CypressGuy - Posted - 05/06/2014:  16:32:53

My Father in law bought this from his nephew (up around Dallas, TX) for 6 dollars back in 1947...  That's about all I know.  I've seen a few similar models, but no deal ringers;  Anyone have any ideas?

P/S - I thought the shell piece was pretty cool; saw one like it on StewMac.com!

Thanks in advance!!

Guy

Mando Front

Mando Back

Mando Shell

Ben Venuti - Posted - 05/06/2014:  18:58:20

Stella ---- maybe----I have a Stella around here someplace with a very similar body style. The clam shell tailpiece was pretty common.

CypressGuy - Posted - 05/09/2014:  13:59:17

quote:

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Originally posted by Ben Venuti

 

Stella ---- maybe----I have a Stella around here someplace with a very similar body style. The clam shell tailpiece was pretty common.

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Thanks Ben, I've Goggled Stella antiques and it certainly has a similar look and feel.  I guess the thing that strikes me most is that there are no markings on it at all.  Do you know if that was common back then?  I'm going to have the crack fixed so maybe my luthier will be able to see something "under the hood", ha...

Guy

Ben Venuti - Posted - 05/09/2014:  21:41:03

It was really common for mandolins/guitars etc. to have no markings. There was a common practice of manufacturing mandolins "for the trade---" Distributors and often music stores would order instruments either labeled with their own brand name or would label them themselves. Sears and Montgomery Wards had their own musical instrument brands but of course didn't manufacture anything--pretty much how Sears does business now. That Kenmore washer was built by Fridgedare most likely. Larson Bros.,one of the finest makers of fretted instruments in their day mostly didn't label their instruments. Though the did have their own brands, Maurer, Prairie State, and Euphonon (and if you ever stumble on a Euphonon guitar tell me first!) Companies like Stahl and Stetson (Dyer) would brand Larson instruments with their name. These companies would also have instruments built by other builders which causes a great deal of confusion in trying to identify a Larson instrument. Martin built instruments labeled Ditson and Wurlitzer and maybe some of the early Brunos. I had an O18 H with Wurlltzer branded on the back of the headstock but it was clearly a Martin. Wurlitzer was a music store in Cincinatti I believe. At any rate it seems this practice resulted in a great many instruments making it out to the streets with no labeling at all.  Stella was an Oscar Schmidt brand and I believe Schmidt did put out a lot of instruments "for the trade".

Edited by - Ben Venuti on 05/09/2014 21:45:41