Stevie - Posted - 03/08/2014:  18:25:00

Howdy y'all ,

Thought someone here might be able to identify this old 1900 A style mandolin ...just picked it up but the old owner couldn/t remember ...

Thanks fer yer help ...

                                          Steve

Stevie - Posted - 03/08/2014:  21:37:35

PS ...the odd F holes may be a clue .....

UsuallyPickin - Posted - 03/09/2014:  20:15:14

Framus is what popped into my mind...... but I'm no instrument historian.... R/

Jim Yates - Posted - 03/09/2014:  23:20:51

...or Hofner?

I think the Hofner and Framus were probably related.  They seem to have the same body shape, different from standard A shapes.

Edited by - Jim Yates on 03/09/2014 23:35:10

Framus Mandolin

Hofner Mandolin

Jim Yates - Posted - 03/09/2014:  23:36:44

But Stevie's isn't quite the same shape.

Rob Beck - Posted - 03/10/2014:  01:14:07

It looks quite a lot like a Stradolin to me. A Google image search will return a lot of pictures that all look very similar to yours.  The "disconnected" f-holes see, to be a bit of a theme with them.  Again, I'm no expert!

Stevie - Posted - 03/10/2014:  09:54:21

Howdy ,

You folks are awesome ...thanks fer yer help ...seems to follow the Strad-o-lin and or  Stadium format but have not yet found pics of this exact mandolin but will keep looking ...mine does have a laminated top ....just looking fer the exact F holes if there are any pics available .

UsuallyPickin - Posted - 03/10/2014:  11:19:08

Stevie, I found a Stradolin just like yours by googling "Stradolin Mandolin" .... Luck... R/

Stevie - Posted - 03/10/2014:  14:16:49

Hey howdy , 

Thanks UP and y'all ...been lookin at Stradolins but not seein mine yet ....do you have a link UP ?

Stevie - Posted - 03/11/2014:  21:06:59

Howdy ,

So ...I went to Mandolin Cafe and geez ...there's a whole Strad-o-lin group there ....still goin through members pics to see if i can find my exact F holes and get a date ....not finding anything on them before 1930 so far ...

                                                                                                                                                  Thanks again folks

Ben Venuti - Posted - 03/31/2014:  21:34:24

It doesn't have Stradolin style f holes but does have Kay /KayKraft/ f hole styling. The headstock on Stradolins and Kays are quite similar. I'm voting for an early Kay. Kay Musical Instrument Co. morphed out of the the Stomberg-Voisinet Co. in 1932. Is the top solid? They were early pioneers of press topped instruments.There has always been some question as to who actually manufactured Stradolin mandolins--- I've heard Regal and I've heard Oscar Schmidt suggested. Vintage guitar says the Hominic Brothers of NY.