This page is devoted to the restoration of an old bowback or "potato bug" mandolin that I acquired from Goodwill via their web site
shopgoodwill.com. The mandolin has a brand name imprinted on a piece of either thick paper, or very thin veneer wood that says "
Improved Jupiter". Also, inside the sound hole when looking toward the neck joint, there is very clearly stamped on the end of the neck (again, inside the sound hole) the serial number
198721. Otherwise it has few markings on it. I asked
Elderly Instruments via phone if they could tell me anything, then sent an extensive description by email attachment including photos etc. I also wrote to a gent named Alan Bond who maintains a web site, (
Alan Bond's Mandolins), who referred me to a couple of other places. Unfortunately all of these led me to nothing tangible. One individual I wrote to at
Lyon & Healy suggested I get my hands on a book called "
Washburn Over One Hundred Years of Fine Stringed Instruments", by John Teagle, Copyright 1996, Amsco Publications/Music Sales Corp., New York. I did not buy the book, because of the price...it is a pricey book. The most useful information I found was at
http://peterhadams.com/L%20titles.htm where a catalog is listed as follows:
Lyon & Healy. Lyon & Healy's Catalog of American Conservatory, Lakeside, and Jupiter Mandolins and Guitars; Lyon & Healy Professional and Improved Mystic Banjos; and Accessories for all Instruments of the Above Classes. Chicago, IL: Lyon & Healy; 1917, - 24 Pgs. This catalog can be purchased in CD format (digitized), but again, I did not buy it. Instead, I was able to establish through a lot of research that the serial numbering system used by the original Lyon&Healy company contained a year of manufacture. In the case of this mandolin, the second two numbers--98--indicate the year of manufacture. So I was able to establish the date as 1898.
The main intent of this page is to lay out the history of this mandolin as I uncover its roots, and as I restore it to playability. I did want to say that there are many luthiers out there willing to do work such as this. However, I've opted to do this restoration myself just for the experience and gratification. So here is the beginning to end story of the Improved Jupiter mandolin, serial 198721.
The
original Goodwill ad only stated that there was a tag inside that states "Improved Jupiter". When I received the mandolin it was dirty and missing the string nut and bridge. The tuning machines were dirty and corroded, and most of them would not move. The tailpiece was corroded, and overall it was difficult to tell if there was any serious issues with the mandolin. But I also discovered that it seemed to be fairly well intact and there were additional markings that the Goodwill description had omitted. For instance, Also, stamped into the metal tailpiece was "PAT MCH.10.91". I have only surmised that this means "Patented MCH - October of 1891". I could be dead wrong. Still, those markings are there and I described them to Alan Bond and to Elderly. Alan does not know, and Elderly said they might be able to tell me something if I brought or sent it in. I'm thinking..."ok, next time I'm in Lansing"...300 miles north of me.