Gibson family heirloom - model A-C

[aleaddict]

New member, first post...

This was my dad's mandolin. He was born in 1925 and was given this instrument when he was 10. I've tried to research the date of manufacture and have come up short. The s/n is "176 C" (I'm assuming the "C" stands for Century). I never noticed before but the case has "GS" stamped into the latches. Any information on the mando and case would be greatly appreciated. Here are some pics...

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[MikeEdgerton]

This is one of the Gibson Century of Progress instruments.

From the late Stan Jay at Mandolin Brothers in Staten Island, NY:


In 1933 Chicago celebrated its 100th anniversary by hosting the Century of Progress Exhibition. A couple of hours northeast of Chicago [in Kalamazoo, Michigan], the Gibson Company found this event and its considerable media attention too good to be wasted. So they named a new guitar (note: and mandolin) after it.

They come up every now and then here.

There are lots of references (https://www.google.com/search?q=gibson+Century+of+Progress+mandolin&ie=utf-8&oe=utf-8&client=firefox-b-1) to it on the Internet.

[LadysSolo]

Looks like your dad took care of it, have you tried playing it? I would probably use light to very light strings on it, due to age.

[MikeEdgerton]

There is a Facebook group that is run by a cafe member that deals strictly in vintage cases.

https://www.facebook.com/groups/vintagemusicalinstrumentcases/

[colorado_al]

Looks to be in nice condition. With original case too!

Here's one listed at $3800
https://reverb.com/item/6521878-1937-gibson-a-c-century-of-progress-mandolin-sunburst

#185A is listed as made in 1935
http://pickerssupply.com/vintage-instruments/1935-gibson-c-century-progress-mandolin

I certainly would believe #176C is also from 1935 when your dad was 10

[aleaddict]

I only remember my dad playing it a couple times so it mostly stayed in the case. One summer during college (either '79 or '80) I took bluegrass mandolin lessons at McCabe's guitar shop in Santa Monica, CA. I've been playing it off and on over the years but lately met some amateur bluegrass musicians so its received a little more of my attention. I just put new strings on it (D'Addario EJ74 Phosphor Bronze Mandolin Strings, Medium, 11-40). If these are too heavy for this age instrument I'll swap them for something lighter. I've never adjusted the truss rod either. The only person who ever worked on it was John at McCabe's (my instructor) and he passed away about 6 years ago. I'm about 2-1/2 hours drive from Gryphon in Palo Alto and was thinking about taking it there for an inspection and tweak (if needed). The case also needs some work but for the most part its also in excellent shape, considering its age. The only thing missing is the handle.

Sorry for the long, rambling reply... many thanks for the references and input. I always thought the mando was a '35 but from the info I've read it looks more like an early production 1934 Century.

ETA: thanks colorado_al !! That pretty much confirms what my dad told me :)

[rcc56]

Actually, 176 C is what we call a factory order number. The letter C indicates the year 1937. [A=1935, B=1936, C=1937, and so on until '41 or '42]. Gibson used letter codes again in the 1950's, going backward through the alphabet starting with Z in 1952.

The Century mandolins with the pearloid fingerboard were introduced in 1934, and last catalogued in 1936. They continued to make them through part of 1937. They were not made in large numbers. Yours would not only be one of the last ones made, it is also one of the last oval hole A models to be made [unless you count the two point A-5 monstrosities made from 1957 through the sixties]. It appears to be in excellent original condition, and the case is original to the mandolin. G & S indicates that the case was made by Geib.

Some of the Century guitars had laminated backs, some were solid. I don't know about the mandolins. The folks at Gryphon can tell you that when you bring the mandolin in for inspection.

I personally won't use an .026 on a prewar Gibson. I would recommend the J67 11-14-25-39 set, or make up your own set. I generally use 10 1/2-14-24-40 with nickel basses on oval hole Gibsons.

Take good care of that mandolin. Most Centuries that I see are not in such nice condition.

The Gibson factory order number systems with letter codes were the most consistent system Gibson used in the old days, so it looks like your dad got this for his 12th birthday, not his 10th.

[mrmando]

G&S stands for Geib & Schaefer, manufacturers of the case. That mando looks like a real winner and is worth some dough.

[Bill Kammerzell]

"The Gibson factory order number systems with letter codes were the most consistent system Gibson used in the old days, so it looks like your dad got this for his 12th birthday, not his 10th.[/QUOTE]

Actually, 176 C is what we call a factory order number. The letter C indicates the year 1937. [A=1935, B=1936, C=1937, and so on until '41 or '42]. Gibson used letter codes again in the 1950's, going backward through the alphabet starting with Z in 1952."



Take good care of that mandolin. Most Centuries that I see are not in such nice condition.

That's what I have. 1937 according to my copy of the Spann publication.

[Rush Burkhardt]

IMHO the "provenance" of your mandolin makes it priceless! Play it and enjoy it!
:popcorn:

[William Smith]

Yes Kool Old 37 A-C! I had one at one point in time, sound was ok, these had a flat back, I thought as fancy as that baby is it should be a carved back but hey that was Gibson. Enjoy that and keep her in the family. NICE

[colorado_al]

In the years of the great depression they were making mostly flat back mandolins to keep the cost down. Likely has a solid maple flat back.

[aleaddict]

Just a little background story for those interested...

My dad was born Oct. 28, 1925 and raised in St. Louis, MO. When he was 14, his father (my grandpa) suddenly died. He was quite athletic before his passing so this came as a total shock to the family. There were no "social safety nets" back in those days so my grandmother, who was a "homemaker," and her three boys (ages 7, 14 and 17) all found themselves in abject poverty overnight. They moved from their middle-class house into a 2-room apartment in south St. Louis, near the old Ted Drews frozen custard shop off Grand Ave (if you're from the Show Me state you'll know the area... also known as "Dutchtown"). My grandmother took two jobs to support her young family. One was working in the boiler room of a hospital cleaning linens. The other was with an accountant, who she eventually married. When the U.S. joined the Allies during WWII, my oldest uncle enlisted with the air-force and became a B-17 gunner. As soon as my dad turned 18 he also joined the air-force, although the war was almost over so he never saw combat. These were truly "The Greatest Generation."

How this mandolin survived these early days with no money, no welfare system, and a single mom with no labor skills raising three adolescent boys during a global conflict is mind-boggling. I'm sure a lot of personal possessions were lost during this dark time. But somehow they managed to keep food on the plate and a place to hang their hat... oh, and the mando in the original case!

I think of my dad every time I play this instrument. I also think of my grandmother, my uncles and the hardships they endured before I was ever born. Music is the universal language and these "vintage" instruments we play have a story all to themselves.

[colorado_al]

Just a little background story for those interested...

My dad was born Oct. 28, 1925 and raised in St. Louis, MO. When he was 14, his father (my grandpa) suddenly died. He was quite athletic before his passing so this came as a total shock to the family. There were no "social safety nets" back in those days so my grandmother, who was a "homemaker," and her three boys (ages 7, 14 and 17) all found themselves in abject poverty overnight. They moved from their middle-class house into a 2-room apartment in south St. Louis, near the old Ted Drews frozen custard shop off Grand Ave (if you're from the Show Me state you'll know the area... also known as "Dutchtown"). My grandmother took two jobs to support her young family. One was working in the boiler room of a hospital cleaning linens. The other was with an accountant, who she eventually married. When the U.S. joined the Allies during WWII, my oldest uncle enlisted with the air-force and became a B-17 gunner. As soon as my dad turned 18 he also joined the air-force, although the war was almost over so he never saw combat. These were truly "The Greatest Generation."

How this mandolin survived these early days with no money, no welfare system, and a single mom with no labor skills raising three adolescent boys during a global conflict is mind-boggling. I'm sure a lot of personal possessions were lost during this dark time. But somehow they managed to keep food on the plate and a place to hang their hat... oh, and the mando in the original case!

I think of my dad every time I play this instrument. I also think of my grandmother, my uncles and the hardships they endured before I was ever born. Music is the universal language and these "vintage" instruments we play have a story all to themselves.

What a great story to go with this instrument. Really a treasure! So glad that it, and your family, survived intact! Thanks for sharing it.
I used to live near that area of STL, in the Lindenwood Park neighborhood, just West of Jamieson Ave near Lansdowne. I bet it hasn't changed that much since your family lived there.

[CES]

Thanks for posting pics and also giving the background story...very cool indeed!!

[J.Albert]

That instrument looks beautiful.

It's such a fine example of a relatively rare mandolin, that I'd pretty much keep it at home. Too nice to take out and get banged up. It might be one of the finest examples of that model that remain.

Your grandmother's background story sounds like it almost could have come from Tennessee Williams' "Glass Menagerie"... ;)

[aleaddict]

Thanks gang for all the positive feedback and information. I'm especially appreciative of the history lesson and correct date assignment. I promise you guys and gals that this mando will never leave my sight, but it is a functioning instrument and will continue to be played and properly cared for. I have a beater Ibanez for deer camp so I only pull out dad's A-C when I'm home or with my bluegrass friends in a "controlled environment" lol.

My grandmother was only 5 ft tall, and although small in stature was the pillar of our family. Being from Cali, I was lucky enough to be accepted to St. Louis University during my postgraduate studies and learned a lot about my dad's family who immigrated from Germany in 1898. I have more family born, raised and buried in St. Louis than anywhere else in this country. In the early years, they couldn't rub two nickels together... great-grandma and her brother were both brought up in an orphanage. Hearing these stories first-hand, and many more like it, makes one appreciate the life we are all given today.

Anyway, that's the kind of stuff I think about when I play the A-C... not that I'm any good but I love to play and it makes me feel good inside.

[Ivan Kelsall]

Your idea of taking your mandolin to Gryphon Instruments for a 'health check' is a good one. It looks to be in top condition 'outside',but a good look around inside for anything coming adrift makes good sense to me. If anything is starting to fail,putting it right now is far easier that putting it right 'after' it's failed. Gryphon might also be able to advise on string 'gauges' for it as well.

My Ellis "A" style is a lightly built mandolin & i use GHS A270's on it - Tom Ellis's string of choice. The GHS strings are a very 'sweet' sounding string. Maybe the lighter GHS A250's would suit your mandolin ?. It's a real beauty !!,
Ivan;)
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PS - It was my own Grandfather's Uke-banjo that got me started in this whole music thing !.

[allenhopkins]

Related question: does anyone have any experience or insight into the durability of Pearloid fingerboards? They were quite the fad for a short period of time, on fancier instruments, but now the faux pearl plastic gets dissed as "mother of toilet seat."

I just wonder how they hold up, now 80 years after they were manufactured.

[William Smith]

Good ? Allen! I've seen pearloid guards on old Gibson banjos and banjolins from the 20's and 30's and they still look great. Gibson must've changed the composition of their regular pickguards in the 30's because a real good share of them in the 30's have the gas off/deterioration and any pre 1930's guards seem to all hold up great, I don't think I've ever seen an early guard deteriorate? I'm talking mandolin pickguards.

[rcc56]

The "pearloid fingerboards" on the Century models were actually a pearloid overlay laminated to a maple fingerboard, then sprayed with a couple of coats of lacquer. I have refretted a couple of these. They are quite durable. They might be a little more susceptible to finger wear than ebony, so keep your nails clipped.

[aleaddict]

Just to add one more "curio and relic" photo to this thread, these "new old stock" strings have been inside the mando case since I can remember. I never knew "Brilliancy" was even a word!
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[CarlM]

I never knew "Brilliancy" was even a word!

Not only a word also a song! There is another thread in the Song and Tune section with Sam Bush and Chris Thile playing it.

[Timbofood]

Aleaddict,
Do future owners a kindness and write (and I mean hand write) the history,fold it neatly and tuck the information in the case for future generations. It is a wonderful piece of family history and the instrument needs to have its history preserved too!
I have an old piece of family history like it (mandolin banjo from 1919) the recording of the family relationship is much more valuable than its commercial worth. Well, to me, at least.

[allenhopkins]

...I've seen pearloid guards on old Gibson banjos and banjolins from the 20's and 30's and they still look great...I'm talking mandolin pickguards.

Cool, but I'm talking fingerboards, which have strings rubbing against them under finger pressure. How does the plastic hold up after a few decades of pressing wound steel strings against it?

I've seem some Harmony Roy Smeck ukuleles that look fine after 50 years of use, but nylon strings are another matter; the hard plastic fingerboard is not likely to be too much eroded by nylon strings -- not as compared to steel/brass mandolin or banjo strings.

No doubt the Pearloid was more stable than the type of celluloid Gibson (and Martin as well) was using for pickguards in the same era -- that shrank, out-gassed, and generally failed. But several fancier Gibson banjos had Pearloid fingerboards, as well as the A-C mandolin. Did they last?

[rcc56]

The "pearloid fingerboards" on the Century models were actually a pearloid overlay laminated to a maple fingerboard, then sprayed with a couple of coats of lacquer. I have refretted a couple of these. They are quite durable. They might be a little more susceptible to finger wear than ebony, so keep your nails clipped.

Again, they are quite durable. Whether on guitar, banjo, or mandolin.

[aleaddict]

Hey folks,

OP here... just wanted to follow up on this thread. I drove from Napa to Gryphons in Palo Alto, CA yesterday and showed my dad's A-C to Frank Ford @gryphonstrings. We had spoken on the phone the day before so he had somewhat expected my visit. Frank inspected everything, inside and out, and said that I have nothing to worry about. In his words, this was one of the finest A-C's that he had ever seen. Happy to know after 80+ years this mando is still in excellent shape.

Frank had some new stock "banana" leather handles that fit my G&S case so I bought one as well as a Gryphons t-shirt... well worth the "peace of mind" knowing the decades of lack of attention on my part didn't adversely effect the condition of my family heirloom. Hats off to Gryphon, Frank and all the knowledgeable staff who helped me!

[Timbofood]

Very nice to hear a follow up report, thanks!