c.1900 Unmarked Walnut Bowlback Mandolin


This is a simple but beautiful-sounding (and playing) bowlback from around the turn of the century. Before restoration it needed brace regluing, fret replacement and dressing, and general setup, and general cleaning and finish resto. I've also replaced the pitted (1940s) tailpiece it had on it with one that is more typical of the period when this was made. The bridge is original.


Nice celluloid pickguard and pretty spruce top. The binding is rosewood, as is the fretboard and headstock veneer.


Fretboard cleaned up nicely. MOP dots.


Snapshot of the new (antique) tailpiece.


Headstock: original brass & bone tuners and original (cleaned) bone nut.


Elegance!


The soundhole rosette is a pretty rope-style inlay with beading around the edges.


Detail. Fantastic wood inlay.


Side view. Here's your first glimpse of the beautiful walnut-ribbed bowl.


Closer.


From the back. As you can see, the finish popped right out after thorough cleaning.


Original brass tuners. Curiously enough, these only had 4 original screw holes. I've added a couple more vintage screws to the middle of the plates for durability.


Simple but well-executed heel.


Tailpiece. Notice botched (filled) holes from the previous c.1940s replacement tailpiece.


Overview back.
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Comments

Anonymous said…
How did you clean the wood on your bowlback mandolin? I just inherited a Supertone 352 from my grandmother. It has been in an attic in the far north so has been exposed to extreme temps. Amazingly, it has no broken parts and only one lost string. I think from what I've been told, the instrument was almost never played. It needs cleaning, and a new string - what cleaning solution to you recommend, and where can I find strings? How can I know if this instrument can still be played?
November 30, 2009 at 11:55 AM
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