1920 Vega Style 202 Cylinder-Back Mandolin

A pair of relatively-local recurring customers with a musically-savvy grown son brought this instrument up for a short visit while they were vacationing. Their granddaughter (12) wanted to learn to play mandolin as she plays violin. Said son had this hanging-about in a closet in its original case. No one knew it significance, but suffice to say, this granddaughter is going to have a killer mandolin to learn on. That's important for someone wanting to play mandolin, too -- the only reason I kept my own mandolin playing going in high school is because I was playing on the "old family mandolin" whose sound caught my ears and kept me playing.

Vega cylinder-back instruments aren't super-rare, but they are somewhat hard to find. They're even harder to find in good shape, though, because their lightweight build means that many of them have been truly savaged by improper handling over the years. This one is just about as clean as it gets -- you can see a few marks of love from use around the time it was made, but probably for the last 80+ years it has slept in its case without strings. That explains why no bracing is loose, it's crack-free, and the finish is clean for its years.

These instruments handle beautifully after just a little bit of setup-side work, and this one is no exception -- it's easy to enjoy. Tonally, they've got a sound somewhere between a good bowlback and a good flatback -- they're warmer than your average bowlback but have a clean, sweet, clear voice with good projection that's often lacking in most flatbacks.

Repairs included: a light fret level/dress, side dots install, compensation to the top of the original bridge, restring, and setup.

Setup notes: action is bang-on at 1/16" overall at the 12th fret, and a hair under that on the treble side. Strings are 32w-9 gauges -- the GHS A240 set.

Condition notes: very light pickwear and a few small scratches, but otherwise entirely-original and in great shape.

It comes with: its original case.

The serial number suggests 1920 manufacture.