Mandolin Repair - Antique Bowl-back Mandolin

Antique Bowl-back mandolin repair! This old bowl-back mandolin is in bad shape; missing bridge, cracked soundboard, missing frets, loose braces, old dirty strings... But we're going to get it playing again!
Watch as we remove the top, fix the bracing, carve a new bridge and more as we get it back into playing condition.

[@kathryncarlson4101]

Wow! great job! I found my great grandfather's bowlback mandolin in my mother's uninsulated closet. We have a similar crack down the front. I had never thought to check the supports under the top. We are trying to get it playable again. I would like to have it restored. We have so many wonderful stories to go along with the instruments members of our family played. With all of the work you did on the mandolin in the video, it's a shame the customer didn't want a new fretboard. It would have looked pretty sharp!

[@stevesstrings5243]

Well done, Ryan! That instrument surely could have benefited from a lot more attention. As you pointed out, that would clearly cost a lot more to repair than it's worth.

[@MazzoccoGuitars]

Yeah you're right about that Steve. I wish I could have, and I recommended it, but sometimes it's just not in the budget.

[@deborahkaygoodhead8776]

Enjoyed watching you repair this Tatorbug Mandolin! Have been Elementary Music Specialist for 28 yrs now. Enjoy teaching String instrument family with Intro to Guitar & my favorite instrument Ukulele. Student'status grandparent gave me Tatorbug Mandolin this year. No cracks or missing parts. Looking at using Sewing machine oil on tuners which still turn. Martin guitar polish on body & lemon oil on fretboard. Also replace with Light gauge strings.

[@dougmc332]

Just found this video today...a whole year or better since you posted it. I have never found a video that shows how to remove the sound board from a bowl back. I have one that is a 1893 Washburn. The whole sound board is fractured and split in many places. I got it from a thrift shop years ago and wanted to restore it. Because of the bowlback, I was unsure of how it would be taking the soundboard off. This video has helped me gain some confidence in the task. Maybe it is something many luthiers wouldn't take on. I decided I wanted to do so to expand my skills and hopefully get a decent playable instrument out of it. Thanks for sharing this.

[@elbowache]

The customer wants done what they want to done. But man, it'd been nice to see a new fingerboard go on there. All solid wood and ebony for student models. What a time that must have been! Fun watch.

[@MazzoccoGuitars]

You got that right. and I didn't even mention in the video, but I'm sure the back was all Brazilian Rosewood. Cheap instrument indeed.. HA Not by today's standards!

[@davidwollangk178]

I have an old bowl back “chili dipper” mandolin just like yours but it’s in better shape except for a broken bridge. It was my grandmother’s. It was made by Washburn, by the way. Thanks for your video. I gives me the courage to pop off the top and fix it.

[@pdbowman]

Shame about that lost footage, but a lot of fun seeing this one worked through nevertheless. Thanks!

[@MazzoccoGuitars]

Yes it is a shame. At least I was still able to post most of this video. There a few others that I have to scrap all together. :( Oh well, I'll just have to make more :)

[@audiotechlabs4650]

Hello! Just found your channel. Welcome to KZbin! I’m not in Mo. but was born and raised there. Been through Joplin many times on I-44. Used to live in Lebanon, Mo.. I look forward to upcoming projects and repairs. Looks like you build some fantastic instruments! Love from NW Colorado. Thanxz

[@beanerschnitzel794]

I’m trying to fix my granddaughter’s cheap bandilin. Thank you!

[@paltrock]

I enjoyed your videos,it brings back a lot of good memories,Thanks.Kind regards Marc Stam

[@MazzoccoGuitars]

Hey Marc, thanks for watching and thanks for the kind comments!

[@mnpd3]

Reminds me of my ex-mom-in-law's mandolin. I'd always played guitar, but learned to play mandolin on hers 50-years ago (yeah, I'm that old). She'd bought it in 1935, my son has it now. It came with a small manila envelope full of small, translucent mando picks.

[@gilbertdare5921]

Could be an Oscar Schmit. I own one that looks almost identical to the one you have.

[@scottreeves1226]

1) Some classy luthiers get chuffed about their laminated linings. One for you! 2) I thought I had the patent on those high-falluten lining clamps. What do I know? Two for you. 3) And three for you for your great humor. This is my first visit to this channel. I subscribed. Keep 'em comin'.

[@MazzoccoGuitars]

Scott Your comment has me laughing! Thanks for the kind words. I've got plenty more videos recorded and planned, if I can only find time to edit and upload. Thanks for watching!

[@GrumpyTy34er]

I recently purchased an old Suzuki Mandolin. I believe it's 1970s and it is in great condition other than a crack on the top, which I will hopefully be able to repair.

[@infledermaus]

Wound through the holes? 🥴 That's absolutely nuts! Why would a person do that? It must have been incredibly hard to turn the tuners.

[@jasonsummit1885]

If it were mine, it wouldn't matter if it was a family heirloom, I'd have the fretboard replaced, and whatever had to be done to make it fully playable. But of course I'd try doing a lot of it myself only using hide glue though, I'd never use epoxy or super glue.😁

[@MazzoccoGuitars]

Yep. I'd have loved to have had the opportunity to really do it right. There were a lot of things on this one I wished the customer's budget would have allowed me to do differently. Thanks for watching and thanks for the comment!

[@infledermaus]

What is the point of refurbishing it if it doesn't bring into fully playable function? That's essentially a waste of money and effort.

[@geraldlrstubbs]

I wouldn't have touched the job, if I was not allowed to do what needed to have been done. Your reputation rests on good work.

[@frankordonez2826]

You just got a nice piece of real mandolin a least 100 years old

[@arcanemuses]

It looks like a Franz Schwarzer. I have a Schwarzer that is very similar to the one in this video. Same body shape and tailpiece.

[@bluesingmusic3443]

A "chili dipper". Good job. Just a guess, it could be a Washburn, or perhaps an inexpensive import, though I'm no expert on mandolins, nor will I ever be. So honestly your guess is good as mine.

[@mike4musik]

Looks just like the Lyon & Healy Mandolin I just picked up at an antique shop. Probably built in Chicago, Circa 1890-1920? The company eventually became Washburn.

[@GJack147]

I have a 1904 Washburn bowlback mandolin and an out of print book about pre-WW2 Lyon & Healy instruments. Accord to it, Washburn was one of the brand names Lyon & Healy used for a line of mandolins and guitars. Lyon & Healy also made mandolins under the brands American Conservatory and, of course, Lyon & Healy. Lyon & Healy stopped production of mandolins and guitars by WW2. The only connection between modern and prewar Washburn instruments is the brandname.

[@micheloderso]

Your Rant on the String Problem hits already dead People ;-)

[@MazzoccoGuitars]

LOL True in this case, but people are still doing it.

[@luckysevenairammo1217]

Looks like a Supertone by the concave top on the headstock and the scallop tailstock along with that Supertone looking pickguard profile being spaced back from the sound hole further then others. Washburn and Healy made a similar headstock but washburns tail stocks were all sheriff badge shaped and Healy didn't use many scalloped tails My guess is a mid to late 30's Sears And Roebuck Supertone varient. Although there was hundreds of manufacturers between 1900-1940 In great shape they typically fetch anywhere between a couple hundred to five hundred unless they are fancy and or rare. There was literally millions upon millions of bowlbacks made.

[@MazzoccoGuitars]

thanks for the insights. I had a feeling it was something like that but I dont know enough about the specifics like you mentioned to been able to make any distinctions.

[@stevevaughn2040]

I have a similar mandolin, a Mayflower from around 1914. It has been played, a lot. The time is very good. I am trying to find a way to protect the top, picking took off finish. This one has tuner gears in a hollow in head. I need to remove plate to clean them.frets are solid just worn. Any way to protect wood is appreciated

[@colehalford1893]

👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏

[@normagrimstad8869]

I have a similar mandolin that belonged to my grandfather. I would like to restore to playable condition. About how much does it cost?

[@jimsliverootsculturemusic]

Those strings might have been installed a hundred years ago!

[@kylelinn1384]

Hey Brother! Are you still in business???? I've got an old mandolin in desperate need of restoration!

[@madkrabber696]

What is it though my grandma has the exact same mandolin

[@MazzoccoGuitars]

That's a great question! Unfortunately, I just have no way of knowing. Thanks for watching!

[@coslorem6943]

It's not worth much cuz 1 out of a 1000 people maybe know mandolins exist, maybe 1 out of a 100 of said people want one. Maybe 1/3 of those know bowlbacks sound more whole. And maybe 1 out of 10 of those who understand all this know that these bowlbacks are not produced anymore, mostly cuz there was a war and a soviet era "peace" deal at the place this was made. It's unique as can be. The pool is closing in on how many are in circulation. Soo if you have one, and play for fun for wider audiences or on a park bench, that is keeping culture.

[@missioncreekfarm7715]

Why even start a restore if the owner wants a hacker job? So sad.

[@ericking7406]

Bad storage again I assume ?

[@MazzoccoGuitars]

I don't know the whole history of this instrument I would bet you are right about that. Thanks for watching and thanks for the comment!

[@brandonkoch3852]

"We're not gonna touch that" ...."We're not addressing that" A few minutes in and I'm thinking "Did the customer only have about $20 for this resto or what?"

[@pamlico53]

I agree with you. If you want to give a demo give a demo. Too much talking.

[@RockStarOscarStern634]

Thomastik Medium Gauge Flatwound Mandolin Strings would sound great on it

[@robertshorthill4153]

Never have done any work on those " tater bugs". They are always a headache. The fret board should have been replaced. All new frets, etc. Other than that, what sort of shape are the tuners in? All those old 100 year old mandos have something difficult about tuners. I restrung a cheap classical guitar for a co-worker once where the tuners were so stiff it was almost impossible to get them to turn at all. I had to take them completely of and lube them, ridding them of corrosion, to where they would turn with strings. They were never like new, but at least they were better. Mando tuners are just as susceptible to corrosion. They should move smoothly

[@MazzoccoGuitars]

Robert, I agree with everything you said. However, I'm not the one paying the bill so it's ultimately up to the owner to decide what they want to spend money on and what they want to save money on. And yes, these tuners were pretty stiff as well. Not so much with no load on them, but they get harder and harder as you get up to pitch. Thanks for watching!

[@robertshorthill4153]

@@MazzoccoGuitars yes, my friend. Ultimately it's up to the customer as to how far they want a repair luthier to go. Glad you got those braces back to where they can do their job. I still wonder about those tuner machines. Cheers, guy and thanks. Bob in Montana ( an amateur luthier for several years )

[@FB-gm6el]

that top and the bracing, and the neck/headstock all look super folksy and crude...but the actual bowl is well crafted. they aren't easy to make. i'd bet you have a "hybrid" ie partially-original/partially-modified/"repaired" instrument, over the course of time. probably originally imported from europe.