Not sure what the label said, but the mandolin is from the Kay Co. (formerly Stromberg-Voisinet) in Chicago.
Emando.com: More than you wanted to know about electric mandolins.
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Coincidentally, the tailpiece, shape, and segmented f-holes look a lot like the mandolin in this other recent post:
https://www.mandolincafe.com/forum/t...ketplace-finds
and as the poster there noted, the style of these is similar to Strad-O-Lins, but I don't actually know anything on the matter, just stumbled into the other post and did a bit of googling.
Diego
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Thank you for the tip on Kay!
This one looks remarkably similar: https://www.mandolincafe.com/forum/t...identification
No idea the date on the estate sale one, though. Didn't see any numbers. (And I wish I knew what the label said).
The tuners -made by Kluson have riveted gears which dates the mandolin to the mid to late 1940s.
Jim
My Stream on Soundcloud
19th Century Tunes
Playing lately:
1924 Gibson A4 - 2018 Campanella A-5 - 2007 Brentrup A4C - 1915 Frank Merwin Ashley violin - Huss & Dalton DS - 1923 Gibson A2 black snakehead - '83 Flatiron A5-2 - 1939 Gibson L-00 - 1936 Epiphone Deluxe - 1928 Gibson L-5 - ca. 1890s Fairbanks Senator Banjo - ca. 1923 Vega Style M tenor banjo - ca. 1920 Weymann Style 25 Mandolin-Banjo - National RM-1
The headstock shape is the dead giveaway of who made it. The tailpiece was a standard Waverly cloud shaped tailpiece that was used by every major manufacturer including Harmony, Kay, Regal, Gibson, and Martin.
"It's comparable to playing a cheese slicer."
--M. Stillion
"Bargain instruments are no bargains if you can't play them"
--J. Garber
Mike,
I am ignorant of the headstock you obviously recognize. Would you mind enlightening me.
The asymmetrical headstock shape was introduced by Kay in the early 1930s when the company was known as Kay Kraft and you can see it on guitars as well as mandolins and the shape was used for at least 20 years although more latterly, it only featured on mandolins, like yours. Here is an early example on a guitar with the pearlette plastic overlay on the headstock.
https://reverb.com/uk/item/38404240-...coustic-guitar
I have always called it a “foot stock”.
Jim
My Stream on Soundcloud
19th Century Tunes
Playing lately:
1924 Gibson A4 - 2018 Campanella A-5 - 2007 Brentrup A4C - 1915 Frank Merwin Ashley violin - Huss & Dalton DS - 1923 Gibson A2 black snakehead - '83 Flatiron A5-2 - 1939 Gibson L-00 - 1936 Epiphone Deluxe - 1928 Gibson L-5 - ca. 1890s Fairbanks Senator Banjo - ca. 1923 Vega Style M tenor banjo - ca. 1920 Weymann Style 25 Mandolin-Banjo - National RM-1
"It's comparable to playing a cheese slicer."
--M. Stillion
"Bargain instruments are no bargains if you can't play them"
--J. Garber
I just did a search of the late Mike Holmes Mugwumps Encyclopedia using the known letters of "alte". Got hits on 13 , all the first name "Walter". I'm going to guess that water-slide decal was put there by a school or teacher that bought a for the trade instrument to sell to their students.
"It's comparable to playing a cheese slicer."
--M. Stillion
"Bargain instruments are no bargains if you can't play them"
--J. Garber
Jim
My Stream on Soundcloud
19th Century Tunes
Playing lately:
1924 Gibson A4 - 2018 Campanella A-5 - 2007 Brentrup A4C - 1915 Frank Merwin Ashley violin - Huss & Dalton DS - 1923 Gibson A2 black snakehead - '83 Flatiron A5-2 - 1939 Gibson L-00 - 1936 Epiphone Deluxe - 1928 Gibson L-5 - ca. 1890s Fairbanks Senator Banjo - ca. 1923 Vega Style M tenor banjo - ca. 1920 Weymann Style 25 Mandolin-Banjo - National RM-1
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