Stahl Mandobass | From the Top Shelf | Scott Freilich

By Scott Freilich | November 6, 2009

Stahl | Mandobass | 1912 | SN:unknown

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Back in the day, and the day I am referring to was sometime in the early 20th Century, musical instruments were often sold by the music teachers who played them. In fact, manufacturers like Gibson would not even set you up as a dealer unless you taught the instrument you were selling. Gibson also sold their own lesson books to help teachers set up programs, and no doubt to add to their own bottom line. Different eras of the century saw the rise and fall of different classes of instruments. Right now, the guitar reigns supreme, but it wasn’t always that way.

In the earliest part of the 20th Century, the most popular instrument in the US was the mandolin. My best guess is that the European immigrants who made up the bulk of our population brought mandolins with them, as most of the mandolins made in the US in the late 19th and early 20th Centuries resembled their European counterparts. In order to keep their students motivated and create additional interest in playing instruments, motivated music teachers would set up orchestras made up of their students.

Obviously an orchestra made up exclusively of mandolinists would lack fullness, so mandolin manufacturers followed the example of violin makers and designed mandolin style instruments to cover the same range of tones as the comparable violin family instrument. After all, a mandolin is basically a violin pitched instrument with frets. Why not make a mandola to cover the viola range and a mandobass to cover the bottom end? Presto, you have a mandolin orchestra.

Here we have a Stahl mandobass. Made by the Larson Bros. sometime around 1912, it was designed hold the bass position in the mandolin orchestra. With a body wider than a ¾ size upright bass and a 42.5” scale length, this thing is a monster. I can’t even imagine how big the trees needed to be to supply the spruce top.

While the body looks like rosewood, it actually is maple with a faux finish made to look like rosewood. This was not uncommon on instruments made in the early part of the 20th Century, and was very common on Stahl labeled Larson instruments..

While mandolins, mandolas, and mandocellos work quite well, I have yet to find any mandobass that lives up to my expectations. The Stahl is no exception. One would think that an instrument of this size would produce bass notes that would drown out every other instrument in the orchestra.

But that is not the case. No matter how hard it is plucked, the volume is unimpressive and the tone lacks bass response. Not at all a great instruments, but an interesting piece of history and definitely a great pawnshop find.

That’s about all for this month’s Pawn Shop Find. I welcome any questions or comments.

Scott Freilich guitars@topshelfmusic.com
©2009pac

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Photos ©2009 Scott Freilich.

Topics: Feature articles, Instrument Database | No Comments »

The Lucky Strike Redwood. Tonewood profile.

By terence | November 4, 2009

Sequoia sempervirens | Tonewood Profile | ”Lucky Strike”

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• Sequoiadendron giganteum- giant sequoia
• Metasequoia- Dawn Redwood

From the forward-thinking David Young dreadnoughts (redwood/indian rosewood) to modern jumbo/small jumbos usually redwood/walnut or /ziricote, redwood tops have proven to be durable in use. The Young Dreadnoughts have been in use since the 80s with no signs of playing out!

Of all the Redwood tops on the market, the Lucky Strike tops from the Carters’ stash are the most famous and highly sought after. Harvested from a naturally storm downed redwood in California, these tops are reknown for their tonal excellence and aesthetic properties.

Craig and Alica Carter, a remarkable husband and wife team were reknown for salvaging naturally fallen redwood trees. Often they would salvage logs from inhospitable terrain and private land to resaw into some of the finest redwood sets ever seen in the lutherie community. ‘Lucky Strike’ is the name Craig gave to a log he thought of as almost, if not truly perfect for guitar tops.

Craig found the Lucky Strike log in north-facing easement in a redwood forest. It fell over a small depression, suspending a segment of the log, allowing it to naturally ‘air dry’. In Autumn of 1993, Craig started to salvage a portion approximately 60 feet long, 3 feet in diameter and the final harvesting was completed by Alicia carter and neighbours in 1997.

Craig cut soundboards from the segments as early as 1994. Hank Mauel, luthier and friend of the Carters says: “Soundboards from this log have been made into fine steel string (including arch top) and classical guitars. Smaller billets have produced mandolins, as well. Stiffness to weight ratio is said to be excellent; grain pattern and coloration generally even, very straight, with lots of “silk.” Sound characteristics combine the warmth of cedar with the clarity and color of spruce with an added “sparkle”. This log set very high standards for redwood soundboards – ones almost impossible to match. Craig cut into over 100 downed logs before he found one – the LS - that met his exacting standards.”

Almost every LS topped guitar I have played has exhibited astounding EQ and efficiency. The trebles in every model are spetacular with a liquid-silver like property. Something echoed by Michael Bashkin, who wrote of his 00 model: “”add a soundboard of legendary LS (Lucky Strike) redwood, and you have a truly outstanding guitar that is exceptionally comfortable to play. LS redwood has an exceptional stiffness to weight ratio, even and straight grain with lots of cross-grain silk, and a huge, complex sound that combines the warmth of cedar with the clarity and color of spruce”

Links:
Bashkin Guitars http://www.bashkinguitars.com/
Goodacoustics http://www.goodacoustics.com/

Acknowledgements:
Michael Bashkin
Craig & Alicia Carter
I am particularly indebted to my friend Hank Mauel who taught me so much about the redwood tops!

©2009 Terence Tan.

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Any infringement of copyright is entirely unintentional. Any copyright issues should be address to: writers@guitarbench.com. We will attempt to resolve these issues quickly.

Topics: Feature articles, Tonewood Database | 5 Comments »