PDA

View Full Version : Gibson C1


RI-Grass
Jul-10-2006, 4:56pm
Has anyone ever heard of a C1 mandolin from Gibson?
Ostensibly sold at department stores?
Painted-on pick guards?
Jim Garber
Jul-10-2006, 6:59pm
Like this one on eBay (http://cgi.ebay.com/NICE-1932-GIBSON-C1_W0QQitemZ260003658339QQcmdZViewItem)?

Jim
Jul-10-2006, 8:23pm
The one that just sold on eBay had been refinished. The mandolin is listed in the Gruhn guide. I don't think they were sold at Sears or Montgomery Wards. I bid on that one by the way. It looks just like a Kalamazoo KM-11 with a blonde top and a painted on pickguard. The headstock has The Gibson stenciled on it as well. No truss rod.
John Flynn
Jul-11-2006, 7:52am
I don't know about that eBay instrument, but I am pretty sure the original use of the "C1" designation was for a pancake-style mando that Gibson made for a short time after WWI. It was a "deluxe" version of the Gibson Army/Navy, with nice binding and a better finish. They were pretty cool looking, kind of like the top of the line Flatiron pancakes that would come along 50 years later. I would love to have one.

Perhaps Gibson revived the C1 designation in the 30's for the instrument listed on eBay.
Jul-11-2006, 7:59am
The only C listing in the Gruhn guide was for that 30's mandolin. That doesn't mean there weren't others it just means it wasn't all that common. When I saw it I had to look it up as I'd never seen one before.
RI-Grass
Jul-11-2006, 4:17pm
Sorry to answer my own post, but after the first couple of responses I emailed Gibson support. They sent me the attached. I'm posting it for the benefit of those interested in Gibson instrument history. Thanks for all the responses.

Sal
Jul-11-2006, 5:04pm
That is basically the same as my '35 Kalamazoo except the Kal has a sunburst finish, a round hole and a real pickguard.
Paul Hostetter
Jul-11-2006, 10:52pm
This is quite different than the Army-Navy, in that it has the body outline of Gibson's regular A mandolins, but with a flat top and back. As Diego says, it's basically the same mandolin as the Kalamazoo KM-11. The deluxe version of the Gibson Army/Navy was called the Alright Style D.

http://www.freedomguitar.com/images/gibsonc13225.jpg . . http://www.sprucetreemusic.com/kalakm11mando.jpg[img]

These looked cool but had a terrible tendency to get squished, and weren't engineered to take it.
Jul-12-2006, 6:45am
Paul, I'm wondering if my KM-11 looked that good when it was new. That thing is in great shape.