Eagle mandolin

[Mement0o]

Hi everyone,

Here's a mando for sale at 35 euros (online).







When I asked for more informations the owner said the brand was "Eagle" and claimed it is was a pretty well-know american brand from the 70's (never heard of). But he also said the label inside was torn in two. Is it the full-name? What is this strange net anyway?

There is a puzzle.

[MikeEdgerton]

That wasn't made in the US in the 70's. There are some really strange things going on there. The body shape and headstock shape are similar to mandolins made in the early 1900's in the US. I'm assuming someone has done some sort of faux finish on the top to make it look like some sort of wood grain. The fretboard color has me totally confused and I have no idea what those extra blocks up by the nut are there for.

[colorado_al]

That is a crazy setup! All the strings are equidistant from the next, not in pairs or courses. Looks pretty impossible to play.
Also the bridge is located to the Tailpiece side of the ridge in the top. Should be on the neck side of it.
Looks like someone used a marker to make the top look like it has some strange wood grain.
I don't think I'd spend any money on that mandolin, personally.

[allenhopkins]

I disagree with colorado al in one regard: bridges on canted-top mandolins are sometimes located "south" of the bend (Vega, e.g.). However, this one has so many questionable features that I'd never buy it on-line, only if I could play it first. (Which would be hard without the strings arranged into four courses) The "shell" tailpiece does have an American look, but otherwise it could be made pretty much anywhere.

And I've never heard of an "Eagle" brand mandolin -- and I've been playing mandolin since 1970 or so. If it was "pretty well-known" I probably would have noticed.

[pops1]

Martin cant top mandolins have the bridge on the neck side of the cant.

[Mement0o]

Here comes an other clue! There is a drawing down there.

[Jeff Mando]

You might be overthinking this. If you can get a playable mandolin for $40 bucks, it is a no brainer. Just do it. (or even one that needs some work...) Unless you are really into the shopping process.........

[Mement0o]

Oh no it's really not about buying. I found it interesting to hear some history here and there when I see a mandolin that catches my eye for some reason. These mandolin has weird specs, maybe it is just decoration! But if someone had any information that could have been interesting.

[Jim Garber]

I think this is an old mandolin that has been messed up by a previous owner. Also, I think the label inside is a piece of an old Gretsch string package.

[Roger Garnett]

Looks like there is/was an Eagle brand - but different than the oddball presented here. There's one for sale on Craigslist near me, and found one for sale on Reverb under $100. Construction looks pretty basic.

[EdHanrahan]

Looks like there is/was an Eagle brand - but different ...

WAY different! The (silk-screened?) logo looks far more modern, and the plastic or nylon (white) tuner bushings would indicate bottom-of-the-line quality. Maybe a plastic saddle; hard to tell. OTOH, it is conveniently set up as 4 courses!

[Johnny60]

It only appears to have 6 frets! The others look they’ve been removed - check out the OP’s second photo.

[seththedude]

It only appears to have 6 frets! The others look they’ve been removed - check out the OP’s second photo.

There's no money above the 5th fret.

[allenhopkins]

The Eagle mandolin Roger G posted looks like one of those near-generic Asian instruments discussed at length in this thread. I would refer interested parties there for an extensive listing of labels found on them.

The OP's French-found original (remember, this is a 2017 thread) looks, as suggested above, like a fairly old cant-top instrument that someone later "improved," including with a label from a string package. I'm assuming the OP has long since made the decision whether or not to buy it. 'Twould be nice to know if he/she did, but otherwise, just a piece of Cafe history...

[NickR]

The original instrument looks a lot like a 1920s Supertone made by Harmony- as Mike Edgerton mentioned- it is about 100 years old. This is not a great photo at this link but I think this is the sort of mandolin that has been revamped.

https://www.banjohangout.org/photo/33204