National Collegian mandolin - original color?

[bdeivert]

Hi Resofans!

I just got this National Collegian mandolin with a Collegian coverplate, but with a National badge on the headstock. The serial number places it according to Bob's National book as 1941. I see no paint underneath this horrid red color and wonder what the original paint would have been, as I take it this has been repainted during its lifetime. I have seen the yelllowish-brown on Collegian guitars. Any ideas? Anybody else have one of these?

Cheers
BERT in Karlstad, Sweden

[bdeivert]

Closeups of the back.
Sent the serial to Bob Brozman and he said it was a rare one but repainted.

[Mark Makin]

Hello Bert
These mandolins were finished exactly the same as Collegian guitars i.e. "Maple" which is a sort of textured grained beige, cream coloured paint. They were originally issued in the Supro range in around 1938 to 1940. Later, they were put back in to the National range so this would date to around 1941 or 1942. It has a serial number in the G range which is the series that straddled the pre-war post war period. They were some of the last instruments issued under the National Dobro banner and the first ones made by Valco. The black enamel "National" logo plate was also used across this period.
The "graphics" is obviously hand painted but seems to be a very competent copy of the Triolian Hula girl from around the 1928 period.

[bdeivert]

Thanks for the answer Mark. I have played one of those Supro Collegian guitars and really love the finish on them. I don't see any of that paint color underneath so I suspect it might have been stripped. Been wondering if I should just leave as is or maybe try to get somebody to do an approximation of the original finish. Kinda ugly as it is now, and don't know if the value would decrease anyway if I did anything to the color... There are some VERY good decorative painters in Sweden that could probably copy the finish by painting by hand. They often do cabinets in the 1700 and 1800s faux wood styles.
OR get a duco finish by National would be pretty nice!!!

I would love to se any pics of the Collegian mandolins if anybody has one. I have never seen anything but the catalog repros in Bob Brozman's book.

Cheers
BERT