View Full Version : 2008 Gibson A5?
johnny5
Dec-09-2012, 9:18pm
Today at a shop I played a 2008 Gibson A5, brand new, has been hanging on their wall since early 2009. It wasn't an A5-L, and didn't have back binding. But for some reason I thought there hadn't been any new A5s since 2005? I know you can't get them right now new from Gibson or through dealers, and haven't since the flood. How many are out there from after 2005? I had never seen one before. Just curious!
How did it sound? Another question on this mando. Were they basically the same as Flatiron Artist A-5?
Clement Barrera-Ng
Dec-10-2012, 7:03pm
Sounds like an A5G, and I think there had been a few of them produced after 2005, though definitely not recently.
johnny5
Dec-10-2012, 9:52pm
barrangtan, I thought so too, but the headstock and fingerboard were bound. The label read just "A5", no signature.
It sounded great. Classic gibson tone, real punchy, big bottom end, and it had been sitting on the wall unplayed, from what the guy told me. I was pretty surprised by it.
fatt-dad
Dec-10-2012, 10:04pm
never mind. I was confused. . .
f-d
I played a used recent A9 at a Guitar Center and wasn't impressed with either the sound or quality.
Big Joe
Dec-15-2012, 9:00am
They were just called A5. They are the same basic mandolin as the A5L, just less expensive to make. They did not make many. The A models (except A9) was not a very high volume seller so not many were made. They were designed to sound as good as the F model, just a less expensive model. Good mandolin, and if the price is right, should be a great buy. It will probably need a good setup after hanging so long.