Gibson soundboard on a bowl back?

[pfox14]

I really got a kick out of this little article that was published in the 1914 edition of "The Sounding Board Salesman" which was Gibson's in-house music publication. No doubt it was written by L.A. Williams. Also in this issue was a very rare photo of L.A. Williams who was not only Gibson's Sales & Advertising Manager, but a mando-cellist as well. Hope you enjoy it.

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[Marty Jacobson]

Wow... it reads like... MandolinCafe posts from 1914! Very interesting.

[brunello97]

Pretty fun stuff, Paul. Thanks. The whole thing is quotable, but this stuck out for me:

"For the benefit of our informant, we mention Bowl Mandolinism is no part of Gibsonism. The former ceases where the latter begins. No deep air chamber is necessary to reduce the metallicity of tone when the sounding-board is properly arched and graduated to the correct relations. It is the flat sounding-board necessarily braced and made rigid to secure sufficient strength that causes the metallicity which "sticks out like a green vest" and must be subdued by the deep reverberating bowl air chamber." (italics mine.)

I have a Sicilian mandola with a flat/canted top and a carved back of maple. Any known versions of someone attempting the carved top / bowl back that the butt of Mr. Williams ire is asking about?

Mick