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Thread: Unusual Benko mandolin

  1. #1
    Registered User Cary Fagan's Avatar
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    Default Unusual Benko mandolin

    This mandolin is up for sale on Kijiji in Mississauga, Ontario Canada. Frank Benko was a builder originally from Croatia who came to Toronto. There are some other mandolins of his on the Cafe but I've never seen photos of this one before. I wrote to the seller with some questions but he was very unhelpful to say the least. Benko also made the case.
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    Here's the listing

    https://www.kijiji.ca/v-string-instr...lin/1560481319
    Cary Fagan

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  3. #2
    Registered User Cary Fagan's Avatar
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    Default Re: Unusual Benko mandolin

    And here's some information on Benko from the Twelfth Fret store.

    https://www.12fret.com/grants-blog/b...gallery/page/1
    Cary Fagan

  4. #3
    Registered User Cary Fagan's Avatar
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    Default Re: Unusual Benko mandolin

    I just realized it has six strings. Perhaps it's something else?
    Cary Fagan

  5. #4
    Martin Stillion mrmando's Avatar
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    Default Re: Unusual Benko mandolin

    Yes, that's a tamburitza instrument of some kind, possibly a prim. We know he built these traditional Croatian instruments as well as mandolins. I'm guessing that since he was Croatian the tamburitzas were probably his main gig and he did mandolins on the side, but I don't know for sure. Whatever he built, he seemed willing to depart from the norm ... most prims don't have 2-point bodies like this.
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  6. #5
    Mando-Accumulator Jim Garber's Avatar
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    Default Re: Unusual Benko mandolin

    I have a similar instrument probably also a Prim but it has 5-strings and I call it a tele-tamburitza. You can see why. Oddly the first course is doubled.

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    Jim

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