It's Here....It's here

[Dano Reible]

Got home from the road today and my 1929 Gibson Jr. A was waiting for me. She wont win any beauty contests but boy does she sound great...and plays so easy. The wipe on stain someone smeared of her is a total shame but from the looks of it a lot of patience and 6000 grit micro cloth may clean her up a bit. Of course leaving her the way she is may be an option....Hmmmm.....what a delima.
What ever I do I now have the real thing, like a kid on christmass morning. :cool:

[Mandolusional]

Congrats Dano, proud owner of a nearly 80 year old mandolin! Enjoy the tone and history, check back in and give us a report on the tone once you take time to set it down.

[RandyMolson]

...and now that you have piqued our curiosity about the finish, you are obliged to post a pic! ~:>

[Dano Reible]

Here are some pics, wish I could figure out what to do with her. I may just leave as is??? As she sounds wonderful.....

As you can see in the neck pic the slop is wearing off, it was originaly just the first fret area but I rubbed it a but with some old 2000 grit paper and she seams to come off with some effort.

I would love to end up with a good looking distresed look.

Tons of glue on the bottom back joint but solid as a rock. Looking for a heavy cast tailpiece with out a cover to replace that one and add a strap button.

WONT LET ME POST PICS AGAIN, GO TO http://www.mandolincafe.com/forum/showthread.php?t=43893
to see pics

[atetone]

Dano, I recently acquired a 1924 Gibson Ajr snakehead in much the same condition.
Mine was completely oversprayed with some sort of brittle stuff.
When I say completely I mean the fretboard, frets,,,, the whole shooting match.
It was encased!
At first I didn't know what to think would be a plan of action for it but after looking it over for a couple of weeks I came to realize that it would never be a museum piece so I just decided to let it be an old mandolin that had been around the block a few times.
No refinishing for this old baby.
I have been working away on it a bit by removing the overspray from the fretboard and frets with a razorblade and by taking off the lumpy spots of overspray on the rest..
I am just using wet-dry sandpaper with water with a bit of dishsoap in it as a lubricant and the overspray is sort of "cleaning" off rather than being sanded off. It is working ok,,,sort of.
It will still look like an old beater when I am done and I am just fine with that.
I think it will be kind of cool.
Sometimes you just have to let them be what they are.