John Rosett
From:
Missoula, MT
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Posted 4 Apr 2012 8:23 am |
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I'm playing a lot less mandolin these days, and a lot more guitar and steel, so I've decided to sell this wonderful instrument.
It's a 1918 Gibson style A mandolin. It has some wear to the top by the soundhole, but absolutely no structural issues. I took it to my repairman last month, and had him go over the whole instrument. He squeezed a little glue into the side/back seam in one place, and that's it. This is a great player, and I've probably played 100 gigs with it over the past two years. I had it refretted last year with larger fret wire, and it plays like a dream. The tuners are the Stewart-McDonald vintage reproductions and work much better than the originals. It has a Cumberland Acoustics ebony adjustable bridge. It has an internal passive piezo pickup with an endpin jack. I didn't want to ruin the original tailpiece, so it has an aftermaket tailpiece. It sounds great plugged in. As far as the acoustic tone, this mandolin is a little less "tubby" sounding than many of the teens Gibsons. To my ear, it sounds more like the 20's snakehead models. It is quite loud-I've played some all acoustic gigs with a guitarist playing a 30's L-5, and it has no problem being heard.
This mandolin also has an interesting history. The original case, which is in good condition has a paper pennant glued to the top that reads "23 Lehig...). The inside of the original tailpiece cover has an inscription from the original owner, who was president of the Lehigh University Mandolin Club in 1923. Here are some pictures of that: https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.1366789842979.2053460.1028658121&type=3
So, this is not a pristine collector's piece, but it is a wonderful vintage Gibson mandolin that's ready to gig with, acoustic, or plugged in. Asking $1200 firm, plus shipping. I might be interested in mandolin in the $3-400 price range as partial trade.
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"it's not in bad taste, if it's funny." - john waters |
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