Customer's old brown 1920 Gib A-2

[Jake Wildwood]

This thing has that extra-crisp A-sound... really liking it. Twas in the shop for a board level and refret/setup. Will be salivating until it goes home...

More pics and a soundclip at the blog post...

[Bob Bass]

Thanks for the pictures and the clip Jake! Nice clean sound coming out of that instrument!

[brunello97]

Nice all around post, Jake. Just a great mandolin. I've been a Pumpkin man but am learning to love the Sheraton brown.

Mick

[F-2 Dave]

Classic. When someone mentions old Gibson A's, that's the mandolin that pops up in my mind's eye.

[Jake Wildwood]

Dave: Me, too.

Mick: There have been a lot of browns in for regular service work lately and I've started liking them more because of that... :D

Bob: Yeah, it's got a great tone -- surprising because of the extra bracing -- and not quite as woofy as some of these guys get when they have, eh, more malleable tops-- so to speak.

[brunello97]

Jake, what is the lateral extent of the added brace under the bridge? Does it run fully side to side?

I added an additional brace in the bridge area to a KM11 that I had after it suffered a catastrophic top failure / collapse. Had no choice but to run it side to side--it was that far gone. Admittedly it did dampen the low end. But the middle and highs firmed up in a nice crisp manner. The bit what I hear (or imagine what I hear) in your A2. Sounds great, Jake. Yes, and I am growing to enjoy the color.

Mick

[Jake Wildwood]

Mick: yup, it's all the way across. I've never seen a sunken-top Gib that didn't need one that did that. It seems to me like if they've sunk... they've sunk... and you might as well brace it for tension as you would a domed-top instrument instead -- so, well done!