Custom Vintage Antique 1910's (mid to late) Sterling Mandolinetto + Hardcase

Vintage Antique 1910's (mid to late) Sterling Mandolinetto + Hardcase in fully functional condition. This 100 year old american made instrument has a fresh set of light gauge 10-34 Martin mandolin strings and is ready to play.

This neat antique ukelele shaped mandolin is constructed from solid birch neck, rosewood fretboard, with tastefully double bound solid birch ladder braced body with cool bound oval soundhole. The tuning machines are original and good quality and while not as smooth as new they have been lubricated and adjusted and function well. The nut and tailpiece are also original but the bridge is a custom shaped oak item with silver nickel saddle I built specifically for this instrument.

The dowel pinned neck was loose when I received this instrument so a full neck reset was done using period correct hide glue. Frets have been re-crowned and now this neat little instrument plays great all the way up the fretboard to the body. Because of the 100 years of neglect the small solid birch body slightly deformed under string tension so the topsheet of the instrument is slightly sunk in a millimeter or two around soundhole with a slight 1mm or so belly bulge behind bridge. Because of this slight deformation from age, the fretboard has a slight hump where the heel joins the body at neck block. I've done my best to level and re-crown the original frets at this area while preserving a low string height and fast playability up fretboard to instrument body. Original "TB & Co. Sterling" headstock decal shows heavy handling wear but is still readable. Various small scuffs, bumps, and other minor playing and handling wear from age but overall in good condition.

Sterling was a brand name of Tonk Brothers Manufacturing, a large well known Chicago USA music instrument distributor. Most likely Tonk contracted with Harmony to build this instrument as the tailpiece and tuning machines look exactly the same as other Harmony and Supertone branded instruments I've worked on from that era.

The mandolinetto is a wildly rare instrument today but was very popular from 1895 to 1920. By 1930 nobody manufactured or sold mandolinettos anymore as they no longer appeared in any catalogs and the simple ukelele style construction of these beautiful instruments unfortunately was somewhat fragile compared to the much more robustly built A and F mandolins that took over in popularity. I've been buying, selling, and fixing instruments for many years and this is the first mandolinetto I've come across that was even repairable. These solid wood instruments are very rare and most simply haven't survived through the years. This instrument plays and sounds good and is a true heirloom collectible, you won't be disappointed! Comes with high quality padded tweed hardcase.

American made quality!

Due to high UPS & FEDEX rate increases, I now prefer to ship USPS. This neat old instrument will be bubble wrapped inside hardcase and professionally packaged.

Thank you for your interest, message me with questions. My name is Dutch.

LAY-AWAY purchase plan with 50% down with 60 days to pay off balance through Reverb.com is available for those interested!

Listed via the Reverb App