Banjo-shaped Wooden 8 string Mystery- 1920s UK

[NickR]

I don't know what this is- over and above the headline. I think it has German tuners- but nearly everything European did when this was made- 1920s but possibly earlier. It may be beyond hope except for somebody dedicated. The slotted headstock with its shape, might mean Germany but it's not obvious where it may have escaped from. It looks to me that it might have been in good order but then got stepped on or crushed- a great shame. 17 frets to the body- 29 in total from a quick count.

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/325143756...8AAOSwL1diVbkJ

[Ranald]

I'm curious too. Let's bring this back to the top of the thread and hope the experts see it.

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[Ranald]

The thumbnails in Post #2 don't enlarge when I double-click them. I don't know why.

[NickR]

It was relisted and sold- probably a BIN. I will send a photo to my luthier- he may know what it is.

[NickR]

I would have been tempted to buy it but I have indulged in too much sentiment in the past and the damage it displays is probably way beyond my limited skills. You can select this photo below and it gets a bit bigger but still does not enlarge.

[journeybear]

Let's see how these look. You can still view the original listing; scroll down till you see it.

[Richard500]

Surprisingly the experts haven’t identified this. So, non-expert here: In that period, Lyon and Healy labelled and built the uke version, as the Camp uke, and it became a generic name. Why, can be guessed. The 8 stringer is possibly in the same “outdoors or travel” idea. Small, rugged.
I think this one likely was underdesigned in the neck area, and is folding up, rather than sat upon. Even maybe a one-off graft. Fixable.
The L&H uke is said to sound decent, so a mandolin might be ok. Someone needs to find out.
So, lacking knowledge and authoritas, I’ll dub this a camp mandolin.

[MikeEdgerton]

Round bodied mandolins have come up from time to time over the years. The late Paul Hostetter was a wealth of knowledge on them. Generally the discussions center around the instruments built in the early 1900's in the US. I don't recall a whole lot of discussions about models with slotted headstocks. The first place I'd be looking would be this thread. They definitely had a time that they were popular in the US but I have no idea about the rest of the world.

[NickR]

Those photos- not the first two, posted by journeybear do open and enlarge and one is almost the same as the first two, so it can be examined now.

The thing about this instrument is that 29 fret neck- 17 to the body.

As it has been sold, I don't feel inclined to ask about the scale length with the seller as I imagine it is packed up now and I don't want to waste his time. I had a seller the other day accusing me of "boring" him when I identified his Gibson made guitar as the "FDH Special" which was made to be sold in the late 30s by Gibson's biggest British dealer- Francis, Day & Hunter while the guitar is very similar to the Recording King M5, an L4 derived guitar and Gruhn Guitars who had appraised it, did not identify, it or even mention with its internal label and "Made In USA" impressed on the headstock that it was made to be sold abroad- Canada or UK. I am now suitably chastened!

[Ranald]

I had a seller the other day accusing me of "boring" him when I identified his Gibson made guitar as the "FDH Special" ...I am now suitably chastened!

Don't worry, you can't bore the mandolin nerds here!

[journeybear]

Oh, yes you can! Now and then ...

[journeybear]

Let's see if these work.



Boy, that first one is just stubborn.

Anyway, you can go to the listing still, click on "original listing," and scroll down to it. If you hover the cursor over an image it still blows up the way you would expect it to.

[NickR]

My luthier had a laugh and said "You do know that an F5 has 29 frets, don't you?" Well. I wasn't thinking "F5" when looking at this mandolin. Mind you, he's right and that Regal Custom that was discussed here recently also had 29 frets but that's where the similarities end! I am still surprised that it has 29 frets but I think the scale does look longer than 13 or even 14 inches but it may be that the small body makes the fingerboard look longer and it is just a mandolin with a small round body! I suppose it will remain a mystery.