Re: Estate Sale Bowlback
Fancy model, lots of rosewood ribs, vine inlaid fretboard, mother-of-pearl binding and, as you say, lots of "bling." Carving on the neck heel is another high-end detail. I've not seen US-made mandolins with such carving, though it was fairly common on turn-of-the-20th-century banjos.
Did you take off the bridge for the "side" pic? Can't tell too much about the action, though the neck joint looks OK. String it up with extra-extra light strings. I assume it once had a tailpiece cover, which has gone missing at some point.
Nothing about the headstock or pickguard profiles strikes an immediate chord for me to assist in ID'ing it. I briefly looked for a similar image but didn't find one that jumped out at me. Hope that some of the real bowl-back experts will chime in.
I will say that if it's decently playable, the ornamentation might push it toward the higher end of the bowl-back market -- which ain't saying a helluva lot.
Allen Hopkins
Gibsn: '54 F5 3pt F2 A-N Custm K1 m'cello
Natl Triolian Dobro mando
Victoria b-back Merrill alumnm b-back
H-O mandolinetto
Stradolin Vega banjolin
Sobell'dola Washburn b-back'dola
Eastmn: 615'dola 805 m'cello
Flatiron 3K OM
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