Anyone have any clue what's up with this item? Obviously handmade but a mandolin?
http://www.shopgoodwill.com/auctions...-13435602.html
Anyone have any clue what's up with this item? Obviously handmade but a mandolin?
http://www.shopgoodwill.com/auctions...-13435602.html
Don
2016 Weber Custom Bitterroot F
2011 Weber Bitterroot A
1974 Martin Style A
That is a left-handed Shmergel Devastator.
"It's comparable to playing a cheese slicer."
--M. Stillion
"Bargain instruments are no bargains if you can't play them"
--J. Garber
Looks left-handed but strung reight-handed. It may actually be a dulcimer. Perhaps a mandolcimer or dulcilin? Perhaps dulcillini can enlighten us?
But that's just my opinion. I could be wrong. - Dennis Miller
Furthering Mandolin Consciousness
Finders Keepers, my duo with the astoundingly talented and versatile Patti Rothberg. Our EP is finally done, and available! PM me, while they last!
For posterior...
Jim
My Stream on Soundcloud
19th Century Tunes
Playing lately:
1924 Gibson A4 - 2018 Campanella A-5 - 2007 Brentrup A4C - 1915 Frank Merwin Ashley violin - Huss & Dalton DS - 1923 Gibson A2 black snakehead - '83 Flatiron A5-2 - 1939 Gibson L-00 - 1936 Epiphone Deluxe - 1928 Gibson L-5 - ca. 1890s Fairbanks Senator Banjo - ca. 1923 Vega Style M tenor banjo - ca. 1920 Weymann Style 25 Mandolin-Banjo - National RM-1
There's a note been added to the listing suggesting it's a baritone uke.
Definitely a Shmergel. But I can't tell if it's a Devastator or a Termanater.
Chief. Way up North. Gibson 1917 A model with pickup. JL Smith 5 string electric. 1929 National Triolian resonator mandolin with pickup. National RM 1 with pickup. Ovation Applause. Fender FM- 60 E 5 string electric (with juiced pickups). 1950's Gibson EM-200 electric mandolin. 1954 Gibson EM-150 electric mandolin. Custom made "Jett Pink" 5 string electric- Bo Diddley slab style. Jay Roberts Tiny Moore model 5 string electric.
That is a beaut -- I love the delicate bridge.
Jim
My Stream on Soundcloud
19th Century Tunes
Playing lately:
1924 Gibson A4 - 2018 Campanella A-5 - 2007 Brentrup A4C - 1915 Frank Merwin Ashley violin - Huss & Dalton DS - 1923 Gibson A2 black snakehead - '83 Flatiron A5-2 - 1939 Gibson L-00 - 1936 Epiphone Deluxe - 1928 Gibson L-5 - ca. 1890s Fairbanks Senator Banjo - ca. 1923 Vega Style M tenor banjo - ca. 1920 Weymann Style 25 Mandolin-Banjo - National RM-1
Don't know about it being a Schmergel or not. One thing's for sure, after seeing it in the coffin, it (whatever it is) is in a better place now. RIP
"Mongo only pawn in game of life." --- Mongo
By the shape of it, I would say it is a Nugget.
Charley
A bunch of stuff with four strings
Sigh. I was hoping no one here would notice.
This was the second musical instrument I made, 27 years ago, for some reason no longer known to me. A friend wanted to give his stringed-instrument-loving brother a "unique" gift, saw this thing in my shop, and bought it. It is not a mandolin, not an ukulele, not anything really, and frankly sounds like crap, but is it, to the best of my knowledge, unique. My friends brother loved it, BTW. Go figure.
Do yourself a favor and don't bid on this.
Too funny! Best chuckle I've had in a while. It was at least a learning experience, I'm sure.
We have some eagle-eyed mambers here, and they don't miss much.
BTW, I guess your friend's brother just didn't love it quite enough ...
But that's just my opinion. I could be wrong. - Dennis Miller
Furthering Mandolin Consciousness
Finders Keepers, my duo with the astoundingly talented and versatile Patti Rothberg. Our EP is finally done, and available! PM me, while they last!
It's a ukelin!
Living’ in the Mitten
I love this place... Jim, have you made other instruments after that one?
Jim
My Stream on Soundcloud
19th Century Tunes
Playing lately:
1924 Gibson A4 - 2018 Campanella A-5 - 2007 Brentrup A4C - 1915 Frank Merwin Ashley violin - Huss & Dalton DS - 1923 Gibson A2 black snakehead - '83 Flatiron A5-2 - 1939 Gibson L-00 - 1936 Epiphone Deluxe - 1928 Gibson L-5 - ca. 1890s Fairbanks Senator Banjo - ca. 1923 Vega Style M tenor banjo - ca. 1920 Weymann Style 25 Mandolin-Banjo - National RM-1
I recovered from my inexplicable desire to make unique instruments and went on to make some 800 ukuleles and guitars in Hawaii, and sold them all (except for eight or so, which for one reason or another I decided were too bad to sell, and my personal instruments). I just recently decided to make something after 17 years in retirement in New York and Florida, so I am making a pancake style mandola, which is now receiving many coats of oil varnish. Wish me luck!
That should qualify it for antique status. Thus it is vastly underpriced. Especially considering it is an early example of the work of an American craftsman active for decades with an astounding output of over 800 instruments. The seller clearly has no idea how to spin market-speak.
BTW, its currently bid up to $40. Regardless of Mike E's sig line, it's a bargain.
But that's just my opinion. I could be wrong. - Dennis Miller
Furthering Mandolin Consciousness
Finders Keepers, my duo with the astoundingly talented and versatile Patti Rothberg. Our EP is finally done, and available! PM me, while they last!
Sacrilege! Blasphemy! Mr. Adwell's well-intentioned venture into free-form instrument design, bears NO RESEMBLANCE to the unexcelled glory that is the Shmergel Devastator!!
Besides, it's well-known that because of its 92 coats of hand-rubbed (by Circassian virgins) polynomial centrifuge-purified Ecuadorean bumble-beeswax, the Devastator does not register in photographs, either film or digital. Light is deflected around it, leaving only a faint, sparkling halo.
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
My favorite part is the case. It looks like a coffin
Eastman 804V
Kentucky KM-505
Banjos - Deering Goodtime 19 Fret Tenor & 5 string
Guitars:
2006 Taylor GS5 - For Sale
2014 Taylor 114e
1986 Martin MC28 Acoustic/Electric
Holden Village Taylor GS Mini & Mahogany GS Mini
Thank you for enlightening us all, Allen. I knew it wasn't a Shmergel because I could see it, but I wasn't sure how to explain that adequately. Sometimes words fail ...
But that's just my opinion. I could be wrong. - Dennis Miller
Furthering Mandolin Consciousness
Finders Keepers, my duo with the astoundingly talented and versatile Patti Rothberg. Our EP is finally done, and available! PM me, while they last!
More weirdness, as I've just remembered that the tailpiece for the not-Shmergal was made from a piece of metal I got from dismantling an Epson dot-matrix printer I had lying around (before I made unique instruments I was a computer programmer/nerd).
Now that I think of it, there may be a steel rod from said Epson printer embedded in the neck... What the heck was I smoking back then?
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