Description
Exc(+) condition / SN: 35601
1-3/16″width at nut / Radiused Fingerboard
This is a great sounding 1916 Gibson A style mandolin with great set-up, tone and playability. The tone has remarkable concentration of the primary tones and a more defined cusp of the attack than many of these old Gibson A’s do. The tuners are in great shape. The original Shellac finish is in great shape. The top is a “Pumpkin” orange color and the back and sides are Cherry Red over a Brown dye base. The Mahogany neck has slightly antiqued natural finish.
The blacked peghead overlay does not have any logo’s or engravings. Newer Nickel tuners with Ivoroid buttons. Bone nut. The Ebony fingerboard has pearloid dot inlays. and the Mahogany neck is a nice “V” profile, and there is an Ivoroid strap button installed in the correct location on the heel. Newer Ebony adjustable bridge. Original Gibson tailpiece with “The Gibson” engraved in the cover. There is a houndstooth soundhole rosette around the oval soundhole and binding inside the soundhole. The Spruce top is bound in Ivoroid. Ebony end pin.
This 1916 Gibson A style mandolin is in nice shape. The Spruce top has only slight dings and scratches. The mahogany neck is very clean with hardly any wear and the “V” profile is very comfortable. The Mahogany back and sides are in nice shape with the occasional ding and scratch.
There is a thin reinforcing brace professionally installed under the Spruce top. This brace is little more than a tone bar situated under the treble side of bridge. I am sure this was done to secure a “springy” top. I am convinced that this particular Gibson A sounds like it does partly because of this brace… The tone is “bigger” and more aggressive and more crisp than you usually find on these mandolins.
The set-up and playability are very good. At some point the very tiny original frets were replaced with larger mandolin frets and the fingerboard was radiused.
As far as tone (and playability), this nice little unassuming “A” model is a Peach!
