Old Gibson model?

[Phil O'Dendron]

I'm interested in finding a possible year of manufacture and model of my mandolin.
It arrived in one of the old cardboard cases and was a bit worse for wear.
It has '836' stamped in black ink on the neck heel (could this be a FON or serial no.?)

159372

[pheffernan]

That FON pops for this listing from eBay which could well be your mandolin:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Vintage-1929-1932-Gibson-A-0-Mandolin-w-Case-/201916214399?hash=item2f0324ec7f&nma=true&si=jpTMWRy5XvFsKz6ag55qav17SZo%253D&orig_cvip=true&rt=nc&_trksid=p2047675.l2557

It connects that FON to a 1929-1932 Gibson A0, the likes of which can be studied on the Mandolin Archives:

http://www.mandolinarchive.com/perl/list_mandolins.pl?all:75:

[Phil O'Dendron]

That's my baby. After she was repaired I finally discovered what the 'tubbiness' was that everyone mentions regarding the bottom end of these instruments (what a good excuse to drop the occasional Irish tune by a fifth to revel in the 'open G'.

[Phil O'Dendron]

Now I have a query about the pick guard that was fitted to it when I got it. The attached photos show that it only ever had one pin in the fingerboard at the 15th fret. Also, there was no pin hole for mounting to the bridge. This guard was only mounted at that one pin and the screwed in bracket in the treble side.
Are these the original parts; I may think about refitting them if they are.
162208162209162210