View Full Version : Gibson Ajr... What kind of mandolin is it ?
Hello, I saw on Ebay (http://www.ebay.fr/itm/Mandoline-Gibson-A-Junior-des-annees-20-a-restaurer-pour-collectionneur/131753320897) a Gibson Ajr mandolin... It's the first time I saw this kind of instrument.
Is this instrument a real one ? Was it the cheap A style mandolin ?
And do you think this kind of mando worth a restoration ? (this one is more or less 440 $).Thanks.
Larry S Sherman
Mar-21-2016, 9:39am
I would expect a A-Jr to to have a snakehead.
144689
Larry
MikeEdgerton
Mar-21-2016, 9:46am
I would expect a A-Jr to to have a snakehead.
They made more A Jr.'s as paddle heads than they made snakeheads.
MikeEdgerton
Mar-21-2016, 9:47am
Is this instrument a real one ?
Yes.
The Jr. model Gibson models were an entry level/student grade instrument. What that meant was that they didn't have as much ornamentation but they were made by he same crafts people with the same materials. I've been jonesing for an AJr. snakehead for years. They are excellent instruments and head and shoulders above most other brands of that era.
Thank you for the information.
Ron McMillan
Mar-21-2016, 10:01am
Ronny, that one is going to need a lot of money spent on repairing it, so you might end up spending more than $1000 in total. That is not a high sum for a good A Junior, but because of the repairs yours would be worth quite a bit less than that.
pelone
Mar-21-2016, 5:43pm
My 1921 Ajr. is a paddle head---it is just outstanding! I payed 700 dollars for it---it was the Gibson that I could afford. I have made several A's--none of them even came close to the playability and fantastic tone. However, if your aim is to impress with a jazzy decal on the headstock or a snakehead headstock or all of the bells and whistles, it may be better to keep saving up.
bobrem
Mar-22-2016, 2:10am
I had a 1924 A junior snakehead that was my first decent mandolin. I loved it. Try to get one from 1923 or 1924. Those were snakehead years and have the cache of being Loar era, although he never signed any. They were the entry level Gibson.
OK, it seems that these mandolins are good ones... So bad this one has such a wrapped back !
barney 59
Mar-23-2016, 2:46am
There is a bid for 390 euros so your not going to get it for less than that. Ajr mandolins can be every bit as good playing and sounding as their higher priced cousins. Here in the US you could probably find one in decent playable, but not necessarily pretty, condition for around $1000 -maybe less if you've got the time to hunt. For $1500 I could find one inside an hour! That back is very bad and the sides have probably sprung out a bit as well. It's common for the backs on those to separate but that is about as bad as you'll ever see and getting it back down and in position will take a bit of finesse without creating some more cracks along the way. Some would say just make a new back which I wouldn't do until I completely made a mess of trying to fix the original back. There is a fair amount of other work as well so unless you could do the work yourself it's probably not worth it. Completely repaired it's never going to be more valuable than the lowest prices for one of those. At the price it is now it probably isn't worth it anyway even if you could do it yourself except maybe to a dedicated hobbiest who is looking for a project that will keep them away from their spouse for a lot of hours! In that case it's priceless! My first mandolin was one of those --actually an A-0 from 1927. They changed the designation at some point but it's the same thing. I've kept it all these years and not just out of sentiment. It's butt ugly now from a million hours of playing it but it's as good or better sounding as any other A model Gibson that I've ever had. Not as good as the best I've ever heard though. There is an A2z that I recently ran into that is one of the best sounding mandolins, bar none, that I have ever heard and a bargain at $6000 if I only had $6000!
By the way....if one were to take that on as a project it's all there and it's just wood! No inlays to repair, no bindings to replace. Very little cost in supplies,glue mostly!
Here in the US you could probably find one in decent playable, but not necessarily pretty, condition for around $1000 -
OK ! I have to go back to the US again !!
OK ! I have to go back to the US again !!
Yes, but $1000 is £720 UKP plus shipping, VAT and import duties. That equates to £940 UKP.
lflngpicker
Mar-28-2016, 6:27pm
I appreciate this thread. I wasn't quite sure what it was, either. Now I am getting Ajr straight. Thanks for starting this one.
LongBlackVeil
Mar-28-2016, 7:58pm
A jrs are awesome mandolins that's what they are. And good values, at least the paddlehead ones are.
They're pretty much the same construction wise as the other a models for their respective eras. In the loar snakehead era the only difference is lack of a truss rod. I love mine, "everything you need and nothing you don't" as some on the forum have said, I agree.
Jill McAuley
Mar-29-2016, 1:19pm
Adding another voice to the choir here - I love my Ajr! Love the sound of mine and I've always been a fan of their stripped down aesthetics.
yGMdw9U0LsA
Martin Jonas
Mar-29-2016, 1:55pm
Adding another voice to the choir here - I love my Ajr! Love the sound of mine and I've always been a fan of their stripped down aesthetics.
Same here -- I have a 1921 (possibly 1922) paddlehead Ajr, and it's wonderful. Plain to look at, pretty beaten-up, but a great player with great tone. Although they were Gibson's cheap entry model in the day, and as a result still tend to be cheaper than ohter vintage Gibsons today, there is little if any consistent difference in tone between the Ajr and the "higher" (more expensive) models.
Martin
Mark Wilson
Mar-29-2016, 2:59pm
great. now i want one. :mandosmiley: