Vintage Instrument Label Removal

[Jim Garber]

I have an old ornate bowlback mandolin that I believe was made in Italy but which has two labels from a New York City dealer or store glued on to the inside of the bowl. I believe that at least one of these may be covering the label of the actual maker of this instrument.

Is there a way to remove these labels without destroying them or destroying the label underneath (assuming there is one)?

[Barry Daniels]

Moisture and heat are the normal tools for disassembly.

[Jim Garber]

I guess my question is how to apply that moisture and heat without destroying the labels or affecting the bowl of the mandolin which has a large number of narrow fluted ribs. This thing was kept under poor conditions and I am trying to determine if it is worth restoring.

[Mark Swanson]

Just get it fixed up, and don't worry about removing the labels. It won't gain you anything even if you did manage to get one off. These bowl back mandolins are not worth a lot anyway, and you stand a chance of messing up ALL of the labels by fooling with them...so my vote is just fix it up and be done with it.

[Jim Garber]

Just get it fixed up, and don't worry about removing the labels. It won't gain you anything even if you did manage to get one off. These bowl back mandolins are not worth a lot anyway, and you stand a chance of messing up ALL of the labels by fooling with them...so my vote is just fix it up and be done with it.

Sorry, Mark, I must disagree with you on some of what you say. I have been studying and playing bowlback mandolins for quite a few years now. It is true that there are a lot of junkers out there since some of the American manufacturers cranked out thousanbds of these.

On the other hand, there are some quite exquisite and nice-sounding instruments made by some of the American makers: (CF Martin, upper-end Washburn, Vega and ones coming out of the Larson brothers' shop) as well as some quality mandolins made in Italy (notably Calace, Vinaccia and Embergher).

In any case, the mandolin in question would require considerable work. If it were merely a piece of junk worth little than it prob would not be worth putting time and money into it. However, if it were of a noted maker, then is might be worth putting the equivalent of $500-1000 worth of work into it.

[Jim Garber]

I thought I had read something in the past that Frank Ford had posted and sure enough he pointed me in the right direction. http://www.frets.com/FretsPages/Luthier ... alnum.html

Now, to just get up the nerve to do it.

[Michael Lewis]

Recently I did much the same to a later 30s Gibson mandolin, but the label started to dissolve and become mushy in a few places. I did get the label off in mostly one piece but the stamped letters and numerals are significantly less legible now. The serial number is written under the label.

I used a few layers of facial tissue (kleenex) and a layer of a blue paper shop towel, all to hold moisture. When the label came off I put it with more layers of facial tissue between a couple pieces of acrylic (plexiglasss) and clamped it flat and set it out to dry for a couple days. Once the label was dry I peeled off most of the layers of facial tissue and paper towel, then reglued it to the inside of the back plate.

The label had been glued with hide glue but one central area was significantly more difficult to release, even after soaking for an hour. So be warned, not all labels will survive removal.

[Jim Garber]

Since there are two identical store labels, my guess is that one is hiding the maker's label. This mandolin had a full pearl fretboard, thin fluted ribs on the bowl and a neck and headstock overlaid with tortoise shell. It also has a monogram on the headstock so was probably a custom order from someone with lots of money.