12 string Oscar Schmidt Mandriola

**dal290la** · May-19-2021, 8:03pm

Hi everyone and thanks for letting me join. I am a newbie and I have just inherited an Oscar Schmidt 12 string that is in poor condition from my dad who inherited from his dad who emigrated from italy in 1946 and came through Ellis island.
Anyway i am posting pics and would like guidance on restoration (Who, where, how much). Let me define my restoration needs...... wall hanger. Don't get me wrong i want it to play but i doubt i am going to learn at least not until i retire in 6 -8 years. The piece has a very fond spot in my heart as it was my POP POP's and for that reason i will keep it. He loved to play it but i don't remember much, he died when i was 5. I was always frientened of him because my first memory was of him cutting a chickens head off for dinner LOL. I digress forgive me.
The mandriola is 12 string Oscar Schmidt with a 2 on the Neck and the numbers 4814 etched in end with an "O" or zero on the left side. The holder is in sad shape and the instrument is in fair shape other than a mark on the round back side looks like a crack from hitting it on something.... I bet that was Grandma on his head when he started drinking his dago red home made wine.
I know they are not very valuable but i figure this is 100 years old and a neat looking deal.
Please give me your thoughts and direct me to a reputable restoration or to a book that might teach me how to restore it. The latter i am not crazy about unless restoration is over a few hundred dollars. Thanks for reading and looking. I look forward to your comments and learning more about it. Please be kind i know nothing about this subject.

Thank you

Dave from Maryland

**Hudmister** · May-20-2021, 10:39am

Well from the photos she looks to be in fairly decent condition and a light refurbishment to be suitable as a wall hanger should not be difficult. There are possible issues which cannot be known from photographs such as loose braces or small cracks but these don't have to be repaired to make an attractive wall hanger. A good clean up and a set of light gauge strings could make it look presentable. It is a lovely instrument. An experienced repair tech would be required if it has any loose internal parts or cracks or separating joints and you wish to make it playable again. From the photos it looks like a real survivor and there are probably some collectors who would love to own her. Without a hands on inspection an estimate of repair cost by a qualified tech is only a guess but if it does not have any of the issues I've listed it's reasonable that under $200 would be about right. You don't find those babies very often and I'll bet pop-pop made some pretty music on her. Maybe some Oscar Schmidt collector will chime in on the meaning of the numbers.

**dal290la** · May-20-2021, 1:27pm

Originally Posted by Hudmister

Well from the photos she looks to be in fairly decent condition and a light refurbishment to be suitable as a wall hanger should not be difficult. There are possible issues which cannot be known from photographs such as loose braces or small cracks but these don't have to be repaired to make an attractive wall hanger. A good clean up and a set of light gauge strings could make it look presentable. It is a lovely instrument. An experienced repair tech would be required if it has any loose internal parts or cracks or separating joints and you wish to make it playable again. From the photos it looks like a real survivor and there are probably some collectors who would love to own her. Without a hands on inspection an estimate of repair cost by a qualified tech is only a guess but if it does not have any of the issues I've listed it's reasonable that under $200 would be about right. You don't find those babies very often and I'll bet pop-pop made some pretty music on her. Maybe some Oscar Schmidt collector will chime in on the meaning of the numbers.

Thank you Mr Hudmister for taking the time to respond and for the great information. Now all i need is a good repair tech. I think a few hundred is well worth it and would gladly pay for refurbishment. Now if only a few would volunteer.
On another note where is the best place to watch for a vintage case that fits this beauty? That can't be an easy thing to find.
Thank you

Dave L

**EdHanrahan** · May-20-2021, 2:34pm

Letting folks know at least the general area where you live oftens prompts responses to the luthier question. Folks tend to not respond considering that the typical luthier, on average, is probably a 20 hour drive away from you, making most such responses useless. But... When they know that there's a good one within, say, an hour or three drive from you (mandolin experience is a rare commidity), the suggestions start coming. Adding "location" to your Cafe ID is usually a good way.

BTW, it looks very nice. One major negative, if it were to be a player, is that the action (string height) looks fairly high, in photo #9. Unfortunately, that's not so easy to adjust on bowlbacks. For now, it's best to make sure that the string tension is turned down. Good luck with it!

**dal290la** · May-20-2021, 3:02pm

Thanks Ed and great suggestion, i have updated my profile with some of my information. Yes i am looking for someone in the east somewhere around Maryland but was wondering if shipping to a refurbish guru is a bad idea? I know in today's age of shipping everything, most items i receive from Fedex or UPS or USPS arrives damaged, almost like they try to wrinkle the box before delivery..

**allenhopkins** · May-20-2021, 3:37pm

Doesn't look like it needs much "restoration" if you're not going to play it now. The ivoroid binding around the soundhole apparently has shrunk away from the top a bit, and there has been fracture of one of the ribs in the bowl, probably from some impact, but the resultant crack is closed, or nearly so, and not an immediate issue for a "display" instrument. The most obvious cosmetic issue is the loss of some of the ivoroid segments of the binding around the top edge.

Can't tell for sure, but the pic of the tailpiece might show the top pulling away from the bowl a little. Is there a crack between the top and the bowl at that end of the instrument? That would be a bit more serious, but definitely fixable. As far as I can see from one of the pictures, the neck still appears straight and not pulled forward by string tension.

As you say, the case is pretty much a lost cause, but again, not important if your main interest is in displaying it.

If you plan to string it up, you'll need one-and-a-half sets of very light gauge mandolin strings. For display, I wouldn't tune it up to standard pitch; she's an old gal and 12 strings put a lot of stress on top and neck.

A place where you might get it evaluated is House of Musical Traditions in Takoma Park. They have a lot of experience with vintage acoustic instruments. You could get an estimate on restoration; while restoration might cost more than the market value of the mandriola (not a lot of demand for 12-string mandolins these days), you have a family heirloom, and its value to you exceeds what it would get if you sold it.

The stamped "2" interests me; other manufacturers use a similar technique to indicate a "factory second," an instrument with some minor defect that sold at a discount. I don't know if Oscar Schmidt did that.