So last year my high school theater teacher gave me this mandolin as a gift. I found it in our schools music closet about 2 years ago, wrote it off as perhaps maybe 40s or 50s. Inside the cardboard like case were old strings in original packaging and a pick. In my senior year I started to get really into instrument repair so I sought out the mandolin. I noticed that the instrument and its case were no longer in the music closet. The choir teacher had given it to the theater teacher to be used as a prop, case, vintage strings, and pick missing. I still curse myself for not grabbing the pick, strings, and case while I could especially the pick, as the pick was either genuine TS or really early TS celluloid with a cork grip. Anyway, here's what I know about it, it is a reverse scroll mandolin made by regal for Lyon and Healy. It is a more student oriented model called the Guydyu (guide you) in reference to the inlays on the fingerboard that show you the string names. The design and patent is attributed to Frank Kordick, the president of Regal at the time. my research, and the research of others that I have read, suggests that these were made between 1914 to 1924. The back, sides, and top all appear to be birch, but nonetheless, it is 100% solid, no plywood. I have no idea what the neck species is. The fingerboard and nut appears to be maybe ebony, but more likely it is ebonized pearwood, something not uncommon on Regal instruments. The finish is french polish and it looks to me like it used to be a black to red sunburst that has faded due to uv exposure. Overall, it is a really neat instrument that I want to get restored. Here's what's wrong with it. Most glaringly, I have no idea what sort of strings was on this thing back in the day, but whatever they were the tension was way too high. The butt end of the sides have been seriously warped from string tension, and in the process, the back the sides have de-laminated near the tailpiece. Someone tried, and seriously botched, an attempt to re glue the sides (the repair smells like titebond to me when burnt, the original glue is hide), and to add insult to injury, they used c clamps instead of spool clamps and didn't use a clamping caul. I think we can guess by now that the previous owner was not a luthier. Another issue caused by string tension is that this mandolin, which is supposed to be an archtop, has serious top warpage where the bridge was being pushed down by heavy strings. As a result of the inward bellying, the brace that sits roughly underneath the bridge has completely separated from the top, not a loose brace, but completely separated, rattling around inside the body. The finish isn't in good condition either, it is suffering extreme flaking. The fingerboard is cracked, and the fret ends are sticking out a bit. I have a feeling that this instrument was victim of serious humidity and moisture abuse. The tuners work ok, not great, they bind a little and it might be prudent to replace them, the celluloid buttons don't look like they're going to rot any time soon though. the neck binding is ivoroid, when I got the instrument, I noticed that some of the neck binding on the treble side was coming loose, so I got some fish glue and a very fine brush, and very gently lifted up the loose section of binding so I could get get the glue in. Almost immediately as I lifted the loose binding and before I even got the glue to the binding channel, more than half of the neck binding just popped loose, same story on the bass side. I chose to remove the binding on the neck because it was clear to me that the original glue on the binding just wasn't strong or stable anymore. funnily enough, the binding glue on the butt end of the fingerboard is perfectly fine. The ivoroid binding, like the tuner buttons, appears to be very stable, still flexible, and no signs of rot. The body binding, however, isn't doing so well. It has crumbled in various spots and is brittle, and replacement celluloid binding should be considered. There is a hole on the back of the peghead where someone put in an eye screw to be used as a strap button. On the neck, there is a small chip in the wood out of the binding channel that needs to be re glued. The break is clean and I still have the piece of wood. Sorry for the long post, here are pictures. Anyone have an idea of the value of this thing? I have looked on ebay, reverb, etc, and they seem few and far between.
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