Fender Solid Body Electric Mandolin (1973)
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Item # 11933
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Fender Solid Body Electric Mandolin (1973), made in Fullerton, California, serial # 02748, sunburst polyester finish, alder body, maple neck with rosewood fingerboard, original black tolex hard shell case.
One of Leo Fender's more obscure instrument creations, the solidbody Electric Mandolin was in production from 1957 into the 1970's but is a relatively rare item in any era. This is a VERY late example, probably assembled in 1973 when the model was practically extinct; it was officially discontinued in 1976. This one shows some signs of use but remains in nearly all-original condition, with one pot replaced.
This mandolin was likely assembled in early-mid 1973 (the tone pot is coded 7304) but the neck has a red-coded date stamp suggesting it was fabricated in 1969. With extremely limited production in the CBS era a mandolin neck held in stock for some time before being assembled into a complete instrument is not unusual. Most extant examples date to the 1950s; later "Mandocasters" are rare items from any year, likely only assembled when an order came in.
The Fender Mandolin differs from most other electrics (and all acoustic mandolins) in having only four strings instead of the usual doubled courses. This follows the ideas of the mostly western swing players who were instrumental in helping develop Fender instruments, and is also sometimes seen in Bigsby electric mandolins. This results in a clearer more brilliant electric sound without the natural "chorusing" effect of doubled strings, albeit one that sounds as much like an octave guitar as a mandolin.
This instrument is also just ridiculously cute, resembling more than anything else a "just hatched" baby Precision Bass. All the regular Fender features are there in miniature, including a pearl dot rosewood fingerboard on a maple neck with the classic Fender headstock, 3-tone sunburst finish on an alder body, tortoise celluloid pickguard and brown plastic-covered single coil pickup, which in this case looks like it may have been in stock for years already. The tuners are double line plastic-button strip Klusons. The late '60s style script Fender logo decal has no model name; "Mandocaster" is the collectors' slang for these but Fender just called it the Electric Mandolin. The black Tolex Fender-logo case is also a miniature version of the standard guitar case and is kind of adorable as well.
Overall length is 25 7/8 in. (65.7 cm.), 10 1/16 in. (25.6 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 a nicely original instrument overall showing some minor wear with a fairly recently replaced volume pot as the only alteration. The original sunburst finish is lightly faded, not as bright as the '60s models but still quite attractive. The body has a collection of fairly random dings, scuffs and dents, mostly on the top and back. The pickguard has some minor shrinkage but no split or popped corners, with some minor scuffing on the face.
The instrument is all original except the volume pot and some attendant wiring, even retaining the chromed snap-on bridge cover. The frets and fingerboard remain in excellent condition with very little wear and this is a very fine playing and sounding Fender Mandolin, in a nice original black Tolex HSC with the never-used original cord, polish cloth and CBS era warranty card. Overall Excellent - Condition.
One of Leo Fender's more obscure instrument creations, the solidbody Electric Mandolin was in production from 1957 into the 1970's but is a relatively rare item in any era. This is a VERY late example, probably assembled in 1973 when the model was practically extinct; it was officially discontinued in 1976. This one shows some signs of use but remains in nearly all-original condition, with one pot replaced.
This mandolin was likely assembled in early-mid 1973 (the tone pot is coded 7304) but the neck has a red-coded date stamp suggesting it was fabricated in 1969. With extremely limited production in the CBS era a mandolin neck held in stock for some time before being assembled into a complete instrument is not unusual. Most extant examples date to the 1950s; later "Mandocasters" are rare items from any year, likely only assembled when an order came in.
The Fender Mandolin differs from most other electrics (and all acoustic mandolins) in having only four strings instead of the usual doubled courses. This follows the ideas of the mostly western swing players who were instrumental in helping develop Fender instruments, and is also sometimes seen in Bigsby electric mandolins. This results in a clearer more brilliant electric sound without the natural "chorusing" effect of doubled strings, albeit one that sounds as much like an octave guitar as a mandolin.
This instrument is also just ridiculously cute, resembling more than anything else a "just hatched" baby Precision Bass. All the regular Fender features are there in miniature, including a pearl dot rosewood fingerboard on a maple neck with the classic Fender headstock, 3-tone sunburst finish on an alder body, tortoise celluloid pickguard and brown plastic-covered single coil pickup, which in this case looks like it may have been in stock for years already. The tuners are double line plastic-button strip Klusons. The late '60s style script Fender logo decal has no model name; "Mandocaster" is the collectors' slang for these but Fender just called it the Electric Mandolin. The black Tolex Fender-logo case is also a miniature version of the standard guitar case and is kind of adorable as well.
Overall length is 25 7/8 in. (65.7 cm.), 10 1/16 in. (25.6 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 a nicely original instrument overall showing some minor wear with a fairly recently replaced volume pot as the only alteration. The original sunburst finish is lightly faded, not as bright as the '60s models but still quite attractive. The body has a collection of fairly random dings, scuffs and dents, mostly on the top and back. The pickguard has some minor shrinkage but no split or popped corners, with some minor scuffing on the face.
The instrument is all original except the volume pot and some attendant wiring, even retaining the chromed snap-on bridge cover. The frets and fingerboard remain in excellent condition with very little wear and this is a very fine playing and sounding Fender Mandolin, in a nice original black Tolex HSC with the never-used original cord, polish cloth and CBS era warranty card. Overall Excellent - Condition.