The Amazing "I'm Looking Through You" Gibson

[zombywoof]

I am still a total sucker for the abused and unwashed instruments out there longing for a home. The latest orphan of the storm - a Recording King mandolin sold though Monkey Wards. Based on Kalamazoo guitars, the rope binding around the soundhole indicates the mandolin was made in 1933.

Calling this one a fixer upper would be kind. Not only is the neck ready to fall off but 1/2 of the back is just plain gone. But the original Klusons are still there and it has the Gibson burst and firestripe pickguard.

My plan is to drop it off with my repair guy who I am guessing has some old busted up el cheapo A mando he can scrounge a back off of. Then see what he can do with the neck. I run a good chance of ending up a bit underwater with the thing when all is said and done but there is a feeling you get from putting these instruments back together so they can do what they were designed to do that really makes it all worth while. The last guitar I had brought back to life was literally found sticking out of a garbage can.

[F-2 Dave]

Cool. You should have a nice little mandolin when you get it fixed up. Love the silk screened logo.

[allenhopkins]

My guess is that restoration cost will exceed its market value (if it said "Gibson" on the headstock that might not be true), but you'll have a neat instrument with a neat provenance when it's completed.

[David Newton]

Good on you!
How else is your repair guy going to pay his boat note?

[Jeff Mando]

Seems like a pretty straightforward repair to me. Looks scarier than it is. Needs a back, a bridge, strings and some glue. And, somebody to line everything up just right. Would be nice to find an old back from a guitar or mandolin that is from the same vintage, but not necessary. Will be interesting to see what the repair estimate is.

[Jim]

Back is already halfway off, saves labor

[zombywoof]

I do know what this mandolin is worth and I am not talking about "restoration" but simply gettingit back in playable condition. Putting more into an instrument that I could ever recoup if I sold it (within reason) is not a real consideration as I have done it before and will likely do it again. But I have also dealt with enough fixer uppers bought on the cheap that it all comes out in the wash. I may be underwater on a few but others are worth between two and four times what I have in them.

A friend of mine suggested removing what is left of the back, putting some kind of cross bracing on to support the sides and slapping my Dearmond Monkey on a Stick pickup on it.

[allenhopkins]

...A friend of mine suggested removing what is left of the back, putting some kind of cross bracing on to support the sides and slapping my Dearmond Monkey on a Stick pickup on it.

Wouldn't go that route. New back, fer shure. Wanta hear how it sounds acoustically, the way it was originally intended.

Hey, I'm always generous about spending others' money...

[pfox14]

It is a Ward's Model 807 Recording King, which was essentially the same as a Kalamazoo KM-11. I would agree that it dates to 1933, the first year they were introduced. Worth fixing up IMHO.

[pianoman89]

But I have also dealt with enough fixer uppers bought on the cheap that it all comes out in the wash. I may be underwater on a few but others are worth between two and four times what I have in them.

You may consider doing some of the work yourself. For example, a new back for this old boy could easily be built from basswood hobby stock, or 1/8" birch hobby plywood. Since its flat, it would just be a matter of tracing and cutting, gluing and a little finish work. I think this old mando would make a great started, and I've heard that these generally sound pretty darn good.

As for the neck, Ive twisted the neck strait on el cheapo mandos before, but I would suggest removing the fingerboard, adding say a 3/16" piece of basswood to match the profile of the fingerboard, sand it down with a large sanding block to a true surface, and reglue the fingerboard.

[Bill Snyder]

Why do anything more to the neck than remove it, clean up the old glue and reglue it?

[pianoman89]

Looks like it's twisted from the photo, but it may just be camera distortion. Just figured it was warped since the op mentioned the neck in the context that there was a problem with it...

[zombywoof]

Not the camera angle, the neck has one heck of a dip in it.

[MikeEdgerton]

(if it said "Gibson" on the headstock that might not be true)

Probably not.

This is your basic labor of love. Even if it was free it is going to cost a lot to get it right. Rather than ripping a back off another mandolin I'd just buy the wood and rebuild it. It's a flat back with no binding.

Thankfully the tailpiece cover is there.