1930s Strad-O-Lin Archtop A-Style Mandolin

 

This mandolin was just in for a customer repair. Max gave it a level/dress of the frets, refit its adjustable bridge a bit and I added compensation to it, and set it up.

These old Stradolins are, as I've mentioned many times before, great instruments for "bluegrass on the cheap." They're loud, punchy, and have a midsy, poppy sound that really suits the genre. This one is basically a Stradolin Jr but without the markings on the headstock as it has ply maple used for the top, back, and sides where "standard" Stradolins used solid spruce for the top.

Does it hurt the tone? Well, not really -- it sounds good to me!