Pre wwii gibson oval with radius fretboard

[LaVonne]

Hi Everyone,

I've been fantasizing about a pre WWII oval hole Gibson for quite some time. I'm not looking for a collectors mando, just a great player. It looks like the majority of these old instruments have a flat fretboard but I really need a radius fretboard.

Were any pre WWII Gibson ovals made with a radius fretboard?

If I were to find a mando that needed some fret / or fretboard work is it practical to install a radius FB?

Thanks
LaVonne

[Hans]

LaVonne, you don't have to install a new fretboard to have it radiused. In doing a fretjob, the existing fingerboard can be radiused as it's straightened. Don't think Gibson made any pre WWII with radiused...far as I know Grisman was the first to have a radiused board done.

[Big Joe]

Hans is correct. Gibson did not build radiused boards. It is easy for a good luthier (like Hans) to do though.

[Frank Russell]

I've been playing a good friend's 1913 A3, and the owner (a luthier) radiused the board. I love it. If I could shell out any kind of cash right now, I'd own it. He might be persuaded to part with it, so if you're interested, PM me. No financial interest on my part, just don't want to see it sit in a case, since its owner is building his own and plays a Weber most of the time. Frank