Electric mandolin??

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MagicPigDetectiveMagicPigDetective Frets: 2992
edited February 2018 in Other Instruments
Saw the Levellers last night. The guitarist played what looked like a mandolin but the body was round, looked plasticy, with nobs, lights and grills on the body, it looked most unusual. Here’s my best but poor photo of it, any ideas what it is? It’s just an electric mandolin? 

https://i.imgur.com/qzoDPOO.jpg
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Comments

  • martmart Frets: 5205
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  • ICBMICBM Frets: 71957
    edited February 2018
    It's a National electric resonator mandolin.

    (edit - mart posted the exact same pic :) )

    http://www.12fret.com/2011/06/27/national-electric-resonator-mandolin/

    It appears to be missing the headstock badge - it may have fallen off, they're just pinned on.

    "Take these three items, some WD-40, a vise grip, and a roll of duct tape. Any man worth his salt can fix almost any problem with this stuff alone." - Walt Kowalski

    "Just because I don't care, doesn't mean I don't understand." - Homer Simpson

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  • Thanks both, that’s exactly what it was. Wow that’s an expensive piece of gear. It did sound good. 
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  • He had an eclectic mix of instruments; a banjo, Gibson jumbo, a Taylor GS mini and a les paul. And a hell of a pair of lungs with it. Very good musician. 
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  • TAMCO said:

    Very interesting. From a distance it did look like a toy. Close up, it is a stunningly crafted instrument. 
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  • ICBMICBM Frets: 71957

    Wow that’s an expensive piece of gear.
    Good mandolins always are for some reason. Have you seen the new price of a Gibson F-5?

    "Take these three items, some WD-40, a vise grip, and a roll of duct tape. Any man worth his salt can fix almost any problem with this stuff alone." - Walt Kowalski

    "Just because I don't care, doesn't mean I don't understand." - Homer Simpson

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  • BridgehouseBridgehouse Frets: 24578
    ICBM said:

    Wow that’s an expensive piece of gear.
    Good mandolins always are for some reason. Have you seen the new price of a Gibson F-5?
    Have you seen the price of a Loar-era signed F5 (circa 1923) ?


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  • ICBMICBM Frets: 71957
    Bridgehouse said:

    Have you seen the price of a Loar-era signed F5 (circa 1923) ?
    No, but I imagine it would be the same sort of thing as a '59 Les Paul Standard... since both are considered the 'holy grail' of their instrument type. I think the F-5 is quite a bit rarer, too.

    "Take these three items, some WD-40, a vise grip, and a roll of duct tape. Any man worth his salt can fix almost any problem with this stuff alone." - Walt Kowalski

    "Just because I don't care, doesn't mean I don't understand." - Homer Simpson

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  • impmannimpmann Frets: 12645
    edited February 2018
    Simon is quite a player/vocalist - he also has a really cool electric banjo. Not often the words "cool" and "banjo" are used in the same sentence, eh?

    I guess this has replaced his battered Ovation mandolin.
    Never Ever Bloody Anything Ever.

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  • MagicPigDetectiveMagicPigDetective Frets: 2992
    edited February 2018
    Yes, he had a cool looking black banjo. 
    His song Men an Tol was my highlight of the ‘acoustic-ish’ set. They were fantastic. 
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  • ICBM said:

    Wow that’s an expensive piece of gear.
    Good mandolins always are for some reason. Have you seen the new price of a Gibson F-5?
    I almost choked when I checked the price!  I had no idea Gibson made mandolins. 
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  • BridgehouseBridgehouse Frets: 24578
    ICBM said:
    Bridgehouse said:

    Have you seen the price of a Loar-era signed F5 (circa 1923) ?
    No, but I imagine it would be the same sort of thing as a '59 Les Paul Standard... since both are considered the 'holy grail' of their instrument type. I think the F-5 is quite a bit rarer, too.
    A bedroom find went under the hammer and made $750,000 quite recently. It had the magic signature but wasn’t anything special tho. 


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  • ICBMICBM Frets: 71957
    Bridgehouse said:

    A bedroom find went under the hammer and made $750,000 quite recently. It had the magic signature but wasn’t anything special tho.
    Wow... that's almost in 16th-17th century Cremona violin territory.

    "Take these three items, some WD-40, a vise grip, and a roll of duct tape. Any man worth his salt can fix almost any problem with this stuff alone." - Walt Kowalski

    "Just because I don't care, doesn't mean I don't understand." - Homer Simpson

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