1920s Regal-made Washburn Style 2427 Flatback Mandolin

I've worked on a few of this same type of mandolin in the past. Some are branded with the maker (Regal's) name while most have the Lyon & Healy Washburn brand in the soundhole. Regal had been making mandolins for the brand since the 1890s at least, so it's not surprising that they would continue to do so throughout the '20s.

This same mandolin style can be found in the CenterStream Carlin "Regal" book as well as the CenterStream "Washburn" book -- but even if it wasn't, the Regal fingerprints are everywhere: doweled neck joint, heel shape, headstock cut and shape, bracing style, fretboard style, and whatnot.

I worked on this for a customer and while it initially looked like it would be a lightweight job due to its having had some old (only OK) repairs in the past, it turned-out that I needed to do the usual run-through to get it to play right. I reset the neck, leveled/dressed the frets, made and fit a new compensated ebony bridge (the one that came with it was damaged and ill-fit), pinned the neck in place with a concealed bolt (as the doweled joints will drift if you don't do this), cleated a previously-repaired crack on the back, and set it up.

Post-repairs it's a winner, with a clean, sweet, and mellow voice. It has good volume and has a fast, easy feel thanks in part to its bowlback-style 13" scale length. The instrument is original save the nut and bridge, too, which is nice to see. It was also evidently played a bunch as well, as the frets had some decent wear in them.

These are an "old-style" flatback instrument, having a canted top like a bowlback but a a flat (well, lightly curved-over-braces) back. The two-point body shape is elegant and the appointments give it class. I like the nice purfling next to the fiberloid-black binding. The inlaid tortoise-style pickguard is also a nice touch.

Back and sides are Brazilian rosewood, fretboard and bridge are ebony, and the top is tight-grained spruce.

I have it strung with 32w-9 GHS A240 "Ultra Light" strings -- which are basically identical in gauge/tension to typical period strings.