Vintage Strad-O-Lin - The Perfect Beginner Mandolin
Vintage Strad-O-Lin - The Perfect Beginner Mandolin
Cafe Faithful,
I've owned a 1942 Strad-O-Lin since August 2010 and have been remiss in providing a review of this instrument. I purchased this mandolin from The Parlor located in Knoxville, TN. Josh Sidman is the owner of this unique shop. The website is located at www.theparlorknoxville.com and one visit to the website will show you this is a place to replenish the mind (vintage instruments) and body (great food). They only sell vintage instruments and offer a unique 85% buy back guarantee, i.e., they will buy back any instrument they sell for 85% of the original purchase price at any time in the future (minus shipping fees, applicable tax, etc.). That’s a great deal for someone just getting started in the music world.
I had read the many great reviews of the Strad-O-Lins on the Mandolin Café website and stumbled upon “The Parlor” while researching these mandolins. I visited with Josh on a couple of occasions via the phone before taking the plunge to purchase one of the many vintage Strad-O-Lin’s he has in stock. Josh personally picked me out one that was in good cosmetic condition, but more importantly had a great sound. He advertised the one I received as a 50’s model, but upon arrival, I located a stamped (in red ink) date of 1942 in the center of the back underneath the neck (hard to see unless you’re looking for it). In my traditional review format, I’ll explore the design/construction, playability, sound, and value.
Design/Construction
The Strad-O-Lin is a typical A-style from the time period. The mandolin fits inside all of the various cases I own, albeit snuggly, so the diameter of the body is slightly larger than my Collings MT2-v. The neck is joined at the 12th fret, so playing it takes some getting used to. The fretboard is flat and wider than modern (Gibson) nut widths; I would guestimate about 1 3/16ths at the nut. I find the nut width and neck profile to be acceptable for many playing styles, but it is chunky compared to most modern mandolins. There is no truss rod, and since this model was made during the war years, it may not even have a steel reinforcement bar? The Strad-O-Lin I received was completely stock including the tuners, which work OK, but require a stout set of fingers to adjust the D and G strings. Original bridge which appears to be rosewood (as is the fingerboard). While I know most of these mandolins are from ply construction, I think the top and back are solid, but I’m thinking they are “pressed to arch” versus carved. For a 60+ year old mandolin the finish is still glossy and it even features some nice pattern/flaming on the maple back. There are slight finish cracks at the neck joint, but everything seems to be staying in place.
You can view photos of the mandolin here: http://theparlorknoxville.com/music/...950s-stradolin
Playability
Ok, it doesn’t play anywhere near as good as a quality modern mandolin, but that being said, it plays well enough to be useable in positions 1 and 2. Finger pressure to achieve a clean sound is moderate to slightly heavy. There is nothing in mandolin repertoire that can’t accomplish on the Strad-O-Lin, albeit with a little more finesse required for a clean sound. FYI: If you learn to play a song clean on this Strad-O-Lin, you’ll absolutely fly when you play that song on a modern mandolin (-:
Sound
Well, here is where you get a lot more than you pay for! This mandolin has a wonderful tubby sound that may be more akin to a good oval hole versus an f-hole sound. The richness of the bass is particularly impressive and it gives nothing away in the high frequencies either. I don’t know if I just got a good one or what, but the sound of this mandolin is exception given its price point ($450) and no new mandolin in this price point can replicate the vintage tone this baby produces. As you might imagine the ladder bracing (I think) means the chops are less dramatic than modern tone-bar braced mandolins, but it is acceptable even in that area.
Value
Vintage instruments can mean many things to many people. Here I’ll simply apply the term “vintage” to an instrument whose value is increasing, versus how old it is. The early Strad-O-Lins are clearly in this “vintage” category. If you’re in the New-to-Mandolin category, I think the early Strad-O-Lins offer you a great bang-for-the buck alternative to many beginner imports (which sound like….beginner imports). If you’re guaranteed to receive 85% of the purchase price back, in the case of The Parlor, you’re investing very little to get started with a vintage mandolin, guitar, etc. So if you’re looking for a good mandolin starting place, you could do much worse than a good quality vintage Strad-O-Lin.
Disclaimer
I have no financial interest in The Parlor located in Knoxville, TN.
Reply With Quote
Bookmarks