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Mandolin-banjo

Mandolin-banjo

Alternate name:Banjo-mandolin
Maker: Charles Stromberg & Son
Maker: Charles A. Stromberg
Date: 1920 ca.
Place Made:Boston, Massachusetts, United States, North America
Serial No: none
SignedMetal plaque attached to dowel stick with two pins, black ink background with unpainted lettering: CHAS.A STROMBERG & SON / DRUMS, HARPS AND [sic] / MUSICAL INSTRUMENT MFRS. / BOSTON, MASS.
MarkingsWritten in black ink on underside of head: Jan. 15. 1920
Written in pencil on underside of head: F. M
Written in pencil on underside of head: D.G [sic]
Stamped on underside of head in black ink: Jos. B. Rodgers Jr. [signature] / BRAND WARRANTY
Bridge stamped in black ink: GROVER NONTIP
DescriptionMandolin-banjos have the same tuning as mandolins, but the banjo-type body produces a louder, more percussive sound than a wood-bodied instrument. This example is one of the earliest extant instruments made by Charles Stromberg’s workshop. While the business was called "Charles Stromberg & Son" from at least 1920, the son indicated in the name may have changed. The family is most famous for its output in the 1940s and 1950s, during which Charles and Elmer produced archtop guitars. However, the 1920 census suggests that Charles' principal collaborator might have been his elder son Harry during that time. The Strombergs were recorded in that census as living at 170 Lowell St., Somerville, Massachusetts, on January 16, 1920, only one day after the head of this mandolin-banjo was dated. Charles is listed as a manufacturer of drums, working on his own; Harry, aged 29, as a musical instrument manufacturer; and Elmer, aged 24, as a helper in the manufacture of drums. In the 1910 census, Harry was listed as an apprentice banjo maker, so it is likely that he is the one who brought those skills back to the family business. If he had followed the same training schedule as his brother, Elmer should have been more than a "helper" by age 24. However, the 1930 census reveals that he was a veteran of World War I, so it is likely that his education in the trade was delayed. Elmer quickly demonstrated skill in the construction and design of instruments, patenting a banjo tone ring in 1926, which can be seen on NMM 10874. By 1930, Harry was no longer working with musical instruments, but was listed as a "buffer, Razor Mfg."

Neck: maple; center strip comprised of single-ply dark brown tropical hardwood strip, possibly mahogany
Peghead: ebony veneer; inlaid abalone diamond with black-ink-filled incised line decoration
Fingerboard: ebony; festooned lower edge; 17 nickel-silver frets; single abalone diamond with black-ink-filled incised line decoration behind 3rd and 7th frets; two abalone diamonds with black-ink-filled incised line decoration behind 5th, 9th, and 12th frets
Heel cap: ebony
Head: skin; steel flesh hoop
Tone ring: nickel-plated steel
Dowel stick: maple; nickel-plated steel hardware.
Rim: three-ply maple and nickel-plated steel; lower edge lacquered black
Bracket hooks: 26 nickel-plated steel
Tension hoop: nickel-plated steel
Resonator: none
Armrest: none
Nut: bone
Tuners: pair of nickel-plated steel worm-gear machines with white celluloid heads
Tailpiece: nickel-plated steel with scalloped edge
Finish: clear lacquer
DimensionsTotal instrument length: 582 mm (22-29/32″)
Vibrating string length: 370 mm (14-9/16″)
Fingerboard length: 225 mm (8-7/8″)
Fingerboard width at nut: 28 mm (1-3/32″)
Fingerboard width at body: 34 mm (1-11/32″)
Head diameter: 267 mm (10-1/2″)
Vibrating head diameter: 257 mm (9-31/32″)
Rim diameter: 278 mm (10-29/32″)
Combined rim and bracket hoop depth: 58 mm (2-9/32″)
ProvenancePurchased from Boston Guitar Works, Brockton, Massachusetts, 2007.
Credit Line: Purchase funds gift of Jean M. Abramson Estate, 2007
Not on view
Object number: 13502