Fender Solid Body Electric Mandolin
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Item # 10472
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Fender Solid Body Electric Mandolin, made in Fullerton, California, Blonde lacquer finish, ash body, maple neck, original tweed hard shell case.
One of the Fender company's more obscure but entertaining creations, the diminutive solidbody Electric Mandolin was in production from 1956 until the 1970's still a relatively rare item. This example was made around the end of 1956, the first production year; most extant examples date to the first couple of years. This neck is dated 12-56 and the visible pot date is to the 20th week of that year. Compared to other Fender products the Electric Mandolin never really took off, but the market for such instruments is small at the best of times. Fender's effort was fairly well received initially and has been considered at least a minor classic since.
Leo Fender's mandolin differs from most electrics (and all acoustic mandolins) in having only four strings instead of the usual doubled courses. This follows the ideas of the western swing players (especially Tiny Moore) who were helping to develop Fender instruments, and is also seen with Paul Bigsby's electric mandolins. This single stringing results in a clearer more brilliant electric sound without the natural "chorusing" effect of doubled strings, albeit one that sounds more like a high-tuned octave guitar than a true mandolin.
Aside from the practical attributes this instrument is also just ridiculously cute, resembling more than anything else a "just hatched" baby Precision Bass. All the coolest mid-1950's Fender features are there in miniature. The one-piece maple neck with has a "V" contour and this one shows a long grain mark on the back. The beautiful blonde finished, grained ash body is topped with a gold anodized aluminum pickguard. The plastic-covered single coil pickup is controlled by chrome knurled tone and volume knobs.
This one has an oddity we have never seen before on a vintage Fender; the serial number on the neckplate is double-stamped both "0" and "1" as a final digit. Fender had a lot of anomalies with their number plates around this time, including minus signs and extra zeros before the number and even double stamped plates both back and front. Perhaps their sub-contractor was overwhelmed at the time!
This very early example has a more slab-like a body than later examples without a rear 'scoop' contour. The ridged bridge saddles were shared with the Telecaster and Musicmaster, hidden under a chromed snap-on cover. The tuners are single line plastic-button strip Kluson Deluxes. The gold Fender logo decal has no model designation; "Mandocaster" is the collectors' slang term for these but not an official Fender designation. The red-lined tweed case is also a miniature version of the standard guitar case. This is a really neat early example of an unsung Fender classic, a great looking, playing and sounding instrument if perhaps a rather eccentric one.
Overall length is 27 7/8 in. (70.8 cm.), 10 1/4 in. (26 cm.) wide at lower bout, and 1 5/8 in. (4.1 cm.) in depth, measured at side of rim. Scale length is 13 3/4 in. (349 mm.). Width of nut is 1 3/16 in. (30 mm.).
This is nicely original and very attractive instrument, showing not much use over 65 years. The only alteration is the tuners were changed at some point, probably when the original buttons crumbled as they are wont to do. This left one repaired chip around the low string bushing and some neatly filled holes on the hack of the headstock with some light overfinish just in that area. The correct style Kluson Deluxe strip is back on now, albeit with slightly differently colored buttons than most period Fenders.
Other than this the instrument is completely original shows just very minor general wear, most noticeably a spot on the anodized pickguard is lightly worn down to the natural aluminum from strumming. Otherwise there are just some very small dings, chips and small discolorations to the finish and fingerboard. Internally is original and untouched. The long dark spot visible on the back of the neck is a grain line, not any damage or repair. The frets show hardly any wear and this is a fine playing and sounding first-year Fender Mandolin, complete in a nice original tweed HSC with a period leather strap and added bandana! Overall Excellent + Condition.
One of the Fender company's more obscure but entertaining creations, the diminutive solidbody Electric Mandolin was in production from 1956 until the 1970's still a relatively rare item. This example was made around the end of 1956, the first production year; most extant examples date to the first couple of years. This neck is dated 12-56 and the visible pot date is to the 20th week of that year. Compared to other Fender products the Electric Mandolin never really took off, but the market for such instruments is small at the best of times. Fender's effort was fairly well received initially and has been considered at least a minor classic since.
Leo Fender's mandolin differs from most electrics (and all acoustic mandolins) in having only four strings instead of the usual doubled courses. This follows the ideas of the western swing players (especially Tiny Moore) who were helping to develop Fender instruments, and is also seen with Paul Bigsby's electric mandolins. This single stringing results in a clearer more brilliant electric sound without the natural "chorusing" effect of doubled strings, albeit one that sounds more like a high-tuned octave guitar than a true mandolin.
Aside from the practical attributes this instrument is also just ridiculously cute, resembling more than anything else a "just hatched" baby Precision Bass. All the coolest mid-1950's Fender features are there in miniature. The one-piece maple neck with has a "V" contour and this one shows a long grain mark on the back. The beautiful blonde finished, grained ash body is topped with a gold anodized aluminum pickguard. The plastic-covered single coil pickup is controlled by chrome knurled tone and volume knobs.
This one has an oddity we have never seen before on a vintage Fender; the serial number on the neckplate is double-stamped both "0" and "1" as a final digit. Fender had a lot of anomalies with their number plates around this time, including minus signs and extra zeros before the number and even double stamped plates both back and front. Perhaps their sub-contractor was overwhelmed at the time!
This very early example has a more slab-like a body than later examples without a rear 'scoop' contour. The ridged bridge saddles were shared with the Telecaster and Musicmaster, hidden under a chromed snap-on cover. The tuners are single line plastic-button strip Kluson Deluxes. The gold Fender logo decal has no model designation; "Mandocaster" is the collectors' slang term for these but not an official Fender designation. The red-lined tweed case is also a miniature version of the standard guitar case. This is a really neat early example of an unsung Fender classic, a great looking, playing and sounding instrument if perhaps a rather eccentric one.
Overall length is 27 7/8 in. (70.8 cm.), 10 1/4 in. (26 cm.) wide at lower bout, and 1 5/8 in. (4.1 cm.) in depth, measured at side of rim. Scale length is 13 3/4 in. (349 mm.). Width of nut is 1 3/16 in. (30 mm.).
This is nicely original and very attractive instrument, showing not much use over 65 years. The only alteration is the tuners were changed at some point, probably when the original buttons crumbled as they are wont to do. This left one repaired chip around the low string bushing and some neatly filled holes on the hack of the headstock with some light overfinish just in that area. The correct style Kluson Deluxe strip is back on now, albeit with slightly differently colored buttons than most period Fenders.
Other than this the instrument is completely original shows just very minor general wear, most noticeably a spot on the anodized pickguard is lightly worn down to the natural aluminum from strumming. Otherwise there are just some very small dings, chips and small discolorations to the finish and fingerboard. Internally is original and untouched. The long dark spot visible on the back of the neck is a grain line, not any damage or repair. The frets show hardly any wear and this is a fine playing and sounding first-year Fender Mandolin, complete in a nice original tweed HSC with a period leather strap and added bandana! Overall Excellent + Condition.