Vintage German two point

[Charles E.]

This is kind of funky.........

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Vintage-8-st...item2ec5077080

Am I mistaken, or is the bridge installed right into the top?

And what the heck it that thing between the tailpiece and the bridge?

[brunello97]

Charleydude, that looks like classic sleeve guard typically seen on old bowlback mandolins. Lots of different styles and versions of these. Kept your cufflinks out of the strings.....

Mick

[Jeff Hildreth]

The bridge is not original. The neck and headstock appear to be beech...

I believe its current bid is high.

[Charles E.]

You can see the witness line from the original bridge. On closer inspection, it looks like the bridge is resting on two pads, not installed ala a tune-o matic type you see on electric guitars.

[Jim Garber]

I have seen that bridge or something quite similar on other mandolins. Prob not too new tho maybe even contemporary with the mandolin. Likely it would be the miracle metal of the time, aluminum.

[Martin Jonas]

Like Jim, I have also seen a number of these metal bridges on old mandolins. It's clearly a replacement on this one (and not a recent one), and I'm not sure any builders ever offered it as stock bridge. For one, even if the pads under each post I would be worried about the point load on the soundboard.

The lyre-shaped sleeveguard is indeed common on old bowlbacks and other German and Italian mandolins. However, I don't think it was original on this mandolin, as the tailpiece already has an integrated kidney-shaped sleeveguard.

This type of 2-point design is called "Wappenform" in German, "Wappen" being German for "crest" or "shield". They tend to be quite nicely-made instruments, not because of any inherent superiority of this shape but because they were aimed at a higher market segment than most German mandolins and were therefore fancier. I rather like this one, except for the bridge and surplus sleeveguard. I've seen them go for about the current high bid, so that's not necessarily excessive. Haven't played one in person, though. I would think that the "Musikhaus-Jerusalem" badge on it is the shop where it was bought, not the maker. Probably from one of the many Markneukirchen luthiers. It was the practice at the time to send them out unlabelled so that the final retailer can sell it under his name.

Martin

[billhay4]

I wonder how long that shop survived after this instrument was sold. The name "Jerusalem" on a shop in the 1930's must have been a magnet for the brownshirts.
Bill

[brunello97]

I wonder how long that shop survived after this instrument was sold. The name "Jerusalem" on a shop in the 1930's must have been a magnet for the brownshirts.
Bill

Place might still be in business:

Musikhaus Jerusalem

Mick

[O'Riabh]

Charleydude, that looks like classic sleeve guard typically seen on old bowlback mandolins. Lots of different styles and versions of these. Kept your cufflinks out of the strings.....

Mick

I purchased an old Neapolitan bowlback by Pietro Ruffini of Brescia recently. The string posts catch the inside of my left arm and looking at the design of the the Sleeve Guard it would not be of much use to me?

[brunello97]

I purchased an old Neapolitan bowlback by Pietro Ruffini of Brescia recently. The string posts catch the inside of my left arm and looking at the design of the the Sleeve Guard it would not be of much use to me?

I imagine since Garibaldi that shirts have changed a lot as well as mandolins.

Mick

[O'Riabh]

I purchased an old Neapolitan bowlback by Pietro Ruffini of Brescia recently. The string posts catch the inside of my left arm and looking at the design of the the Sleeve Guard it would not be of much use to me?

I withdraw the silly question, the sleeve of my overcoat should resolve the issue

[Jim Garber]

You would need a special sleeve guard for this shirt...