Vintage Gibson Mandolins

**danb** · Mar-14-2004, 5:27pm

Here's a spectacular F4 mandolin with cremona brown (Loar style) finish from 1921, well before Lloyd entered the building:

Check out that one piece back.. The bridge is also the first type of adjustible bridge with locking wheels on top as well as height adjusting wheels below the saddle. These are most commonly seen on aluminum bridge saddles from 1921.

See more of this instrument

And finally, here are some new search queries at the mandolin archives to see some other nifty things like mandobasses, a2zs, tenor lutes, etc.

**danb** · Mar-14-2004, 5:33pm

Here's a tenor lute, called "the mandola gibson never made". Master model labels, all known ones made in the same batch.

Here's one with annotations by Frank Ford from Gryphon strings

**MANDOLINMYSTER** · Mar-14-2004, 6:35pm

Dan, #

Excellent pics and great job on the archive site. I have a few Gibsons that are on it yet. I hope to send you that info soon

**danb** · Mar-14-2004, 6:39pm

Post them here if you like , I'll add them as we go

**MANDOLINMYSTER** · Mar-14-2004, 6:56pm

Sounds like a plan...I enjoy sharing Pictures and any mando info I have, be on the look out for them Dan

**uncle ken** · Mar-14-2004, 8:10pm

I found this one last week. A friend was using it as a wall decoration in his den. I rescued it, but it needs some work.

Not a "nifty oddball" but around the same age as the one pictured above.

The serial number is 56842.

**MANDOLINMYSTER** · Mar-14-2004, 9:12pm

Thats one heck of a wall hanger

**Ted Eschliman** · Mar-14-2004, 10:15pm

This lil' Sweetie has a story...
A 1917 'A' (no suffix) with the juiciest tone, but it has a story. This is not the original top.

**Ted Eschliman** · Mar-14-2004, 10:17pm

A local luthier did a masterful work of replacing all the inlay around the sound hole.
Beautiful job, even if it isn't the original.

**Ted Eschliman** · Mar-14-2004, 10:20pm

Even closer look:

**mandoryan** · Mar-14-2004, 11:50pm

Very cool Ted. Looks like a new teens A oval hole. We can only imagine that what they looked like back then. I like how you picked a piece of wood that would correlate with the look of the old A's. Very cool and I like the ones with the stories, charisma and vitality in them ones...

**danb** · Mar-15-2004, 7:46am

Hey guys, post serial numbers and stamp numbers if you can read them- the stamp number on an oval hole is easy to see- look from the bridge towards the neck joint on the inside. I'll add them to the archives

**Ted Eschliman** · Mar-15-2004, 12:40pm

Excellent idea, Dan.
Serial number on the one I posted is #33552, though it was so faded, reading it was like a trip to the optometrist (that ended up in a pair of bifocals...).

**danb** · Mar-15-2004, 12:59pm

Torch & Wire peghead inlay

This is on F4 #6262, owned by Gregg Miner of The Miner Museum, a great site to lose yourself in! His CDs are very nice showcases of the instruments in the collections too!

Lowell Levinger tells me he's seen this inlay design on non-Gibson instruments too. I sure love it!

**mandoryan** · Mar-15-2004, 5:56pm

Nugget does some torch and wire inlay like that. Pretty nifty stuff!!!!

**Karen Kay** · Mar-15-2004, 6:55pm

We'll put ours here, too

**Darryl Wolfe** · Mar-16-2004, 11:46am

Come on now...how come it took so long for this.
"Lil Pup" photo courtesy of Lowell Levenger and Players Vintage Instruments"
Probably the coolest rarest mandolin of all time
100% original 1929 "Special"

**Tom C** · Mar-16-2004, 11:50am

I've waiting for "Lil Pup" to pop up.

**mandolooter** · Mar-16-2004, 8:48pm

It sure is a cute lil' pup too! Anyone ever heard it or played? Wonder if the extra holes increase the volume any?

**danb** · Mar-17-2004, 8:35am

Hmm, I need the SN for that one!

**Tom C** · Mar-17-2004, 2:05pm

I've seen Grisman play it. I would have to think it was the same oneas hopw many are there? He played it for a whole show 'cept the last couple of tunes. It had a nice tone but there sure was a big difference when he picked up the loar.

**lucho** · Mar-18-2004, 2:21pm

I wonder what would be a fair price for another wallhanger F4 made in 1913 that looks like uncle ken picture above but without bridge and tailpiece cover that somebody here in South America is offering to me...
thanks in advance

**uncle ken** · Mar-18-2004, 3:28pm

If the mandolin was hanging with full string tension like mine was, more than likely the neck and back near the tail piece will be pulling apart. There could be other problems as well like a sunken top. The price should take into account any money you will be spending to fix it. Unless you really like the mandolin I would make sure the total cost is less than what you would spend for a good one, otherwise why go to all of the trouble to fix it.