View Full Version : 1937 Gibson A1
audiorep2
May-11-2020, 5:46pm
I aquired this instrument recently at a Vintage Guitar Show . Although I can't read it , apparently the serial number is 526 C6 . I was told that this is a slightly different variation in that the body is a little wider than most . True ? Also , when comparing it to pics on the web , I notice that the headstock is a slightly different shape . Am I missing something here ?
I know nothing about mandolins . I am a bass player . I bought it to learn how to play .
Pics attached.
Gibson did briefly make the A-1 and A-50 models with a larger body from 1937 to circa 1942. They were not made in large numbers.
According to Gruhn's Guide, the large bodied mandolins had a longer scale length of 14 1/2", compared to the standard scale of 13 7/8" for most Gibson mandolins.
There were several variations in the shape of pre-war Gibson mandolin pegheads. Except for the "snakeheads", the variations were small enough that they are often not noticed.
That's one of the cleanest '30's Gibson I've seen in quite a while. If the back looks as good as the top, try not to bang it up too much. Hope you enjoy it.
audiorep2
May-11-2020, 7:12pm
Here is the back .
Eric Platt
May-11-2020, 8:05pm
526 C 6 is the factory order number (FON). According to Spann's book, 526 C is a known batch of A-1 mandolins from 1937. The 6 at the end probably stands for the 6th instrument of the batch. That's a very nice instrument. Hopefully you get a lot of enjoyment out of learning to play it.
Per Paul Fox's book on Gibson mandolins, 298 A-1 models were shipped in 1937.
audiorep2
May-12-2020, 6:14am
Is it commom for there to be no sticker inside ?
Yes. During this period, Gibson usually only used paper labels on a few high-end instruments.