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View Full Version : Gibson A1...no tonebars?



mandolooter
Apr-30-2005, 10:02am
I just got a 1906 Gibson A1 and noticed it has no tonebars, just a support running across under and a bit in front of the bridge. The top is still holding fine with no apparent sinkage and the sound is superb. From the strings that where on it i'd guess it hadn't been played in 20 years at least and so its going thru changes as i play it. Re-opening up maybe you'd call it. It's in the archives as serial #4043 with a description, needs a bath! It's got more gunk on it than a greasy spoon grill but al thats soon to be gone after I wear out this set of strings I put on it...wouldn't wanna waste em!

So when, if ever did Gibson start using tonebars in the A models? Was that another of Loars additions? Clue me in here folks!
Jeff

Bob DeVellis
Apr-30-2005, 11:18am
DId Gibson use tone bars on any of their oval hole A's?

Greenmando
Apr-30-2005, 12:13pm
I thought they were cross braced.

mandroid
Apr-30-2005, 12:27pm
my 1921 Gibson 'A's, still cross braced, parrallell-ish tone bars are part of an F hole design .
Other builders have done different X,etc. designs on their oval hole archtops, though.
http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/mandosmiley.gif

danb
Apr-30-2005, 1:05pm
They all have that simple transverse brace.. tone bars only go with the f-holed ones. Somewhere around here Bill bussman posted a top-off image.. This page at frets.com (http://www.frets.com/FRETSPages/Luthier/Technique/Mandolin/Structural/MandoBrace/mandobrace.html) sort of shows it with mirrors..

This one shows another inside view (http://www.frets.com/FRETSPages/Luthier/Technique/Mandolin/Structural/A4LTop/a4l3.html)

atetone
Apr-30-2005, 1:13pm
I have never heard of any old Gibson As with tone bars. Has anyone else?
To the best of my knowledge they all have the single transverse brace which is about 4 inches long placed just south of the soundhole.
Top sinkage in these mandos is usually related to the failure of that brace. Usually it is just that the glue line has failed and the brace is not totally attached to the top anymore and it needs to be re-glued. Hopefully the top is not too distorted by the time it is discovered.
I have one of these apart and there is a lot of wood in these mandolin tops, especially north of the soundhole. Quite a chunk of wood.

atetone
Apr-30-2005, 1:16pm
Sorry to repeat your comments Dan,,, #looks like we were posting at the same time. Obviously you type with more than 2 fingers.

mandolooter
Apr-30-2005, 10:55pm
Thanks to everyone who replyed...my question is answered. I guess i don't need to worry where they went now...LOL!
O.K. back to picking the grungy thing.

Willie Poole
May-03-2005, 10:19pm
R.G.L. I have heard that Ira Louvin was a good luthier and that he installed tone bars in one of his oval hole mandolins, an F-4, and if you have ever heard any of his recordings you will notice a different sound than most oval hole mandos with cross bracing....A few years ago I asked Charlie about this and he said he wasn`t up on mandolins and he didn`t know what Ira had done to any of his....Willie

oldwave maker
May-04-2005, 11:01pm
That transverse brace, penny for scale:

oldwave maker
May-04-2005, 11:03pm
recent x bracing scheme, penny for scale: