Stradolin bargain(?) alert

[jaycat]

On Facebook marketplace, Worcester, Mass. area

https://www.facebook.com/marketplace...type=top_picks

NFI.

[Sue Rieter]

I'd love to look at it, just for general mandolin nosiness (and wondering if it's the same one that was previously on CL), but (imho) it's not worth joining facebook for.

[MikeEdgerton]

It was in Asbury Park, NJ at one time if I'm reading the label right. I'm going to go out on a limb and say this might be one of the last of the real Strad-O-Lins made, that is commissioned by Sorkin and built by whomever they gave the contract to. The logo is unlike any other I've seen but the rest of it screams it's OK. The "original case" looks to be a 50's to 60's chipboard case sold through any distributor in the country. I suspect it might have been a United product and that would make sense because they were close to where Sorkin was and where this spent some time. The tuner bushings are funky but the tuners look right. One has a replaced screw. The bridge is old school Strad-O-Lin. The tailpiece cover is one that was around almost as long as the Cloud tailpiece cover. I don't know, it's an odd duck.

For posterity:

[jaycat]

My link doesn't seem to work, but you can do the search. They only want $150 for it.

[MikeEdgerton]

My link doesn't seem to work, but you can do the search. They only want $150 for it.

It works for me if I'm signed into Facebook.

[your_diamond]

it's an odd duck.

Odd Duck... That's for sure.

The more Stradolins I look at (especially the off brand SOLs) the more I think there are several different companies that made them.

Also, there is a possibility this has laminated back and sides.

[Richard500]

The one Dad bought new around 1955, now on my lap, has similarities and differences that could be lower trim configuration, different factory, later build. Mine has same tuners, same bridge, sans serif stencil name, shorter fretboard, different pickguard mounts (two screws into the top), seven bulge tailpiece, no binding, wood nut, no decay in the finish, canvas soft case.

[NickR]

I would assume that the last original Stradolins made had the later Waverly "bell end" shaped tuners as used by Harmony until about 1970 or so, when production ceased. I have seen a fair few with these tuners. The 1959 Peter Sorkin catalogue which shows Stradolins does not show the tuners, so that possible source of a date and a correlation is not available although it might be possible to match the appointments from the front but the illustrations are a bit small to really see how the name is rendered.