80221-I M23V

80221-I Brentrup M23V Varnish F5, Italian Spruce Top, classic M23 logo inlay, striped ebony pickguard, tortoise binding

  

408162-RS PML

408162-RS Poor Man’s Loar (PML)

Built April 2008, this beautiful PML features Red Spruce top, Sugar Maple back and sides, and Violin spirit varnish. Flat fretboard, Tone bar bracing. Elite tuners, Bill James tailpiece, and smaller traditional frets. Nut Width = 1 1/16″

 

M23 30329-I

M23 30329-I

Italian spruce topped F5 M23, signed in March of 2003. From online ad: “It has a replacement bridge with a pearl saddle“.

20461-R M22-0 3-Point Prototype

20461-R M22 3-Point Prototype

Beautiful blackface 3-Point prototype mandolin, red spruce top. This is the prototype, signed February 2004, 61st instrument Hans built.

Edited description from Acoustic Music Company’s online advert: “This is a varnish early florentine 3-point style Model 22 made with Bosnian maple and topped with Adirondack spruce. The instrument is a blackface,  Schaller tuners with ivoroid knobs, 1 and 1/8″ bone nut, fine sculpted ebony pick guard, scooped extension, flat fretboard, masterful fit and finish. Custom Calton case to accommodate the elongated 3 point body. This mandolin was the prototype (and is designated as such on the label) for this model.

From Mr. Brentrup:  “The 3 point mandolin was Orville’s original (circa 1908)  florentine instrument and is a very difficult build. It has a very different sound which is well suited to old time string band music.””

Label:

Charlie Rappaport taking it for a spin:

Detail photos

Custom Calton Case (Mandola Case)

1999 M23 12993E

Serial number 12993E, Signed Dec 1999, 3rd instrument Hans built.

Engelmann top and Bosnian Maple back and sides. Tortoise binding top and back. Early logo on the Headstock.

 

2004 M23 V

2004 M23 V (Need Serial Number)

German Spruce top?

 

M23L 50110R

Brentrup M23L, Serial number 50110R, signed May, 2001, 10th instrument Hans built. Red Spruce top, red maple back, lacquer finish, tortoise binding, scalloped pickguard.

The mandolin developed a humidity crack

80471-I M23V

Exceptional M23V, serial number 80471-I, signed August 2004, 71st instrument that Hans built, Italian Spruce top, flamed maple 2-piece back, large frets, radiused fingerboard, back of head has an ebony veneer. Body, headstock, fingerboard and pickguard are bound in white with a black stripe, doubled fleur-de-lis headstock inlay, Varnish finish, Waverly tuners with ebony buttons, James tailpiece, the scooped fingerboard extension is fully fretted, custom “snowflake” fret markers.

Older pictures including build

Hans said “Here’s a picture of scraping after the first coat of varnish. Color differences are lighting. The real red scroll is camera flash. It’s just one coat a day from here on with a rough sand after about half of the finish is on.”

20456-G M23V

20456-G M23V, signed February, 2004, 56th instrument made by Hans. German Spruce Top with bearclaw pattern,  naturally distressed,  original  tailpiece replaced with Bill James tailpiece, K & K Twin pickup with end-pin jack installed, sometimes equipped with fossilized ivory bridge top, original owner currently using the original.

079210R F5 Poor Man’s Loar (PML)

2009 Poor Man’s Loar (PML), Serial nbr 079210R, signed July 2009, 210th instrument Hans built.

Fretboard extension scalloped, .040 stainless steel frets, top is West Virginia red spruce, 1-piece back sugar maple back.

Pictures from the build process: