I've seen similar mandos posted in other threads, but they still seem to be pretty rare. I just got this one back from some restoration work:
It probably dates from the '20s, and it's probably the fanciest reverse-scroll model that didn't have a carved top. It's been suggested that these were built by someone else for Regal; in particular, the Larson Brothers built some similar designs for the Bruno brand. However, I'm convinced that Regal built these themselves - but they probably did copy the Bruno design. I say that partly due to the body shape (this is probably the only reverse-scroll to have a 3rd body point) and because the top and back are braced to produce a substantial arch:
My mandolin is generally in good shape, but it's had a lot of work done: the back was re-glued before I got it, and I had a shim inserted under the fretboard to negate the effects of a bowed neck. There is also a separation in the top along the edge of the pickguard, but no other damage. The tailpiece cover is a replacement, but everything else appears to be original. I don't recognize the tuners, but the gears turn incredibly smoothly for their age:
The mandolin has moderate volume, unlike Larson mandolins which tend to be surprisingly loud. The tone is very clear, with lots of treble and bass but not so much mid-range. Despite the arched top and back, the sound is very much that of a flat-top mandolin. The quality of construction is pretty high, making this one of Regal's nicer offerings. The details, such as the binding and scroll inlays, were clearly given a lot of attention.
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