What is the body made from- is it BRW?
Three possibilities. It left the factory that way and that's possible. Somebody spent some money and time having a decent inlay artist do the binding and fretboard and the final (and I can't tell without seeing the back) is that it, along with several bowlbacks, got the Antonio Tsai treatment where it went to Vietnam and was blinged up for resale back here. The third is the least likely as they left the tailpiece stock and didn't add the usual garish hardware.
"It's comparable to playing a cheese slicer."
--M. Stillion
"Bargain instruments are no bargains if you can't play them"
--J. Garber
Unless somebody has a Bruno catalogue, I think it will be hard to establish any more. Michael Wright's book shows S-V mandolins and it also has some Montgomery Ward ads but none of the mandolins shown are remotely close in terms of ornamentation. He does not show a Bruno catalogue and his list of models does not mention anything so fancy but I don't expect anybody will create an exhaustive and definitive list- it is just not possible.
Catalogs surface all the time but this may have never been listed as it might have been done for a trade show or as a gift for someone. I agree with your final assessment and I don't think some questions will ever be answered.
"It's comparable to playing a cheese slicer."
--M. Stillion
"Bargain instruments are no bargains if you can't play them"
--J. Garber
I haven't seen an S-V with those appointments.
However, I have seen rather similar appointments on other Chicago instruments from the same period, such as Bronson and Oahu guitars that are alternately attributed to the Regal and Kay factories.
I would not assume that to be BRW without inspecting the instrument in hand. There was a "painting" process that was sometimes used on some Chicago instruments to make mahogany, birch, and even maple look like rosewood. Even the Larsons did this on some of their mandolins.
I'll mention that there are signs that some not so pretty repairs have been executed on the instrument. Any buyer should be prepared for a less than professional "surprise" or two that might need some attention.
I like it. If I was interested in on-line auctions [which I'm not], I might put in a bid and take my chances with any "surprises."
You are correct, the Chicago factories were very good at their faux finishes. I had a friend that bought a parlor guitar years ago that he just knew was BRW only to have it look totally different on the inside on close examination.
"It's comparable to playing a cheese slicer."
--M. Stillion
"Bargain instruments are no bargains if you can't play them"
--J. Garber
I used to have an 1890 Bruno parlor guitar that had mahogany sides and back, but fooled even knowledgeable people that thought it was BRW until I had them look inside.
THE WORLD IS A BETTER PLACE JUST FOR YOUR SMILE!
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