Stradolin mandolins

Subject: RE: Stradolin mandolins
From: GUEST,Guest
Date: 28 May 14 - 01:31 PM

Stradolin was a trade name used by Sorkin Music of N.Y. (mainly for brass and strings) from the 1930s to the 1960s. They sourced horns and strings from various makers, some great, some not so great.

http://stuffsax.blogspot.com/2013/11/revere-horns-trademark-of-sorkin-music.html

Subject: RE: Stradolin mandolins
From: GUEST
Date: 14 Aug 13 - 12:33 PM

My opinion is $600 is WAY TO MUCH for all but the very best of the Strad-O-Lin mandos. I just purchased a solid top made in the '50's on Ebay for $176 plus shipping, a very nice deal. They seem to be selling for up to $400 these days.
The quality varies quite a lot as they were made by various US manufacturers beginning in the 1930's. Their history is somewhat convoluted. Later ones, 60's and beyond, were made in Japan.

Subject: RE: Stradolin mandolins
From: GUEST
Date: 02 May 12 - 08:28 AM

I JUST PURCHASED A STADOLIN MANDOLIN FROM EBAY.LOOKS LIKE ALL SOLID MAHAGONY.DID STADOLIN MAKE A ALL SOLID MAHAGONY MANDOLIN.IT HAS THE PAINTED ON BINDING.IT IS IN EXCELLENT SHAPE AND COME'S WITH CASE.I BOUGHT IT FOR $100.00 PLUS $20.00 SHIPPING.LOOKING FORWARD TO PLAYING SOME MEATY BLUES ON IT ..THANKS!!!!bluesdaguitar

Subject: RE: Stradolin mandolins
From: GUEST
Date: 28 Feb 11 - 08:00 PM

does anyone know what a 40's or 50's Kay mandolin with a pick-up might be worth/
martha

Subject: RE: Stradolin mandolins
From: GUEST
Date: 18 Oct 10 - 11:35 PM

the strad o lins with he solid spruce top were made in the fiftys and our tone monsters.i have a natural top and i love it.i've played blues guitar for 50years and have played gibson a modelA and they can't hold a candle to my strand o lin.if it IS IN GOOD SHAPE.play on.russ

Subject: RE: Stradolin mandolins
From: GUEST,Curious in Alabama
Date: 01 Mar 10 - 05:26 PM

My Grandfather passed away and we found a Stradolin Mandolin with his belongings. Does anyone have any information on how we could go about discovering the age and worth of the instrument. It is in good shape. My father plays and he said he loved the sound and tone.

Subject: RE: Stradolin mandolins
From: open mike
Date: 06 Nov 09 - 12:14 PM

My friend's stradolin seems to have a hard time staying in tune.
The ones with plywood tops seem to be inferior...the plys can seperate.
here are some links..
http://www.elderly.com/vintage/items/90U-4423.htm
http://www.mandolincafe.com/forum/showthread.php?t=46603
http://www.emando.com/builders_inactive/Stradolin.htm
http://www.thinmanmusic.com/old_mandolins.htm
http://reviews.harmony-central.com/reviews/Guitar/product/Strad-O-Lin/SG-Style/10/1

Subject: RE: Stradolin mandolins
From: PHJim
Date: 06 Nov 09 - 11:20 AM

I recall reading, I think in the Acoustic Journal, that Stradolin didn't make mandolins, but distributed instruments with the name Stradolin on the peghead, made by other companies such as Kay. Because of this, the quality of the Stradolin mandolins varied greatly depending on the source.

Subject: RE: Stradolin mandolins
From: GUEST,Presto
Date: 06 Nov 09 - 12:46 AM

I've had one of Strad-O-Lin's better mandos since around 1958 or so. Re-worked the bridge and thinned the top a little back then. I love the "meaty" tone, and desire no other mando. Unlike a lot of Gibsons, it actually has some bottom, and is quite loud.

I also have a couple of their lower-quality mandos - still solid wood top, but painted binding, stencil-painted peghead logo, and aluminum (!) dot inlays. These both sound good, but not like my better one.

As someone noted above, if you find one of the solid wood Strad-O-Lins, it's worth buying - they're usually relatively cheap.

Subject: RE: Stradolin mandolins
From: GUEST,stephanie
Date: 10 Jul 09 - 11:18 PM

I have what looks like a stradolin yet it is labeled mandolin inside
The original label says Columbia (which was taken over by Breedlove) Mandolin...yet as I search this looks like a Stradolin ...flat back rosewood small 26" ...it sounds wonderful .. 8 strings...original nut and bridge.all wood and it has an oval in the face .it is a bit old the stripping is original and the wood still polished but the wear is there .I keep looking for pictures on the web of mandolins and it doesn't come close to them...it really looks like a stradolin

Subject: RE: Stradolin mandolins
From: GUEST
Date: 05 Jun 09 - 08:55 PM

how much would a 1930/40s Strad-O-Lin be woth these days?

Subject: RE: Stradolin mandolins
From: GUEST,Willie E Bozeman
Date: 05 Mar 09 - 02:57 PM

I Purchased My first Mandolin in 1947 at Fayetville North Carolina I always wanted a Mandolin and this one I happened to bid on it and paid $20.00 for it since, I have owned a total of four. i still have 2 they both play verry good the other two I sold for ariubd $300.oo each. Since I have owned several mandoind Now I have 6 Mandolins, Three I built my self and I played this morning for 3 hours with agroupe opickersand M7y mandolin I believe sounnds the best, I have been offered $2600,00 for mt f Model if you are intrested in Quality I might could help you. Willie E. Bozeman.

Subject: RE: Stradolin mandolins
From: GUEST,sopudding
Date: 29 Sep 08 - 12:00 AM

i may not know too much about mandolins
im 16 but have been playing guitar all my life prettymuch
and ive always loved mandolins (this is gonna sound really stupid, but my favorite mandolin songs are all of led zeppelins songs where john paul jones plays mandolin)
my grandpa gave me a mandolin that a friend gave him a while back and it needed some serious work
it had been sitting in a closet since he got it
so i took it in to my guitar store because i knew the guy who ran it was also way into mandolins and he fixed it up for about $200 and got REALLY excited about the way it turned out
he said its a stradolin and a verry nice one at that
he said its an earlier one
and ive been playing for like
2 days now and i LOVE it
it sounds great

Subject: RE: Stradolin mandolins
From: Marc Bernier
Date: 31 Mar 08 - 01:40 PM

Seems to me Stradolin Mandolins could be dangerous. For both you and the mandolin.

Subject: RE: Stradolin mandolins
From: open mike
Date: 30 Mar 08 - 06:45 PM

OOH, I'M HUNGRY, so would be up for a meal circle just now..you might mean metal circles?
I HAVE A "STRAD" AS DOES A FRIEND...both are past their prime,
but you may have a found a better model.
here are some for sale
http://www.thinmanmusic.com/old_mandolins.htm
and an article
http://www.mandozine.com/resources/buysguide/

Subject: RE: Stradolin mandolins
From: GUEST
Date: 30 Mar 08 - 03:57 PM

Hello

has anyone come across a Stradolin Jr.? It lloks like a solid instrument to me? The bridge is up on meal circles?

Thanks

[e-mail]

Subject: RE: Help: Stradolin mandolins
From: Willie-O
Date: 23 Oct 04 - 01:50 PM

The Twelfth Fret in Toronto had a couple in the back for some time. One was a Deluxe priced at $695 Cdn, it was sold. I think there's still a Standard model for $350 Cdn or something like that...the website is 12th Fret Used and Vintage but it's not listed there now. (I saw it last week).

Subject: RE: Help: Stradolin mandolins
From: Mark Ross
Date: 23 Oct 04 - 12:31 PM

Bill Monroe is said to have liked them.

Mark Ross

Subject: RE: Help: Stradolin mandolins
From: GUEST
Date: 22 Oct 04 - 06:17 PM

Hey--

I really like Strad-o-lins! So far, I have "operated" on four of them. All have had plywood backs and I have removed them and then replaced the single horizontal brace with an X brace and done some minor regraduation. In every case, I have ended up with a very responsive instrument that is warm sounding but also projects well. You can see a description of the first one I did on my website. If you run into any that have sunken tops or pulled necks, send them my way. I like the idea of rejuvenating old instruments that would otherwise be useless.

Woody

http://mckenziemusic.com/mandoproject.htm

Subject: RE: Help: Stradolin mandolins
From: Gypsy
Date: 02 May 00 - 12:28 AM

We recently aquired a stradolin...ebay purchase. It turned out to be one of the really good ones, and is solid wood. The tone is wonderful, and my husband likes it alot. When we did the research, what we found was that Stradolin really had a wide range of qualities, from the all plywood crate, to the solid flamed maple beauty that we aquired. Do your homework: Is it solid? If not, tap tone it on the back, and see if it is the good handcrafted plywood. Nothing wrong with HIGH quality plywood, its incredibly stable. How tall is the nut, how beveled are the frets, yadadadadada....Good luck!

Subject: RE: Help: Stradolin mandolins
From: zander (inactive)
Date: 01 May 00 - 02:16 PM

Thanks Rex, it certainly looks that old, its obviously an 'A' model copy, solid wood construction, sounds a bit dull but this is probably ancient strings. Cheers, Dave

Subject: RE: Help: Stradolin mandolins
From: Rex
Date: 01 May 00 - 11:56 AM

If you're talking about the old ones, they were made around the 40's and are a dead ringer for the Kay mandolins made at the time. I strongly suspect they were made by Kay. They seem to have decent wood and are built well enough. I have a Kay that's held up fine considering its been around for more than fifty years. There is no truss rod and this one apparantly suffered some in a hot trunk at some point in its life. The glue in the heel joint softened and then hardened so it pulled out a bit. The neck had a bit of a warp too. I took some time and scraped out the glue and reset the heel. Removing the fingerboard and planing it flat took care of that problem. It's been holding up fine. A good mandolin when the old Gibsons can't be had.

Rex

Subject: RE: Help: Stradolin mandolins
From: Mooh
Date: 28 Apr 00 - 03:42 PM

Weren't these in either the Mandolin Bros. catalogue or the Elderley catalogue recently? Both are on the www so they should be findable. Good luck.

Peace, Mooh.

Subject: RE: Help: Stradolin mandolins
From: Wesley S
Date: 28 Apr 00 - 03:27 PM

Zander - I've never played one but I've heard good things about them. It sounds like a good price to me assuming its in good playable condition and it sounds good to your ear. What condition is it in and what type of music do you plan to play on it? As you know - its your pocketbook and you have to be happy with the way it sounds and if its appropriate for your style. You might also get some opinions over at the message board at www.mandolincafe.com. Good Luck.

Subject: Stradolin mandolins
From: zander (inactive)
Date: 28 Apr 00 - 03:08 PM

Can anyone give me any info on Stradolin instruments, I believe they were made in the USA some years ago. I have been offered a Stradolin mandolin priced at £330.00 [ about 600$ ]any comments would be welcome. Best regards, Dave