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Mandolin

Date1938-1939 ca.
Place MadeChicago, Illinois, United States, North America
Serial No.none
Signednone
MarkingsWritten on square cream-colored cloth sticker on treble side of soundboard near soundhole, in black ink: 3
DescriptionStringing: eight strings – A and E courses steel wire, G and D courses steel-wound
Soundboard: arched single-piece birch
Back: arched bird’s-eye maple
Ribs: brown-painted bird’s-eye maple
Head: brown-painted basswood; decoratively cut; integral with neck
Neck: basswood with sunburst finish; integral with head
Heel cap: rosewood
Binding: ivoroid on top edge
Fretboard: brown-stained maple; 18 brass T-frets under G course, 19 under D course, 20 under A and E courses; mother-of-pearl single dots inlaid behind 5th, 7th, 10th, and 12th frets
Nut: brown-stained maple
Bridge: black-stained maple
Tailpiece: nickel-plated brass
Tuners: two sets of worm-gear machine tuners with nickel-plated brass plates, nickel-plated brass rollers, and black celluloid heads
Endpin: none
Rosette: oval soundhole bound in ivory-plastic
Pick guard: none [missing – two holes in soundboard for pickguard screws]
Varnish: brown sunburst with craquelure
DimensionsTotal mandolin length: 668 mm (26-5/16”)
Back length: 330 mm (13”)
Width at upper bouts (points): 192.5 mm (7-19/32”)
Width at waist: 153.2 mm (6-1/32”)
Width at lower bouts: 256 mm (10-3/32”)
Rib height (including edging) at heel: 57.8 mm (2-9/32”)
Rib height, at waist: 58.1 mm (2-9/32”)
Rib height, at endpin: 59.1 mm (2-11/32”)
Head length: 162 mm (6-3/8”)
Head width, top: 67.4 mm (2-21/32”)
Head width, bottom: 56.9 mm (2-1/4”)
Neck length (nut to ribs): 178 mm (7”)
Neck width, nut: 28 mm (1-3/32”)
Neck width, heel: 41.3 mm (1-5/8”)
Soundhole height: 38.5 mm (1-17/32”)
Soundhole width: 73.7 mm (2-29/32”)
Vibrating string length (nut to bridge edge): 349 mm (13-3/4”)
ProvenanceArne B. Larson Collection, Vermillion, South Dakota, 1979.
Credit LineArne B. Larson Collection, 1979
Object number04081
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