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Thread: Sharing my incredible thrift store find with you fine folk

  1. #1

    Default Sharing my incredible thrift store find with you fine folk

    Came across this forum while researching my find and Im sure you guys will appreciate it.
    From the serial numbers I think it's a very early edition 1914 model 202?
    I don't think the case is original ,neither is the bottom plate ?
    Aside from that issue at the bottom it's in remarkable condition .
    That was the price and I used a 20 percent off coupon ,and to top it off these are Canadian dollars .
    Now here is the kicker they almost threw it in the garbage because it has no bridge or strings .
    Ha
    Enjoy.
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  2. The Following 8 Users Say Thank You to Etcetera For This Useful Post:


  3. #2

    Default Re: Sharing my incredible thrift store find with you fine folk

    Welcome Etcetera to the Cafe Forum and congrats on your thrift-store find... I see this is your first post!

    As you mentioned... no bridge or strings. No tail-piece either. I'm sure some of the obscure mandolin geeks here (obscure mandolins, not obscure geeks) will know something about your Vega and offer suggestions on how to repair it. The area where the tail piece would be looks pretty sketchy.

    Good luck with it. I have plenty enough trouble keeping 8 strings tuned.
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  4. #3
    The Amateur Mandolinist Mark Gunter's Avatar
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    Default Re: Sharing my incredible thrift store find with you fine folk

    Looks like an awesome price for a cylinder back restoration project, great find.
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  5. #4

    Default Re: Sharing my incredible thrift store find with you fine folk

    Fun stuff!

  6. #5
    Registered User Cary Fagan's Avatar
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    Default Re: Sharing my incredible thrift store find with you fine folk

    May I ask what town or city in Canada you found it? I want to know how near a miss this was to me!
    Cary Fagan

  7. #6

    Default Re: Sharing my incredible thrift store find with you fine folk

    Quote Originally Posted by Cary Fagan View Post
    May I ask what town or city in Canada you found it? I want to know how near a miss this was to me!
    Toronto

  8. #7

    Default Re: Sharing my incredible thrift store find with you fine folk

    10 strings! Any ideas as to what this might be? Photo of the nut seems to suggests 3 x first and second courses, 2 x third and fourth.

  9. The following members say thank you to mdowlin for this post:


  10. #8

    Default Re: Sharing my incredible thrift store find with you fine folk

    Answering my own question. A Vega mandola/ mandolin hybrid originally I think. Looks like the nut has been modified at some point. Nice instrument at an amazing price. Worth a little investment I should think. I've seen a fancier one on Reverb for a lot more money.

  11. The following members say thank you to mdowlin for this post:


  12. #9

    Default Re: Sharing my incredible thrift store find with you fine folk

    What a wonderful find- well done! You know to get the cloud tailpiece and bridge you are probably going to have to pay out a lot mote than the mandolin cost!

  13. #10
    Martin Stillion mrmando's Avatar
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    Default Re: Sharing my incredible thrift store find with you fine folk

    What is the distance from the nut to the 12th fret?

    These exist in both mandolin- and mandola-scale versions; I'm curious as to which one you have got.
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  14. #11
    Martin Stillion mrmando's Avatar
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    Default Re: Sharing my incredible thrift store find with you fine folk

    Quote Originally Posted by NickR View Post
    You know to get the cloud tailpiece and bridge you are probably going to have to pay out a lot mote than the mandolin cost!
    Here is one with what purports to be the original tailpiece, with the cloud cover missing. Note that it has five posts and 2 strings per post; also note that it doesn't look like a standard cloud tailpiece base: https://reverb.com/item/32816205-rar...ll-s-head-case

    One could try picking up a standard Waverly cloud tailpiece, but those have only eight string hooks. One would have to put the A and E strings on single hooks and hope they don't break. Or one might try something like this:

    https://www.amazon.com/Alnicov-Mando.../dp/B08SJ7LJ1D

    Or this:

    https://www.allenguitar.com/tpcs_tr-10.htm
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  15. #12
    Mando accumulator allenhopkins's Avatar
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    Default Re: Sharing my incredible thrift store find with you fine folk

    Looks like the original tailpiece pulled off –– 10 strings exert a lot of "pull" –– and damaged the top/side joint and binding when it did. There may need to be a fair amount of repair to the wood there; make sure you find a mandolin-experienced shop to handle it, if you don't try to do it yourself (which I wouldn't on a valuable vintage instrument).

    Gonna be pretty hard to find a vintage 10-string tailpiece. You might consider -- if you can find one -- a 12-string mandriola tailpiece, which would have a couple extra hooks. A shop that does vintage instrument repairs, could have one pulled off an unrepairable instrument.
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  16. #13

    Default Re: Sharing my incredible thrift store find with you fine folk

    The screw holes where the tailpiece used to be are different in position to those shown on the Reverb Vega posted by Martin (mrmando). There appears to be the shadow of a tailpiece not dissimilar to the cloud variety but it may have been something different. It might be getting something new and not original could be the best solution as suggested.
    Last edited by NickR; Apr-14-2022 at 11:02am.

  17. #14

    Default Re: Sharing my incredible thrift store find with you fine folk

    <Removed by Moderator. Questions asked, questions answered. Feel free to put it in the classifieds.>
    Last edited by MikeEdgerton; Apr-14-2022 at 6:35pm.

  18. #15
    Martin Stillion mrmando's Avatar
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    Default Re: Sharing my incredible thrift store find with you fine folk

    Quote Originally Posted by Etcetera View Post
    I'm not gonna touch it ,was strictly bought to just move it along to someone who wants to invest the time an money .
    But all good suggestions i appreciate them .
    I'll give ya 64 Canadian for it -- 100 percent profit!
    Emando.com: More than you wanted to know about electric mandolins.

    Notorious: My Celtic CD--listen & buy!

    Lyon & Healy • Wood • Thormahlen • Andersen • Bacorn • Yanuziello • Fender • National • Gibson • Franke • Fuchs • Aceto • Three Hungry Pit Bulls

  19. #16
    Registered User William Smith's Avatar
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    Default Re: Sharing my incredible thrift store find with you fine folk

    WoW sweet find right there! It needs some work but well worth it for your great purchase!

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