Mandolin Orchestras of the Past
Dayton Mandolin Orchestra
Charles B. Rauch, the first Dayton Mandolin Orchestra director, also owned and operated the Dayton Instrument Co. where he made Dayton mandolins. His shop is gone now and we know very little about him after he moved west. (DMO member) Phil Case is as close as you can get to an expert on Charlie and his instruments. Phil says Charles did not write the blurb at the bottom of the photo, rather it is typical of the Gibson marketing department.
I have a 1906 A-3 just like the one the young woman second from the right in the first row appears to be holding. I recently have stopped playing it as I’ve found my husband’s 1914 F-2 easier to play. I favor the sound of the pre-20’s Gibsons and Michael, lucky for me, does too!
Kathryn Hitchcock
Dayton Mandolin Orchestra
(received 10/2009)
