Larson Brothers Wm. Stahl Flat back, bent top Mandola (1927)
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Item #14265
Wm. Stahl Model Flat back, bent top Mandola, made by Larson Brothers, c. 1927, Chicago, serial # 33868.
By the early 1900s the Larson Brothers of Chicago sub-contracted with a number of dealers to supply high grade fretted instruments to be sold under their various house brands. 1910's Mandolin, guitar and banjo publications sometimes carried side-by-side ads featuring Larson-made instruments sold from different cities under unrelated names!
One of the most prominent of these was William C. Stahl of Milwaukee, a virtuoso mandolin player turned to teaching and music publishing. Some time after 1906 the Larsons began supplying instruments to Stahl, who claimed to be the maker. He was one of the Larson's biggest accounts; their wares made up the bulk of the line he advertised starting around 1907. Stahl scoffed at "machine made" instruments, insisting his are "hand made...reasonable in price and perfect as human hands can make them". He claims they were built under his "personal supervision"; quite a trick as the Larsons were building them in Chicago while Stahl's offices were in Milwaukee!
Stahl was born of the bowl-back era and harbored particular disdain for the unconventional instruments made by Gibson, filling his ads with not so subtle digs at them. In 1907 he wrote: "The Stahl mandolin is the regulation shaped instrument and not a freak or musical novelty as advertised by some makers". When made by the Larsons Stahls WERE genuinely among the best non-Gibson mandolin family instruments available. He claimed they were the "Loudest and sweetest toned musical instruments in the world".
By late 1912 Stahl's ads begin to picture flat-back style mandolins alongside the "potato bug" bowlbacks, which he inexplicably called "English Model". "We have flat back models...for those who want them" Stahl practically sighs. Designs like the Martin A-E series, Weymann Mandolute and the Lyon & Healy "Leland Mandos" (also made by the Larsons) appeared around the same time, signaling the imminent demise of the bowl-back mandolin Stahl championed. Playing on his German name's "steel" translation, he continued "The music of the future won't be the caterwauling of Gut. It will be the virile pulsing of the plucked steel string".
Today William Stahl is primarily remembered for instruments the Larsons supplied him well up into the 1930's. While he sold a number of guitars, the mandolin, mandola, octave mandolin, mando-cello and even mando-bass made to the same harmonized pattern were more unique. While the design is relatively conventional the Larson's construction expertise shines, and these are easily among the best of their type. This lovely mandola is typical, with a hot-stamp burned into the inside back "Wm. C. Stahl, Maker, Milwaukee". According to known serial number data it would have been built around 1927, fairly late for such an instrument.
The natural-finished top is spruce, with a large inlaid celluloid pickguard covering the upper treble side. The maple body sports an artfully applied faux-rosewood grain, of which August Larson was quite the master. The neck is mahogany with laminated ebony and maple center strips, topped with the Larson's typical thick ebony fingerboard. This is inlaid with pearl shapes and dots, while the body is trimmed in colored wood marquetry. Both are bound in ivoroid. The inset tuners, clamshell tailpiece and bone-saddle ebony bridge are conventional period mandolin fittings.
Stahl mandolas like this one are superlative instruments, and quite rare. The thin ladder-braced spruce top is more responsive than the heavy carved Gibson; especially when played solo they have a totally distinctive sound. Only rarity and the rather limited interest today in such specialized instruments prevents them being better appreciated 100 years on. Stahl advertised that his wares were the best that could be had, claiming "no instruments can be made any better". In engaging the Larsons to build them he fulfilled that promise!
Overall length is 28 1/2 in. (72.4 cm.), 10 7/8 in. (27.6 cm.) across at the widest point, and 2 1/4 in. (5.7 cm.) in depth at side, taken at the end block. Scale length is 16 in. (406 mm.). Width of nut is 1 5/16 in. (33 mm.).
This is a lovely original instrument, showing some minor wear but really very nice overall especially for being nearly a century old. The original finish has some dings, dents and scrapes with the most serious being a little pickwear to the top off the lower edge of the pickguard and some deeper scrape marks to the sides, likely from an old ill-fit case. The back of the neck is largely worn through to the undercoat, and in the first position to the wood on both sides.
The only notable crack is in the center of the back, neatly sealed with no cleating but also with no finish added so solid but visible. The center seam on the back has a few flexed spots, but not open enough to require re-sealing. It looks as though the neck was reset at some point; there is a bit of finish work around the heel. The ebony bridge with a bone saddle is a repro and likely taller than the original.
The original frets have been crowned and show no subsequent wear. The neck is nice and straight and this is a very nicely playable instrument with a powerful but sweet and ringing sound, quite different from the more familiar Gibson mandolas. It has an airer character with more of a classical grace, indeed as Wm. Stahl intended. This is one of the nicest of these Larson-made beauties we have seen, with a gig bag provided for storage and travel. Overall Excellent - Condition.
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By the early 1900s the Larson Brothers of Chicago sub-contracted with a number of dealers to supply high grade fretted instruments to be sold under their various house brands. 1910's Mandolin, guitar and banjo publications sometimes carried side-by-side ads featuring Larson-made instruments sold from different cities under unrelated names!
One of the most prominent of these was William C. Stahl of Milwaukee, a virtuoso mandolin player turned to teaching and music publishing. Some time after 1906 the Larsons began supplying instruments to Stahl, who claimed to be the maker. He was one of the Larson's biggest accounts; their wares made up the bulk of the line he advertised starting around 1907. Stahl scoffed at "machine made" instruments, insisting his are "hand made...reasonable in price and perfect as human hands can make them". He claims they were built under his "personal supervision"; quite a trick as the Larsons were building them in Chicago while Stahl's offices were in Milwaukee!
Stahl was born of the bowl-back era and harbored particular disdain for the unconventional instruments made by Gibson, filling his ads with not so subtle digs at them. In 1907 he wrote: "The Stahl mandolin is the regulation shaped instrument and not a freak or musical novelty as advertised by some makers". When made by the Larsons Stahls WERE genuinely among the best non-Gibson mandolin family instruments available. He claimed they were the "Loudest and sweetest toned musical instruments in the world".
By late 1912 Stahl's ads begin to picture flat-back style mandolins alongside the "potato bug" bowlbacks, which he inexplicably called "English Model". "We have flat back models...for those who want them" Stahl practically sighs. Designs like the Martin A-E series, Weymann Mandolute and the Lyon & Healy "Leland Mandos" (also made by the Larsons) appeared around the same time, signaling the imminent demise of the bowl-back mandolin Stahl championed. Playing on his German name's "steel" translation, he continued "The music of the future won't be the caterwauling of Gut. It will be the virile pulsing of the plucked steel string".
Today William Stahl is primarily remembered for instruments the Larsons supplied him well up into the 1930's. While he sold a number of guitars, the mandolin, mandola, octave mandolin, mando-cello and even mando-bass made to the same harmonized pattern were more unique. While the design is relatively conventional the Larson's construction expertise shines, and these are easily among the best of their type. This lovely mandola is typical, with a hot-stamp burned into the inside back "Wm. C. Stahl, Maker, Milwaukee". According to known serial number data it would have been built around 1927, fairly late for such an instrument.
The natural-finished top is spruce, with a large inlaid celluloid pickguard covering the upper treble side. The maple body sports an artfully applied faux-rosewood grain, of which August Larson was quite the master. The neck is mahogany with laminated ebony and maple center strips, topped with the Larson's typical thick ebony fingerboard. This is inlaid with pearl shapes and dots, while the body is trimmed in colored wood marquetry. Both are bound in ivoroid. The inset tuners, clamshell tailpiece and bone-saddle ebony bridge are conventional period mandolin fittings.
Stahl mandolas like this one are superlative instruments, and quite rare. The thin ladder-braced spruce top is more responsive than the heavy carved Gibson; especially when played solo they have a totally distinctive sound. Only rarity and the rather limited interest today in such specialized instruments prevents them being better appreciated 100 years on. Stahl advertised that his wares were the best that could be had, claiming "no instruments can be made any better". In engaging the Larsons to build them he fulfilled that promise!
Overall length is 28 1/2 in. (72.4 cm.), 10 7/8 in. (27.6 cm.) across at the widest point, and 2 1/4 in. (5.7 cm.) in depth at side, taken at the end block. Scale length is 16 in. (406 mm.). Width of nut is 1 5/16 in. (33 mm.).
This is a lovely original instrument, showing some minor wear but really very nice overall especially for being nearly a century old. The original finish has some dings, dents and scrapes with the most serious being a little pickwear to the top off the lower edge of the pickguard and some deeper scrape marks to the sides, likely from an old ill-fit case. The back of the neck is largely worn through to the undercoat, and in the first position to the wood on both sides.
The only notable crack is in the center of the back, neatly sealed with no cleating but also with no finish added so solid but visible. The center seam on the back has a few flexed spots, but not open enough to require re-sealing. It looks as though the neck was reset at some point; there is a bit of finish work around the heel. The ebony bridge with a bone saddle is a repro and likely taller than the original.
The original frets have been crowned and show no subsequent wear. The neck is nice and straight and this is a very nicely playable instrument with a powerful but sweet and ringing sound, quite different from the more familiar Gibson mandolas. It has an airer character with more of a classical grace, indeed as Wm. Stahl intended. This is one of the nicest of these Larson-made beauties we have seen, with a gig bag provided for storage and travel. Overall Excellent - Condition.
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