cheap and restore them.
Wow! Bernunzio had a handsome Benko "mandocello". Or is it an OM? 21" scale
I sold the mandolin and mandocello to Bernunzio in the original cases. They were flawless. Made on Kingston rd. in Toronto The tailpiece covers were all dated 1967 the centennial year. His son made the pickguards and tailpieces and the beauty cases.He worked out of a shop shared by a maker named Lado. Steve Martinko (still alive) worked for Benko. Most of this info can be had by contacting Grant at 12fret.com. I think he owns some personally.The original cello was ordered by the Schevchenko orchestra and passed to the Welland mando orch. The mando was bought new by Joe Perkell and passed to Syd Dolgay when the neck glue came loose. The cello could be strung as an octive mando or cello. A one piece mahogany back similar in size to a Gibson cello. Mahogany sides, neck and Gibson tuners(kluson ) I think.Somewhere I have pictures both.Blonde tops, if you ask me to I will try to find them on the new computer. yours, oldplinker@gmail.com
Wow! That is a beauty.
Looks pristine and that is a great colour.
I like the fact it has a long scale neck! It still blows my mind that most all old Gibson's and such have short necks, all beside the style 5 instruments! The longer scale saying the neck joint meets body at 15th fret is so much more beneficial IMHO anyway for playability and tone?
he also invented the benko gambit in chess
That is one gorgeous A style! Love the bound F holes and the Pearl? blocks! I love old F-5's with pearl blocks, I think it just has that neat factor granted this is A-5 style but awesome!
Jim
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19th Century Tunes
Playing lately:
1924 Gibson A4 - 2018 Campanella A-5 - 2007 Brentrup A4C - 1915 Frank Merwin Ashley violin - Huss & Dalton DS - 1923 Gibson A2 black snakehead - '83 Flatiron A5-2 - 1939 Gibson L-00 - 1936 Epiphone Deluxe - 1928 Gibson L-5 - ca. 1890s Fairbanks Senator Banjo - ca. 1923 Vega Style M tenor banjo - ca. 1920 Weymann Style 25 Mandolin-Banjo - National RM-1
That's another very nice A model, love the whole look! What a great little package with the blocks, and bound F-holes! Is this a early 0's model? I ask because of the tuners?
I am not sure of the age but the Centenial tailpiece ensures that it was 1967 or newer.
Canada's Centenial was in 1967.
I meant to say those enclosed Kluson tuners! But stil very nice mandolin! I'd add one of those baby's to my herd! NICE! I'd still rather have the beat old F-5 style shown earlier because I love well worn examples but that me!
I am not sure what Benko was usually using for tuners.
Might be that he used whatever he could get his hands on?
He might not have been stuck on any one brand.
That's true I've seen many Gibson mandolins, say cheap 1923-24 A-1's with the expensive Loar style silver plated, engraved pearl button arrowhead or bump end tuners! Well bump end 25 onward!
Reviving this thread because a Benko archtop guitar has just appeared on Kijiji in Montreal and I thought people might want to see it. Certainly is different. Clearly carved top and back.
Here's the listing:
https://www.kijiji.ca/v-guitar/winni...peg/1546785832
Cary Fagan
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