c.1900 Oscar Schmidt Bowlback Mandolin

This bowlback mandolin, though unmarked, was almost certainly made by Oscar Schmidt in New Jersey around c.1890-1900 or so -- and I'd say leaning on the earlier side. It's 100% original and has old-fashioned "hollow tube" brass-plate European (German?) made tuners.

The neck is mahogany while the nut, bridge, and fretboard are ebony. It also has a Brazilian rosewood bowl and spruce top, all of good quality. My work on the instrument included brace re-glues, hairline (center join) glue to the top, a fret dress, cleaning, and setup.

For an old Oscar Schmidt, this mandolin is in fantastic shape, missing only a few pieces of pearl from its bindings but otherwise unharmed. The top had sunk a little before I reglued the braces but it's settled back to an almost ideal shape (and plenty stable).

Tone is sweet and sustained with that great classical clarity one expects from a nicer bowlback. Bass is not thin on this and the overall sound is balanced. It's a slightly narrower-width body than most other American makes, so it feels pretty comfortable in the lap and less topsy-turvy.

Did I mention the pearl stars and butterfly inlay in the pickguard? Nice!

Rosewood-veneered headstock. Note the hollow-tube brass shafts on the tuners as well as the bone buttons!

MOP dots on the board, too. Action is just about perfect -- 1/16" at the 12th fret -- despite a very tiny hair of relief to the neck.

Cute tailpiece.

Isn't that pretty?

Nice old tuners.

Overall, a great old American bowlback. Maybe not as wide-spectrum and full as a Vega but certainly as nice as an old American Conservatory or high end Washburn as far as tone goes.