Re: Antique guitar shaped mandolin - info??
These guitar-shaped mandolins are often called "mandolinettos." The prison-labor attribution is believable, but the inmate would have had to obtain the tuners and tailpiece commercially; since I doubt that the prison wood shop would be making mandolinettos for sale to the public, it would more likely have been an individual inmate's project, with some cooperative prison administrator finding the hardware to complete it. Perhaps the "prison guard" to whom the inmate gifted it? Maybe he knew the guard played mandolin, and wanted to get on his good side?
Allen Hopkins
Gibsn: '54 F5 3pt F2 A-N Custm K1 m'cello
Natl Triolian Dobro mando
Victoria b-back Merrill alumnm b-back
H-O mandolinetto
Stradolin Vega banjolin
Sobell'dola Washburn b-back'dola
Eastmn: 615'dola 805 m'cello
Flatiron 3K OM
Bookmarks