Neck binding on Gibson 1914 A-1

[waynebien]

The neck binding on my mandolin is a mystery. Did A-1's ever have neck binding? There is no evidence of binding around the back... so it's not an A-2. Who ever put the binding on did a good job... it looks just like the factory binding around the top and sound hole. About 2/3 of it has fallen off of the treble side of the neck and what is left is held on with two very rusty finishing nails that are sticking out and probably only in the wood half-way (see picture). Can I get binding that will match the bass side? SEE PICTURE IN NEXT POST

[waynebien]

SUCCESS

[sunburst]

Those rusty nails once held a pick guard, and are most likely original. That's what they used.
The binding can be replaced, but if you want it to match, it will have to be done by someone with enough restoration experience to color it #to simulate age.

[Darryl Wolfe]

Gibson was notoriously inconsistent with binding as it related to the catalog description for the lower end A-models. I have a '23 "A", not A-1 or A-2 with top, back and fingerboard binding. Binding on top and fingerboard but not the back was also very common for an A or A-1

[waynebien]

Thanks for all of the information. In searching the Mandolin Archive there are pictures of at least one (1912 Gibson A1 Mandolin #12805) that have a bound neck.

[Jack Roberts]

my 1918 a-1 is bound on the neck and top, but not the back.