1960s Hans Hauser Flatback Mandolin
This German-made mandolin probably dates from the late '50s or early '60s and features fancy-looking ply maple for the back and sides and what I'm assuming to be ply spruce (it might be solid) for the top. Real rope binding, an inlaid pickguard, and rosewood fretboard and bridge give it a little more class, but this is basically a student-level instrument and its various wear-and-tear prove a life of sustained use and mild abuse. Its body outline is similar to a bowlback mandolin (rather than the wider American flatback style) but the top is flat (instead of canted).
Work included a fret level/dress, bridge modification/compensation, general cleaning, one replacement tuner button, and a good setup with 32w-9 GHS A240 "bowlback" gauge strings. This is a lightly-made instrument and certainly hasn't tolerated various 34w-10 or heavier sets over the years very well. Although the neck still has a very minor warp to it, it plays well and with spot-on 1/16" action at the 12th fret. This is a customer's instrument that he uses for fulfilling a comic sage role, so I imagine he'll be happy to have an instrument that plays like an instrument rather than a cheese-slicer.
Specs are: 13 1/16" scale, 1 1/8" nut width, 15/16" string spacing at the nut, 1 7/16" spacing at the bridge, 8 1/4" width, and 2 3/4" depth at the endblock.
Materials are: (ply?) spruce top, ply maple back/sides, maple neck, rosewood fretboard and bridge, original fittings throughout.
Work included a fret level/dress, bridge modification/compensation, general cleaning, one replacement tuner button, and a good setup with 32w-9 GHS A240 "bowlback" gauge strings. This is a lightly-made instrument and certainly hasn't tolerated various 34w-10 or heavier sets over the years very well. Although the neck still has a very minor warp to it, it plays well and with spot-on 1/16" action at the 12th fret. This is a customer's instrument that he uses for fulfilling a comic sage role, so I imagine he'll be happy to have an instrument that plays like an instrument rather than a cheese-slicer.
Specs are: 13 1/16" scale, 1 1/8" nut width, 15/16" string spacing at the nut, 1 7/16" spacing at the bridge, 8 1/4" width, and 2 3/4" depth at the endblock.
Materials are: (ply?) spruce top, ply maple back/sides, maple neck, rosewood fretboard and bridge, original fittings throughout.
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