Army-navy mandos

[Markse]

Why are army-navy mandolins so called? Are they made with wepons grade spruce? Is it because of their "killer" tone? Just wondering.

[Jerry Byers]

I'll take a stab at this one. It's because that model was only available through the Army PX or Navy Exchange (a store for us civilian types).

[billhay4]

I think they were priced to be sold in your basic Army-Navy story which, for those who are too young to recall, was a store that sold military surplus and other cheap gear.
Bill

[David Newton]

Gibson made these in 1917 as the D-Y for civilians, then in 1918 forward as the A-N only in the PX's. You won't see many D-Y's, more A-N's. I am making D-Y reproductions, but calling it "New Navy".

[Markse]

Very interesting. Thanks!

[John Flynn]

They were produced for the troops in WWI. One article I read opined that Gibson may have done it to make the case that musical instruments were necessary for the war effort. There were some people at the time who were agitating to have "non-essential businesses," such as musical instrument manufacture, shut down during the war so as not to compete for resources with defense industries. Of course, policies like that were enacted much later during WWII, so thier fears were probably not unrealistic.

[mandroid]

That non essential industries didn't include cigarettes, obviously .
Imagine if soldiers and sailors had a mandolin addiction instead http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/tounge.gif

Gotta go up on the main deck for a mandolin break..

or would there be a music competition between trenches? http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/mandosmiley.gif

[Michael H Geimer]

A quick informative read on the DY/AN model, from the Gibson archives.

Gibson Article (http://www.gibson.com/magazines/amplifier/1997/8/archive/)

[8ch(pl)]

Side by side in the classifieds, one of each. An Alrite and an Army Navy.