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Thread: A mystery mandolin on Craigslist

  1. #1
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    Default A mystery mandolin on Craigslist

    This Craigslist bowlback has the most amazing back. The pictures make it look as if it was carved or molded -- not by assembling staves.

    Also, the tuners are odd -- and oddly placed.

    Anyone care to venture a guess:
    https://portland.craigslist.org/clc/...352637416.html

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  2. #2
    Confused... or?
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    Default Re: A mystery mandolin on Craigslist

    Quote Originally Posted by rickbella View Post
    ... care to venture a guess ...
    Auto-body class project??
    - Ed

    "Then one day we weren't as young as before
    Our mistakes weren't quite so easy to undo
    But by all those roads, my friend, we've travelled down
    I'm a better man for just the knowin' of you."
    - Ian Tyson

  3. #3
    Registered User Sue Rieter's Avatar
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    Default Re: A mystery mandolin on Craigslist

    Puts the bowl in bowlback

  4. #4
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    Default Re: A mystery mandolin on Craigslist

    Reminiscent of the Maccaferri plastic instruments.

    https://duckduckgo.com/?t=ffab&q=mac...ages&ia=images

  5. #5

    Default Re: A mystery mandolin on Craigslist

    The tuners look Japanese.

  6. #6
    Mando accumulator allenhopkins's Avatar
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    Default Re: A mystery mandolin on Craigslist

    This one's all over the place; note the pegs to which the strings are attached at the tailpiece. Could be an old mando with Bondo and magenta lacquer applied over the original bowl, and guitar tuners stuck on; could be a contemporary attempt to create the first Ovation bowl-back, could be a prototype for a revival of bowl-back instruments, soundly rejected by the Shark Tank review panel.

    Would be nice to look inside and see if the bowl's molded through and through, or if the current finish was sprayed over wood.
    Allen Hopkins
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  7. #7
    Mando-Accumulator Jim Garber's Avatar
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    Default Re: A mystery mandolin on Craigslist

    For some reason I recall some bowlback instruments made in Greece and carved from one piece of wood. Could be bouzoukis, baglamas, mandolins. I know that lyra are still made that way. See below.

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    Jim

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