1920s Vega 2-Point Flatback Mandolin
This beaut is unmarked but clearly a Vega product. It's essentially the same instrument as one of their cylinder-back models but with a deep-body flatback build instead of the curved rear and rounded shoulders instead of points. It's spruce over mahogany, tightly-grained, built very light, and with a professional feel and sound. It's a lot bigger and deeper than your average mandolin from the time and it has a big, sweet, old-timey, Celtic-like voice that's addicting to play. I'm pretty tempted to just keep this myself as it's a pretty fair stunner in-person.
Work was light but now that it's done it plays spot-on and sounds like a gem. I have 32w-9 gauges on this but it could handle 10s if you want to run them. I think these old Vegas sound better without the soundboard overdriven, though, and this has a Gibson-length scale so the strings don't feel loosey-goosey.
Repairs included: a fret level/dress, minor hairline crack repair next to fretboard extension, minor repair to the pickguard, cleaning, and setup.
Top wood: solid spruce
Back & sides wood: solid mahogany
Bracing type: ladder
Bridge: ebony with bone insert
Fretboard: ebony
Neck wood: mahogany
Action height at 12th fret: hair under 1/16" (fast, spot-on)
String gauges: 32w-9 GHS A240 set
Neck shape: medium V
Board radius: flat
Neck relief: straight
Fret style: low/small
Scale length: 13 7/8"
Nut width: 1 1/4"
Body width: 10 1/4"
Body depth: 2 3/4"
Weight: 1 lb 11 oz
Condition notes: it's quite clean, entirely crack free save for a 1" hairline at the treble side of the fretboard extension (repaired), and all original save a tiny portion of replacement pickguard (about nickel-sized) which I put in. The pickguard (celluloid) has a bunch of small hairline cracks in it as usual, but I've stabilized it. Also per the usual, there's weather-checking in the finish throughout. I've added side dots, too.
It comes with: an old '60s chip case that serves.
Comments