Cute OS Stella 1930-ish Flat Top

[NickR]

This mandolin is really cute- I love the "rope" binding which has "worm over" tuners making me think early 30s. It is probably all birch but I have a very similar mandolin sold under the Santacilla brand from the 30s and it is all mahogany with a great faux finish mimicking maple. Jake Wildwood commends the sound of these, and I concur. Now, it needs work- the back and also the top need to be glued down. The seller shows a photo of the mandolin with the bridge in place and also with it down on the top. I don't know if the side view is taken with the bridge up or down. He's not selling overseas but if I was interested, I would want another side view with the stings shown relative to the neck and with the bridge seen in its vertical position. It may be the fabled "EZ Fix" but it might not be but it is a worthy project I would think. It seems to me, that OS had two body shapes going at the same time- or possibly a newer shape was phased in- I assume this is the newer shape if that was the case.
https://www.ebay.com/itm/15556824024...m3cPw6RMxoEd58

[MikeEdgerton]

I would consider buying that just for the decal on the top.

[Jeff Mando]

It's a cutie, for sure! Great wall-hanger at the very least. I've found some of those rim/back/top repairs usually don't just pop back into place. Usually things don't line up right.

The "decalcomania" in common Stella fan parlance, would lead us to believe it is indeed Oscar Schmidt manufacture, but decals and stencils continued after the Harmony acquisition. I have a 30's "Stella" faux resonator with the same logo that I have always attributed to Harmony (or Regal/Del Oro, ect.)

At the very least, it is old and super cool!

[MikeEdgerton]

That is without a doubt an Oscar Schmidt Stella. Harmony didn't use the Stella mandolin designs. They simply slapped the logo on the Harmony products.

[NickR]

I agree that sometimes you can't get the sides to line up with the back- or the top- you have to compress the mandolin a little as you clamp it. Mandolin players should have strong hands- if not play the 12 string for a while!

This is my Santacilla- I bought it for the tailpiece- which has an OS used design on it. As can be seen, it still has it as what I thought would be a total "no-hoper" just needed a replacement bridge- it was fine. In fact the old bridge- exactly the same type just needs a new bone insert.

[NickR]

Jake Wildwood had a Stella with the same decal but not the rope binding and it has that different body shape and "worm under" tuners:

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

[MikeEdgerton]

Jake Wildwood had a Stella with the same decal but not the rope binding and it has that different body shape and "worm under" tuners:

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

I would guess that Jake's was a little earlier. The heel on the neck is different as well.