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Antique 1920s Oscar Schmidt Sovereign Banjolin Banjo Mandolin 8 String USA
Up for sale is this beautiful antique Sovereign 8-string banjo mandolin / banjolin , believed to have been made by Oscar Schmidt in the USA during the 1910s-1920s.
This is instrument is in very good condition and has its original tuners and Sovereign-branded wooden dowel stick. It has a beautiful rosewood veneered headstock and rosewood fingerboard.
It has been recently been fitted with a new natural skin head.
The tone is the standout feature of this instrument. It has an exceptionally lively, clear, resonant sound with strong vintage character and projection.
Features
- 8-string / 4-course mandolin configuration
- Open-back banjo body
- Sovereign-branded wooden dowel stick
- Vintage geared tuning machines
- Wood neck with contrasting center stripe
- New natural skin head
- Excellent tone and resonance
- Vintage wood bridge
- Approximately 1910s-1920s
- Made in USA
Neck / Action Adjustment
The neck-to-rim / dowel-stick mounting position has been adjusted to improve the neck angle and lower the string action (visible in one of the interior pictures). The current string action at the 12th fret is approximately 1.75-1.80 mm on the high E strings (treble side) and approximately 2.00 mm on the low G (bass side).
The strings were previously sitting too high above the fingerboard, so the dowel-stick attachment was repositioned slightly upward at the rim. This tilted the neck back further and significantly improved the playing action.
The repositioned mounting point is shown clearly in the photographs.
The instrument is currently playable and the neck adjustment has made it much more comfortable to play.
Other Condition Notes
One of the original tension-hook nuts has been replaced with a standard hex nut. One of the tuner mounting screws is missing. The dowel-stick bracket screw was replaced with a philips head brass screw.
Please review all photographs carefully, especially the detailed photos showing the neck/dowel-stick adjustment, as they are part of the description.
