Vintage Bruno 2 Point A Style

[SmokyMoments]

I am picking up a vintage Bruno and Son mandolin tomorrow. Can anyone point me to a source for info? I would like to determine an approximate date. I am seeing lots of bowl-back models online but this is an A style with two points. It is fairly large which leads me to think it might be an octave model. Very new to the mandolin world so I appreciate any assistance.

[rcc56]

It looks like a depression period [early to mid 1930's] instrument to me.
My first guess is that it was most likely made for Bruno by Regal, or perhaps Kay.

To determine what member of the mandolin family it is, measure the distance from the nut [the white bone piece at the tuner end of the fingerboard] to the 12th fret.

If the distance is 6 to 7 inches, it's a mandolin.
If it's 7 1/2 to 8 1/2 inches, it's a mandola [tuned CGDA].
If it's 9 1/2 to 11 inches, it's an octave mandolin [low GDAE].
If it's 12 inches or more, it's a mandocello [low CGDA].

Octave mandolins made before 2000 or so are not common instruments.
The only ones that I know of that were made earlier than that in significant numbers were the Regal Octofones, also made mostly in the early 1930's.
Octaves made by others before 2000 are seen occasionally, but not often. And most of those were also made before WWII.

After you pick it up, it would be a good idea to have a good repair person check to make sure that all the braces are still glued firmly.

[NickR]

It was made by Harmony. This type of mandolin is known for serious neck issues as there is no proper dovetail. Many were sold as Supertone branded instruments by Sears circa 1930. This seller misidentifies the black instrument as Regal- the second one he has as Harmony. Sears, Roebuck owned Harmony from 1916 to 1941 and used Harmony only for many of those years.

https://reverb.com/au/item/45866645-...restored-black

https://reverb.com/item/51127305-sup...an-instruments

https://jakewildwood.blogspot.com/20...-mandolin.html

[NickR]

I was bidding on one of these as it had a great hard case- wrong for this mandolin and exactly right for one I have already. The seller was somewhat clueless but I coaxed this photo from her and you can see the top and the string height. She sent another photo that showed at the body, the action was about 8 mm! I decided as I was in it for the case that such serious problems with the mandolin were a deal breaker. I assume your mandolin is fine in this department but it is worth knowing that this problem is down to the construction of this mandolin type. You can see inside with the black Supertone on Reverb as the photo shows the inside arrangement.

[NickR]

Duplicate post- now deleted.

[SmokyMoments]

Thanks so much for the info. Had a local expert look at it after I bought it and he dates it to the early 1920s. Made a stand for it today and after a little cleaning up and new (,light) strings it doesn't sound half bad! Thanks again for your info and interest.

[brunello97]

Fair play to you SmokyM.

I think you're local expert is pretty close.

From our experience here, I would ballbark this in the late '20s to early '30s as Chicago design styles began to change.

Yours cleaned up very nice. Nice work!

Very pretty wood.

Do you think that's a real ebony fretboard, or dyed wood of some kind?

That might position it earlier or later in the suspected time frame.

Glad it is playing well for you.

I dig your stand.


Mick

[SmokyMoments]

I suspect dyed wood. Thanks for your info. I'm pretty pleased with the stand. I kind of winged it on that but it cameout well.

[NickR]

The black painted mandolin I posted earlier on Reverb sold as a Supertone still has its label pasted inside. That label was used by Sears, Roebuck from about 1930 to 1933. You can date Supertone instruments from their labels if they are still inside the instrument. The labels were changed every few years from the early 1920s onwards until the name was replaced by Silvertone in 1940 and various makers replaced Harmony once Sears sold Harmony to its management- although Harmony did still make some of the instruments for their former owner for another three decades.
I am glad your mandolin appears to be in great shape. Has it been mended do you think at some point?

[SmokyMoments]

I'm sure the neck was reset at some point and the back of the body has an obvious patch. Neither was skillfully done but I'm still glad I shelled out the $50 to score this vintage instrument.

[SmokyMoments]

I love the Bruno Means Security label!

[NickR]

Well, $50 is not a huge investment and if the problematic neck arrangement has been addressed you can just get along and play it. You see people asking for rather large sums for these mandolins. As Jake Wildwood mentioned in one of his two analyses of these mandolins: "When these are fixed up they're super and they look and feel flashy."