S. S. Stewart was a successful banjo company until the death of its founder in 1898. Later the brand was acquired by B&J and used intermittently on instruments built by other companies, including Martin and Gibson.
     From the looks of it, though, I’d say this mandolin was made in the Regal factory in Chicago in the 1920s. It’s modest but certainly as deserving of respect as any other centenarian. It’s all mahogany: back, sides, neck, and even the bent top. It may be a bit mellower in tone than a spruce-topped mandolin, but it’s still plenty loud. I think the fretboard and headplate are rosewood. It has a lot of nice little touches, including binding on the top, back, and fretboard, as well as a finial cut in the headstock and a celluloid pickguard.
     The tuners are original, but the metal plate on the back of the headstock came from a different mandolin. The tailpiece is a modern replacement, so there’s an extra hole in the end of the mandolin where a screw held the original tailpiece on. It’s strung with DR 36-10s and ready to make music again.
     I can deliver it in either a chipboard case that isn’t a great fit (has some extra room in it) or a gig bag, or I might be able to upgrade it to a hardshell case. You might really like this mandolin, and it won’t cost you a lot to find out. See more photos, call 425/772-0231, or for more information. 48-hour approval period. $250 plus shipping.