c.1925 Regal-made Bruno Mandolin Part 2

I worked on this mandolin in 2010 (click here to see it) but since those original repairs the original fretboard started to deteriorate with the glue loosening up which in turn meant that the neck joint's glue gave out. When I removed the original fretboard it was practically splintering up which is sometimes a problem with boards that were originally "ebonized" maple or similar hardwoods. The dye itself starts to wreck the wood and make it fragile.

At any rate, I gave this mando a neck reset and installed a brand-new rosewood board with abalone dots installed in a somewhat vintage-style fashion to match the abalone used in the pickguard.

This board is both thicker and stiffer than the original and will definitely resist tension and warping much better over time. This had modern-size mandolin frets installed as well as a zero fret up at the nut which gives it an even tone all over the neck.

 

The original, smaller ebony bridge had to be replaced since it was now too low, so I fitted and installed this parts-bin ebony bridge instead. It has a bone saddle slot.

This is a pretty fancy model and sports Brazilian rosewood back and sides and fancier binding throughout. One sees this same type of mandolin (made by Regal) under the L&H "Washburn" name as well.