Gumby Alert!

[Tobin]

It's not like the lump-scroll was the anomaly in being poorly built and sounding terrible. The '70s and '80s were a pretty low point for Gibson design quality and construction quality. It's well known that any Gibson mandolin from this era is going to sound terrible, and probably won't even benefit much from regraduation of the top.

Lump-scrolls suffer from the double whammy of not only sounding like garbage, but looking like garbage too.

[EdHanrahan]

... Lump-scrolls suffer from the double whammy of not only sounding like garbage, but looking like garbage too.

And how much more honesty could we ask for from ANY company?

[Lane Pryce]

If one had a left and right handed A12 they could be Mickey and Minnie. Lp

[MikeEdgerton]

Actually there's a photoshopped mickey here someplace that Jim Simpson did (if I recall).

[jim simpson]

actually there's a photoshopped mickey here someplace that jim simpson did (if i recall).

lol!

[Jim Garber]

Yet another Mickey model from 1974 also called the Bactrian Camel Gibson. Especially designed for playing middle eastern music. This one was especially clever because it had two straps so you could play it while skydiving.

[Jeff Mando]

This one was especially clever because it had two straps so you could play it while skydiving.

But would it have the volume needed to cut through over the wind noise?

[mee]

here is a second chance if you are sorry you missed the one on eBay

http://www.guitarcenter.com/Used/Gib...12-Mandolin.gc

[MikeEdgerton]

But would it have the volume needed to cut through over the wind noise?

Are you kidding me? That thing is an airplane wind-noise killer AND it plays like butter!

[DScott2408]

Does anyone know how many A12 Gumbys were made by Gibson?

[MikeEdgerton]

There are no Gibson production numbers that I am aware of. They aren't rare nor sought after.

There is more information on your other thread.

[DScott2408]

Thanks Mike - Unfortunately I fanned the flames of a firestorm in the other thread. Sorry! - Dan

[MikeEdgerton]

Thanks Mike - Unfortunately I fanned the flames of a firestorm in the other thread. Sorry! - Dan

That firestorm really has nothing to do with you

Don't worry about it.

There was a time that any mention of Ricky Skaggs pretty much brought the same reaction.

[Gary Hedrick]

These are the worst excuses for a mandolin I have every played.......and they look just as bad....

[Timbofood]

This is really much more like a "Mickey" than a "Gumby"
Decorum does not allow any more "honest" description.

[mandobassman]

Does anyone know anything about the lump scroll mandolin that Carl Jackson played? I remember seeing a video a couple of years ago where he was playing mandolin and it was a lump, but just not sure it was Gibson. I thought that one sounded real nice. I pulled up the only photo I could find, but it's not too clear.

[MikeEdgerton]

That one doesn't have the bottom point. Unless Gibson made one after the 30's with a different headstock shape and no bottom point I can't say it's a Gibson. The 37 Cromwell G6 (I think) was built by Gibson as one of their second lines. It didn't have the bottom point but the headstock was different and it had a stripe up the middle of the fingerboard.

[MikeEdgerton]

No discussion of the A-12 Gibson can be complete without including the A-5. Oval hole instead of F holes.

[your_diamond]

Howdy Buc-a-roo's, Maybe Gibson got the lump scroll idea from this 1950's Vintage Buc-A-Ru Mandolin...

http://r.ebay.com/KTdbOG

[AlanN]

Somehow, the oval-holed A-5 smells less offensive than its f-hole brethren...

[William Smith]

Does anyone know anything about the lump scroll mandolin that Carl Jackson played? I remember seeing a video a couple of years ago where he was playing mandolin and it was a lump, but just not sure it was Gibson. I thought that one sounded real nice. I pulled up the only photo I could find, but it's not too clear.

I believe that is an Ibanez he's playing in that photo, a month ago on reverb there as a real Kool looking Ibanez from early-mid 80's looked just like that, carved lumped scroll, A style snake headstock,not sure on body points? It sure looked neat for a bit over 500 bucks what it sold for!

[Jeff Mando]

I see the scroll-less region as being a perfect canvas for sticking a small quarter-sized metallic emblem, such as a nice circular Celtic symbol or something. You know what they say in sales -- always turn a negative into a positive!

[Tobin]

Howdy Buc-a-roo's, Maybe Gibson got the lump scroll idea from this 1950's Vintage Buc-A-Ru Mandolin...

http://r.ebay.com/KTdbOG

Yikes. That "mandolin" is awful. (I had to put it in quotes, because I'm not sure I'd qualify it as a real mandolin; it's more of a mandolin-shaped-object.) That looks like a crude attempt at an actual scroll, not a lumpy-gumby appendage. And besides, it would have been about 20 years too late to claim to be first on that count.

[MikeEdgerton]

Howdy Buc-a-roo's, Maybe Gibson got the lump scroll idea from this 1950's Vintage Buc-A-Ru Mandolin...

http://r.ebay.com/KTdbOG

Gibson was building a lump scroll mandolin in the 30's.

[darrylicshon]

I have a Ibanez lump scroll, but it is oval hole , I actually have 2 of them but only a photo of one. I haven't seen a F hole one yet , I would love to play one. My ibanez sound pretty good atleast to me. I only paid $100 for one and $125 for the other great for the price