Info on bay state bowl back

[Mandomaiden]

This mandolin has been in my family for at least 60 years, and recently resurfaced as I was cleaning out my father's house. Unfortunately, there's no one still alive who can give me any information about its origins...
Googling Bay States and John C. Haynes yields minimal information, but I was hoping that there might be someone on the Cafe who would have more. I'll try to post pictures next....

[Mandomaiden]

Front, with 2 very fine cracks that I hope can be repaired

[Mandomaiden]

And the back....beautiful woods

[Mandomaiden]

Here's the back of the headstock--"3" stamped into it, along with Bay State
Any idea if this is the model number or a very low serial number?

[Jim Garber]

What did you need to know? Haynes was in business in Boston (hence Bay State) from after the Civil War to around 1900. The three prob does indicate a moel number as I have another one that resembles yours in my file.

I would think this is a decent instrument similar in quality to Vegas of the period.

Haynes also made guitars and banjos and may have made instruments for other companies.

Jim

[Mandomaiden]

Thanks, Jim. I'll get my GHS strings ordered, get the top repaired, and we'll see if she sounds as sweet as she looks.
After all, this is the instrument that got me interested in playing the mandolin many years ago. It's nice to have her back!

[Keith Erickson]

I believe that C. Yardley Chittick also plays a Bay State Mandolin too.

[Bob DeVellis]

Haynes was a partner of Oliver Ditson, who was primarily involved in music publishing and made a fortune in that line. Haynes was only 15 years old when Ditson hired him in 1845 and he became a partner at the age of 27. While a partner in Oliver Ditson & Co. (he was the "& Co."), Haynes had a music store in his own name, which opened around 1865. This is right around the time when Ditson was expanding by opening spin-off companies around the country, including Lyon & Healy in 1864 in Chicago. At least initially, these operations were essentially distributorships for his publishing products, run by men who had learned the business under Ditson. The Haynes operation clearly was an extension rather than a rival of the Ditson operation. It became the manufacturing wing of Ditson & Co. around 1891 at a time when Haynes ran the company. Haynes had taken over the presidency of the Ditson firm (despite the fact that Oliver's son, Charles, was also a partner at the time) when Oliver died in 1888 and apparently saw an opportunity to combine the parent firm with his semi-separate instrument manufacturing and selling operation. Although Haynes farmed out some of its manufacture and imported its violins (which it re-graduated and set up before sale) from Europe, mandolins and guitars were made in-house. Both the instruments they made and those they re-sold carried a Bay State label. Haynes folded up around 1900. The building where all the Haynes manufacturing took place was taken over by the Vega Co., who manufactured their instruments in that location.

[Jim Garber]

Great info, Bob!

Jim