like the longitudinal ridge, originated with J. S. Back and is described most fully in U. S. Patent No. 538205, issued to Back, with half-ownership to G. L. Orme, in April, 1895. Examples of a guitar-shaped mandolin made solely by J. L. Orme company are very rare; after discovering one, a collector called his "the missing link" between the Canadian company and its patents and the variety of "Howe-Orme" instruments made by The Elias Howe Company. Although the J.L. Orme Company made the guitar-shaped mandolin in Canada, advertisements from the company focus on their guitars and their lute-banjos. The J. L. Orme & Son "Lute-Banjo" had a rounded, fat, oval body, with a neck held on by three screws (making the angle adjustable). The (U.S. based) Elias Howe Company's "Howe-Orme" instruments had bodies shaped like guitars, with (at least for the mandolins) necks that were glued to the bodies with a dove-tail joint. The patents covered a wide variety of instruments, being used to create guitars, mandolins and lute-banjos. What the two companies' instruments shared was the patented arched soundboard. Opinions by collectors have indicated that the Elias Howe instruments had a pressed soundboard, which kept its shape with internal braces. The Howe-Orme guitar also shared the adjustable neck system. External links Drum (c. 1861) from Boston Drum Factory, Elias Howe, agent. Howe-Orme: Forgotten Voices Remembered - an exhibit curated by the Museum of Making Music, National Association of Music Merchants, Carlsbad, CA – detailing the early history of the Howe-Orme instruments. History of Elias Howe, Howe and Orme, with links to patents. Site with large pictures of Howe-Orme mandolin Biography of Elias Howe with portrait. Site that talks about mandolinettos and has a picture of a Howe-Orme mandolinetto. References Ayars, C. M. (1937). Contribution to the art of music in America by the music industries of Boston 1640-1936. New York: H. W. Wilson. Sky, P. (1995). "Elias Howe and William Bradbury Ryan." in Ryan's Mammoth Collection. Pacific, MO: Mel Bay Publications. (pp. 10–15) Music publishing companies of the United States 19th century in Boston Guitar manufacturing companies of the United States American music publishers (people) Musical instrument manufacturing companies of the United States Companies based in Boston