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Thread: Ornamented Dolphin Flat Back 1900-20s

  1. #1

    Default Ornamented Dolphin Flat Back 1900-20s

    This is for sale in Chicago and my guess is that it was made there, too. Very nice looking instrument in good order, it seems. I imagine this may go for quite a lot and I assume the wood is the real thing- no faux finish! Somebody over-clipped one of the tuner units!

    https://www.ebay.com/itm/20358620052...ndition=4%7C10

  2. #2
    Mando accumulator allenhopkins's Avatar
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    Default Re: Ornamented Dolphin Flat Back 1900-20s

    I like the "John Duffey stile"[sic] that the seller claims; obviously a Seldom Scene fan.
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  3. #3

    Default Re: Ornamented Dolphin Flat Back 1900-20s

    Yes, I should have written Dolphin/Duck in my headline!

  4. #4
    harvester of clams Bill McCall's Avatar
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    Default Re: Ornamented Dolphin Flat Back 1900-20s

    Love the hinged tailpiece. Why it wasn’t copied and popularized seems beyond reason.
    Not all the clams are at the beach

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  6. #5

    Default Re: Ornamented Dolphin Flat Back 1900-20s

    Quote Originally Posted by Bill McCall View Post
    Love the hinged tailpiece. Why it wasn’t copied and popularized seems beyond reason.
    My bowlback has the same hinged tailpiece. Notice the curve in the tailpiece. It fits your forearm so you can support the mandolin better without a strap.

  7. #6

    Default Re: Ornamented Dolphin Flat Back 1900-20s

    Quote Originally Posted by Bill McCall View Post
    Love the hinged tailpiece. Why it wasn’t copied and popularized seems beyond reason.
    As hard to believe considering the very minimal concept, I found a patent by Gutman, 1901 #688,243 on a hinged tailpiece and maybe one later by Durkee. One of our experts would know for sure, but it is quite possible that such a patent might have been enforceable, cutting down on the number of similar models. Today, the tailpiece technology seems to run to castings, which may have design patents (a different kind of thing).
    Since mandolins were a big business back then, I suppose IP protection may have been sensible.

  8. #7
    Mando accumulator allenhopkins's Avatar
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    Default Re: Ornamented Dolphin Flat Back 1900-20s

    My 1890's Washburn bowl-back mandola has a hinged tailpiece cover, with a rotating pin to hold the cover closed during normal use. Only one of my arsenal with anything like it; the other mandolins that have tailpiece covers all have the slide-on detachable ones, which are SOP now.
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  9. #8
    Registered User Charles E.'s Avatar
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    Default Re: Ornamented Dolphin Flat Back 1900-20s

    These have been discussed here in the past, I think they are also referred to a "sunfish" mandolins. This one appears to be nicer than others.

    Previous post from 2013....

    https://www.mandolincafe.com/forum/t...hlight=sunfish
    Charley

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  10. #9
    Full Grown and Cussin' brunello97's Avatar
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    Default Re: Ornamented Dolphin Flat Back 1900-20s

    Here are a few images of this one for posteriority.

    Mick
    Attached Thumbnails Attached Thumbnails Click image for larger version. 

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  12. #10

    Default Re: Ornamented Dolphin Flat Back 1900-20s

    I tried to find that earlier discussion which I had seen a while back but I just could not recall which marine creature had been used and I went for dolphin! Yes, it was sunfish.

  13. #11
    Moderator MikeEdgerton's Avatar
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    Default Re: Ornamented Dolphin Flat Back 1900-20s

    It is indeed a sunfish and you'll find a bunch here.
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  14. #12

    Default Re: Ornamented Dolphin Flat Back 1900-20s

    Judging by the headstocks on some of those sunfish mandolins, I would conclude they were made by Regal which probably would have been my main choice anyway. Possibly, earlier examples were made by Regal's close partner in manufacturing- hence that hinged tailpiece one sees on L & H made mandolins.

  15. #13
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    Default Re: Ornamented Dolphin Flat Back 1900-20s

    I looked through some of the older threads but couldn't find anyone having admitted to actually playing one. Does anyone out there know how these sound?

  16. #14
    Mando-Accumulator Jim Garber's Avatar
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    Default Re: Ornamented Dolphin Flat Back 1900-20s

    Yeah, its cute but close-ups show pretty sloppy, big factory workmanship and (I think) dyed pearwood fretboard. Looks fancy than others I have seen but still seems pretty budget. Bidding up to $180 but I would be surprised if it went much higher than that.
    Jim

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