Gibson A2Z

**RobAlan** · Dec-12-2008, 7:59am

I've searched previous threads and found no info so here is my question.
Can anyone give me a short history of the Gibson model A2Z?
What makes it different and unique from other Gibson A models?
Everyone I've talked to seems to think they sound better than other Gibson As.
How true is it? Can anyone comment from personal experience?
Thanks.

**danb** · Dec-12-2008, 8:17am

there were models named A, A1, A2, A3, A4 from the very early days of gibson until around 1922. The A3 was a white finish instrument by this time, complete with a white pickguard, and some extra inlaid purfling around the soundhole and body.

In the days of the snakeheads (the peghead shaped like a christmas tree instead of a boat paddle), the A3 model was discontinued, and the jovially named "a2z" (it has everything from a to z!) appeared.

A "True" a2z is a blonde or natural finished top, a snakehead, extra body binding (black then white) as well as "a2-z" on the Guaranteed label. There are some that are missing some of these features, and some mix-match models of snakeheads that really could be an A, an A1, an A2 or even an A2z depending on who you ask.

Generally, the snakheads have a better reputation. There are some that sound poor, some that sound great. Seems the odds are in your favor that they will sound very nice. You can also find a much older paddle-head mandolin from Gibson that sounds better than a lot of snakeheads, it's sort of pot luck.

But an A2-z is a rare bird, a blonde in a field of brown mandolins,. They tend to stand out visually, and do indeed look quite attractive. Then there's the fact that they were only made for a little over 2 years, and the fact that they're well-known to collectors. So they tend to go for a premium.

As with all instruments, it's a good idea to play a few before you commit to one and compare and contrast them to really see which ones grab you the most.

**danb** · Dec-12-2008, 8:22am

I have 42 of them documented at the mandolin archive, by the way- this should give you a good visual to go along with the text descriptions

http://www.mandolinarchive.com/perl/...ndolins.pl?a2z

**danb** · Dec-12-2008, 8:24am

I've always liked this photo from Dexter at Carmel music. It shows the purfling, the color, and the body binding that really give these their look

**swampstomper** · Dec-12-2008, 7:37pm

I thought Andy Statman famously played an A2z for many years, but I believe it was not blonde? Here's a photo from his web site. Was it re-finished from an original blonde? The photo seems to show a 2nd finish wearing off?

**danb** · Dec-13-2008, 3:03am

Andy's has the black binding ring and the purfling (what we'd call an "A3 top"), though according to my informant, no "z" on the label. SO far we've never seen a blackface with "Z" on the label.

THe specs for snakeheads are all over the place, to the point that A vs A1 vs A2 seems impossible to correlate label to specs.

**Jim Garber** · Dec-13-2008, 8:06am

I have a black snakehead similar to Andy's without the wear. The label just says A but it has binding back and top and the soundhole rosette. Gibson was a little strange in those years. maybe they were too excited(?) about F5s to pay any attention to the other mandolins.

**Jeff Chu** · Dec-13-2008, 11:42am

Jim

That is a beautiful mandolin. It seems like you have a bunch of rare mandos in your arsenal, not just the bowlbacks. How does it sound? I saw Andy Statman t his past teusday in albany when he sat in with Bela Fleck and the flecktones. He was playin an F-5. maybe his new kimble? I love the tone on his mando, especially on the klezmer cd with itzhak perlman.

do you have any more pictures of that blackface gibson? whats the year on it?

**Michael Cameron** · Dec-18-2008, 7:21pm

My Statman wannabe;getting some maintenance presently.

It didn't originally have a bound fretboard. This one was done by Don MacRostie many moons ago. Perfect compound radius.

I keep trying to get better pics...

**Jeff Chu** · Dec-19-2008, 1:11pm

Michael,
what year and model is that mando? it looks like its still in great shape!

**Michael Cameron** · Dec-19-2008, 3:18pm

It really is in great condition. Structurally,very sound. It's been played a lot;so,scuffed,nicked here&there.

The new, bound, fretboard,bridge,and tuning machines (Thanks,Don!) made it a dreamy player. Good tone. I kept all the original pieces...the old fretboard is strapped to a stiff piece of maple.

I believe it's a 1923,A. There may be something after the "A";the label is hard to read. I don't have the serial # handy.

**Jeff Chu** · Dec-19-2008, 4:55pm

hows the tone on that mando? is it an A or an A-2? I recently played a A jr with a radiused fretboard put on. It made a world of difference.

**Michael Cameron** · Dec-20-2008, 12:18pm

I've only played 3 snakehead Gibsons. They are pretty consistently good sounding mandos.

The black one I pictured here appears to be an A or A 1. The label is hard to read.
79778 looks to be the serial number.

I did not play this one until after it got the new fretboard. It's more punchy/sparkly than teens oval-holers. Snakehead neck dimensions are much more playable, in my hands,than earlier Gibsons.

Just sold another black snakehead;it had the herringbone(?) looking rosette instead of the solid white ring.

**Fosshagen** · Mar-27-2009, 12:03pm

Originally Posted by danb

Andy's has the black binding ring and the purfling (what we'd call an "A3 top"), though according to my informant, no "z" on the label. SO far we've never seen a blackface with "Z" on the label.

THe specs for snakeheads are all over the place, to the point that A vs A1 vs A2 seems impossible to correlate label to specs.

I've got an A2Z 1924 BLACKFACE and I've heard of one other guy who's heard about another blackface... So they do exist, and thus contribute to the mess of specs.

Howdy!

(The picture above should have shown the label stating #74943 and "A2Z".)

**MikeEdgerton** · Mar-27-2009, 12:18pm

It looks like you have the path on that image set to your desktop. Try going to Advanced, Manage Attachments and uploading the image.

**danb** · Mar-29-2009, 4:22am

Fosshagen: I'd be very interested to see details of yours or your friend's, so far we've never seen one with "A2z" on the label that wasn't blonde. On the question of Andy's, my friend tells me there is no "z" on the label. I believe his is one of the many snakeheads that just have random specifications for top & body binding. They were indeed pretty loose and free about what was on the label back in those days. I think the distinction is important, sometimes a blackface snakehead is sold as a "Black a2z" as that seems to merit a substantial price increase.

Back to your snakehead: there should be an ink stamp number on the inside above the label too, please could you peek for us? They're up on the neck block and visible with strong light or flashlight (though sometimes not present)

Also, for reference, this is what the label stamping appears like on an A2-Z :

On some, we see "A2-" with a trailing smudge, and assume if the other features are present that there was a missing "Z" at the end.