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joshc445 - Posted - 01/05/2013: 19:36:09
Hello. I am very new to the Mandolin world and I have recently acquired my father's Mandolin. I know nothing about Mandolins much less about how to identify them or what they are worth. All I know about this Mandolin is that it was acquired by my father over 25 years ago from Japan. The Mandolin has no markings on it at all. That is it, if you can tell me anything about this Mandolin it would be very helpful. Thank you!
Jim Yates - Posted - 01/06/2013: 08:48:27
I can't be of much use in identifying the mandolin. Sorry.
I notice that the tuners have the worm gear on the bottom, closer to the bridge. My first mandolin was a bowl back and the gears were mounted the same way. It took a pair of pliers to get it in tune. At the suggestion of someone who seemed to know what they were talking about, I reversed them and my problem was solved.
I'm sure you noticed that the spacing of the two strings in the bass course was too wide.
Ben Venuti - Posted - 01/06/2013: 14:12:56
Acquired new? From the photos I would have guessed much older(than the 80's) and probably American made. The painted neck with the ding makes me think that the neck is poplar which was common on many early entry model fretted instruments made here. The plain pick guard (scratch plate) looks like maybe it's walnut which would be more likely to be found on a newer instrument than on something older which would have been most likely tortoise or faux tortoise and ornate even on a cheaper instrument. Not a lot of staves on that one. It's value is not high, I'm afraid, a couple of hundred at best. Not much interest among players for that sort of thing. Even the best vintage American bowl backs have hardly any value. The people that would want bowl type mandolins are mostly into classical music and they want European Emberger's and such and they will pay for those. I'd bet that although it came from Japan that it was made in Korea-just a guess--and distributed out of Japan.
