When were Gibson snakehead mandolins discontinued?

[Aaron Watson]

Kind of new to all the history

[Jim Garber]

Approximately 1922-26 tho some might be shipped into the late 1920s.

Take a look at the Archives search for snakeheads.

[Aaron Watson]

Thanks I'll take a look.

[mrmando]

The latest snakehead FONs I'm aware of date to 1928. Before Spann's book came out, the general impression was 1925 or 1926.

[Jim Garber]

I get confused a bit. Would 1928 be the manufactured date or the shipping?

[mrmando]

Last snakehead I had in the building was:
Factory order number: 8933. Serial number: 82809.

FON is manufacture; SN is shipping. in my case, both numbers are from 1928 according to Spann.

[Aaron Watson]

From your experience, are they all similar in playability and build ie. is the bracing the same?
Thanks for all the info!

[fatt-dad]

I've never played a truss-rod paddlehead. My A3 paddle head (an instrument I'll keep forever), has a wider nut than any of the snakes I've owned in the past. All snakes have adjustable truss rod (well, maybe not the Jrs.) and I think thinner nuts.

For Gibson oval hole, a-model mandolins, I think they are all have a single transverse brace.

f-d

[Joe Spann]

In my experience Batch 8938 is the latest group of Gibson mandolins with snakehead-style pegheads. The would have been produced early in February of 1928 and then shipped out pretty quickly throughout the first part of the year.

Of course, Gibson built L-5 Master Model guitars with snakehead-style pegheads through 1934.

Joe Spann

[pops1]

I've never played a truss-rod paddlehead.

f-d

My '22 A2 is a paddlehead, with a truss rod. Sounds like the snakeheads with no tubbyness, just very warm deep, wonderful sound.

[Eddie Sheehy]

Modern Gibson A5's are snakeheads... so Never...
I assume you mean A4/A3/A2-Z/A1/A0/A

[fatt-dad]

My '22 A2 is a paddlehead, with a truss rod. Sounds like the snakeheads with no tubbyness, just very warm deep, wonderful sound.

does the truss-rod paddle head have a similar nut width as a snake or do they keep the wider nut of the pre-truss-rod paddle heads? I just don't know.

f-d

[Eddie Sheehy]

A2 Paddlehead with Truss-rod is 1 1/8". Snakes are about 1 1/16".

http://www.mandolincafe.com/ads/103935#103935

[pops1]

does the truss-rod paddle head have a similar nut width as a snake or do they keep the wider nut of the pre-truss-rod paddle heads? I just don't know.

f-d

Mine kept the wider 1 1/4" neck of the older style. I wanted that when I got it decades ago, but I wanted the truss rod and adjustable bridge and of course wonderful sound that it has.

[ollaimh]

All the snakeheads I have played have the narrower nut. I like it. The two snakes I own are among the loudest richest mandolins I have played, but still with that old time woody tone I love. I have played afew great paddle heads as well. Usually the ones with birch back and sides.

I don't know about bracing.

[ollaimh]

Ps, some one with spanns book please look up fon A 1345 for an A 4, said to be twenties but that looks teens to moi.

[Ray(T)]

Looks to be circa. 1910 so possibly not even teens!

[pfox14]

I believe they kept making A-Jr. snakeheads until 1929 or possibly early 1930.

[ollaimh]

Thanks, it's a disappointment but thanks