1920s Stella (Oscar Schmidt) Flatback Mandolin

Overview: Here's a no-frills flatback mandolin made by Oscar Schmidt in Jersey City, NJ around 1925-1930. It's got a good, woody, sound to it that's fun to pick ragtime and old-timey tunes on and it would be a perfect match to a blues-picker's Stella if, say, you were such a player and wanted to double-over!

Interesting features: The look is folksy and charming. It has just enough playwear and roustabout usewear to give it some lived-in ease. The cream binding with the extra purfling layers is a little unusual for a Schmidt mando from this time, too. 

Repairs included: Someone else reglued many seams (a little off) on the back and sides and reset the neck and fit a replacement bridge. I leveled/dressed the frets, added side dots, recut and compensated the bridge, fit a bolt internally at the necbklock to as extra insurance for the neck joint's sturdiness, and cleaned-up a lot of those seam repairs on the back. It's no playing spot-on and ready to go.

• Weight: 1 lb 8 oz
• Scale length: 13 1/8"
• Nut width: 1 3/16"
• Neck shape: medium C/V
• Board radius: flat
• Depth at first fret: 21/32"
• Depth at seventh fret: 61/64"
• Body width: 9 1/8"
• Body depth: 2 3/4"
• Top wood: solid spruce
• Back & sides wood: solid birch
• Bracing type: ladder
• Bridge: ebonized something-or-other
• Fretboard: painted maple
• Neck wood: likely poplar
• Action height at 12th fret: 1/16" overall (fast, spot-on)
• String gauges: 34w-10 lights
• Neck relief: straight
• Fret style: medium/low

Condition notes: There are sections of back seam which have been cut-down flush to the sides a bit from a previous wonky repair (did they slip the back to reset the neck angle, maybe?) and so there's a little distress, there. The back, sides, and neck have lots of wear via scratches and scuffs and whatnot. The only crack I found is a short 1" repaired one on the back.

It comes with: I am not sure but this may have an old chip case. If not, I will include something for it.

Consignor tag: PK