1920 Vega Style 202 Cylinder-Back Mandolin

I don't get a lot of cylinder-back Vegas for sale in the shop up here but when I do, mandolin players are attracted to them immediately. I think most of it is the elegant 2-point design popping-out from across the room, but once they pick them up and give them a whirl, the love-beams are targeted directly on the sound -- a rich, creamy, sweet, but carrying tone with a lot of definition.

These have the best traits of quality bowlback mandolins (clarity and sweetness) mixed with a bit of the lower-end oomph and depth of flatbacks and much of the projection of carved-top/back instruments. They're just good. And silky? Not much else sounds like them.

This one arrived here in pretty good spec, though its bar frets were a bit out-of-whack and needed some fussing with their heights to allow me to level and dress them to get the action spot-on. It also needed some minor crack and seam repairs to the bass-side top below the bridge.

I'm happy to say that now it's buttoned-up, it plays effortlessly and sounds as good as my reminiscing about it above suggests. I think it's equally suited to folk/old time/Celtic styles and the more refined realm of classical or mandolin orchestra pursuits.

Repairs included: reseating frets, a fret level/dress, compensation and adjustment of the old (replacement) bridge, hairline crack repair (cleats/seal) and seam repair to the bass-top below the bridge, cleaning, and setup.

Setup notes: action is spot-on at a hair-under 1/16" at the 12th fret (low and fast), the neck is straight, and it's strung with gauges 32w-9 (the GHS A240 set). You could go one step heavier on the gauges but it doesn't need it to sound good. The build is light and so I think the A240 set is perfect for it.

Scale length: 13 3/4"

Nut width: 1 1/8"

String spacing at nut: 15/16"

String spacing at bridge: 1 5/8"

Body length: 12 1/2"

Lower bout width: 10"

Side depth at deepest: 2 3/4"

Top wood: solid spruce

Back/sides wood: solid mahogany

Neck wood: mahogany

Fretboard: ebony

Bridge: rosewood

Neck feel: slim-med C-shape, flat board, small-med bar frets

Condition notes: replacement bridge, average finish weather-checking throughout, various minor scratches throughout, one repaired hairline crack and seam repair to the top. The top itself, like on many of these old cylinder-backs, has sunken just a bit in the center, but it's totally stable. All the bracing is pat and in good order. It has a non-original (but old) strap button at the tailpiece.

It comes with: its original chip case in a pretty tatty state, though it serves for light use and storage.