Thanks for help so far. Mandolin certainly could be a generic from a store catalogue or something along those lines. But we may be luckier than most for it certainly sounds a helluva lot better than many newer (and more expensive) models....

Mind you, Lonesome EJ, I always did wonder about the three-eights brass compression union just below the fingerboard, and the wife always complains about the U bend getting in the way when she tries for a C sharp.