. . . and more
mandolinettos! The term "mandolinetto" is commonly used today to refer to guitar-shaped mandolins. Most of the manufacturers simply called them mandolins - which while technically correct, ignores their uniqueness and significantly different appearance from both traditional bowl-back mandolins and the various later scroll and pear-shaped instruments. Sears and Bruno (see below) both called them mandolinettos and probably sold more under their nomenclature than the rest of the makers combined. |
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(click images to enlarge) |
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This is a fancy Howe-Orme tenor
mandola owned by Eddie Sorila. |
I took these pictures of a gorgeous mandolinetto by S.O.Allison (no date) during my visit to the wonderful Fiske Museum in Claremont, CA. |
A
fancy Maurer mandolinetto, ca. 1910. Probably one of a kind. From The Larsons' Creations by Robert Carl Hartman. (image copyright and courtesy Ron Middlebrook/Centerstream Publishing & Robert Hartman) |
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(images from ebay) |
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An equally fancy and high quality instrument from Lyon & Healy, post 1900. |
Another Lyon & Healy instrument - their American Conservatory model - this one with an unusual peghead veneer. |
Sears Catalogs featured mandolinettos at
the turn of the 20th century. Nothing appears in the 1897 or 1900 catalog
(though there is an unsubstantiated report of an 1898 entry), 1901 is unknown, and by 1902 they appear.
Also unknown are the years between 1909 and 1923 (where they are again absent).
Pictured below are the ads from 1902, 1908 & 1909, showing three different
instruments by unknown suppliers/manufacturers.
The "Serenatta"
Guitar is of course another mandolinetto - distributed by he Tonk Bros.
Company. This ad is from March, 1903. (Submitted by and copyright Michael Holmes of Mugwumps Online) |
This strange-shaped mandolin,
otherwise quite similar to the instruments above, is also occasionally
found in England. It is 25 inches in length, 2 & 1/4 inch deep, with
a scale length of approximately 13 inches. It is labeled "DRGM English Patent Applied For" and "Viennese College Of
Music". Machine heads are bone/brass, stamped DRGM 186662 (DRGM means a German Patent for a
small item).
(image and information courtesy of the owner, Nick Pilley) |
Another
guitar-shaped mandolin, this strange-looking Almcrantz mandolin looks suspiciously like a Knutsen/Weissenborn
Hawaiian guitar! (image copyright American Lutherie journal) |
And
another 12-string, somewhat similar in shape, from Germany.
(image from ebay) |
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