The new ‘ukelele’

[Richard500]

Here’s a SGW ‘ukelele’ I picked up recently. Since it’s nice and close to playable, identity might be interesting, and I have a question about the bridge. In the bowl, no label but an unreadable round sticker. Tuner buttons appear to be brown-dyed bone. Extra edging on the bowl skirt edge. Knob-type tailpiece.
The bridge probably had a flat bone insert on the front edge, so the strings are located by (now partial) grooves in the adjacent wood. Who used this type? I’ll restore this one. There are also two adjacent pearl-topped glued dots (one missing) to locate the bridge.

[Sue Rieter]

What's that under the strings by the tailpiece?

[pops1]

What's that under the strings by the tailpiece?

Looks like a piece of felt or leather to mute overtones. Can't tell what the material is in the pic.

[Jim Garber]

I am away from my computer but my guess would be Stridente. IIRC they usually have round labels. I love those darkish brown buttons on the tuners. My de-accessed DeMeglio had those.

[Richard500]

Red felt, also at the nut. This instrument so untouched that the dampers are likely original. You will also see this under tailpiece covers as they can cause buzzes.

[journeybear]

Yes, I've had a couple old Gibsons like that - a little strip of felt inside the tailpiece under the strings. I thought it was to eliminate any abrasion on the strings from the metal - or vice versa - but defeating random extraneous noise would be another good reason.

[Richard500]

I am away from my computer but my guess would be Stridente. IIRC they usually have round labels. I love those darkish brown buttons on the tuners. My de-accessed DeMeglio had those.

Given the suggestion, looked at some photos, and think you’re spot on. They either were making a lot of these, or many survived, or both. This one doesn’t look its age; not even the celluloid. Based on a Tavy video, should sound solid too. Then on to the thrift store Calace with the cervical issue.

[Dave Hanson]

Why do you call this obvious mandolin a ukulele ?

Dave H

[John Kelly]

I imagine that Richard saw it advertised as a ukulele by an unknowing seller, Dave?

[Ray(T)]

I suspect that’s often the case on SGW.

[Richard500]

Why do you call this obvious mandolin a ukulele ?

Dave H

Called it a ‘ukulele’; perhaps should have used full quotation marks. Anyway, UK folks, in the US we have a network of somewhat questionable charity thrift stores called Goodwill, with an online store, Shopgoodwill, (SGW). It is an auction site, but operates (mostly) on donated items that are only vaguely characterized with photographs, and frequently mislabelled. So far, I’ve ‘won’ about ten mandolins, one mandola, one baglama that have been represented as lutes, ukuleles, medieval guitars, and even banjos. In return for buying no-return and blind, there’s some fun in finding something nice, and as I’ve been (lockdown and caregiving strictures) playing repairman. All, of course, for small money. I don’t bid on the obvious high ticket antique Gibsons etc. as these often go beyond retail for the usual auction reasons. And I’d rather not do something amateurish in repairing a sought-after quality instrument.
A few weeks ago I received a 1921 Calace with a probably more valuable original case, and I have enjoyed an Aquila flatback and an interesting homemade or adapted instrument with very different voices. Bowl back voicing appeals to me.
So, for the price of a paper bag (sack?) of groceries or a paperback book, you too can have a three, four, seven, eight, twelve or sixteen string adventure!

[Jim Garber]

Headstock and the bottom of the mandolin matches with my Stridente (see below).