Please identify my gibson mandolin !

[Edward VII]

Hi
I am new here and have just started to learn mandolin (I play guitar). I purchased a cheap Chinese mandolin which I am getting frustrated with (could also be my lack of technique). I have just purchased this old used Gibson and was wondering what model it is, what year etc. The condition seems good but the tuner buttons look as if a dog has chewed them. I am going to string her up tonight and see how she sounds. There is "Made in the USA" imprinted at the back of the headstock but no other markings, serial number etc. Would anyone be able to give me an idea of value (of this model in good condition) ? I am going to try and post a few pictures
Thanks
Stuart

[Edward VII]

here is picture no2

[Edward VII]

picture no3

[Edward VII]

last picture - no4

[woodwizard]

That's an A50. Tuner buttons deteriate sometimes (not uncommon). Just quessing ...looks like it was made in the late 40's or 50's. With the "Made in US" imprint and the stenciled Gibson logo on yours could put it even later years like 60's or 70's maybe ... but for sure an A50. Also it's not uncommon for the labels to fall off. I think these are going from $800.00 to about 1200.00 in good condition. That one has some very nice looking back wood. I think better than the averaged ones that I have seen. Let us know how it sounds when you string her up. #http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/smile.gif

[Red Henry]

Neat mandolin. That's VERY nice wood for an A-50, and the style of the peghead logo may point to a 1940s date.

Red

[MikeEdgerton]

The Made in the USA stamp means one of two things. It was made for export (I don't know what country you purchased it in) or it was made in the 1970's. The tuner buttons put it square in the late 40's to mid 50's when Kluson was using cruddy plastic that deteriorated. The style of the logo can get you closer in years but I can't find my file on that right now.

Found it. They didn't have the Nick Lucas peghead inlay in 1947 (yours doesn't have that), they also changed to the modern logo in late 1947. You've got the old logo, no peghead inlay and a silkscreened yellow logo (introduced in 1946). I'm gonna take a stab that it's a 1947. It was made for export.

[allenhopkins]

Really nice looking A-50. The A-40's and A-50's are the "sleeper" bargains of vintage Gibsons, IMHO; they go for less than the oval-hole A models that preceded them, and while I've heard some that sounded pretty ordinary, I've heard others that rang out very well. Good luck with it!

[f5loar]

Looks like a mid 40's to me (1943 to 1946)A50 to me. Are you sure there is not a small stamped number on the back as seen through the lower F hole? May need a flashlight in a dark room to see it as they fade over the years.
At least in the $1000 range.

[Edward VII]

Thanks to everybody for your help. I am in Cape Town South Africa so the point about it being made for export makes sense. I strung it up last night and it sounds much sweeter & warmer than the cheapo that I have. I don't think it has been played for years so it probably needs a lot of playing in to unlock it's full potential.

Another 2 questions : I presume the tailpiece had a cover - this one just has the metal piece where the strings anchor. I also need to do something about the tuners - is it going to badly devalue the instrument if I replace them ?
Thanks again for all your help and info, regards
Stuart:)

[Glassweb]

Invest some money in a pro refret, nut replacement and setup with a Loar repro bridge from Cumberland Acoustic and you may have yourself a real "canon" there. Those older A-50s can often raise the dead!

[bradeinhorn]

it won't badly devalue it, but if the tuners work, i'd just replace the buttons on them. you can get some fairly close replica buttons, not klussons, but decent. i think this model had a clamshell tailpiece which come available often for around 75-100 bucks. i'd agree it's a late 40's, btw.

[MikeEdgerton]

This originally had a Waverly style cloud/clamshell whatever you want to call it tailpiece. Put an ad in the Wanted section.

As far as the tuners go there are two ways to go. Replace the buttons (there is an article on Frank Ford's frets.com here (http://www.frets.com/FRETSPages/Luthier/Technique/Tuners/NewButton/newbutton.html) that details the process or find a decent set of replacements. Again, I'd advertise in the classifed wanted ads for that as well.

[Philphool]

they also changed to the modern logo in late 1947. You've got the old logo


Looks like a mid 40's to me (1943 to 1946)A50 to me.

Also, the braded (no screws) tuner gears are like were used on the mid 40's LG-2 (etc.) guitars. Too bad Gibson didn't put the banners on the mandos.

Phil

[Edward VII]

Thanks again everybody for all the info. There is definitely no number inside the body (I looked with a flashlight). I will take up the advice re the tailpiece and the tuner buttons. Regards

[Paul Hostetter]

It has a perfectly good tailpiece, it's just missing the cover. I have on a few occasions bought entire junker mandolins off eBay just for the tailpiece. I have also made covers for those things, it's not that hard. You just have to get them nickel-plated.

Those tuners are Klusons, without the typical covers. Decent old sets show up on eBay fairly often. I wish someone made appropriate replacement mandolin buttons. You can get guitar buttons that work, but they're a bit large, though they do work.