1938 Gibson Mandola, anyone seen another quite like this

[NMW]

Hey y'all, I just came up on a bit of an odd duck, a 1938 Gibson Mandola that doesn't quite match the catalogues (surprise surprise) or the Fox book and I am wondering if anyone has any more info about this.

It has a typical 1930's open book headstock with trussrod, but has the pressed top and back, larger f holes, and evidence of a top-mounted pickguard (screw hole on the top next to the neck rather than the more typical pin mount.

Everything about this thing to me screams Kalamazoo KH-21, but with Gibson headstock and silkscreen. Others I have been able to find had more typical Gibson appointments (neck pickguard mount, smaller f holes)

It is a funky old thing, Sub-par depression era craftsmanship + 50 years in an attic I am told, but plays sweetly.

I am wondering too what the pickguard it would have had on it originally would have looked like, the hole makes me think it had a Kalamazoo style pickguard, but I have never seen those on an instrument with Gibson on the headstock. Did Gibson ever front-mount the traditional mandolin/mandola pickguards?

Thoughts? Not much info on 1930's Gibson Mandolas out there

[MikeEdgerton]

There is some interesting information in this thread regarding the bodies.

[William Smith]

Now that's an interesting one, definite depression Gibson going on there as that body is say a Gibson budget brand, but the Gibson stenciled in the peg head is very odd! I've seen a few Gibson's from the 30's with that body-F hole style never a dola. I have seen a Kalamazoo branded dola "KM-21"that looks identical to the OP's. Is the back flat? I've seen both flat and heat pressed with the back brace.

What is the FON# "look inside, treble F-hole on the back and there should be an ink stamp-more than likely really faded. I think yours was meant to be a Kalamazoo but the neck guy grabbed the wrong neck as I doubt it was sent back for a re-neck. Its a typical 30's Gibson oddity.

Yours with its body style would've had the same guard as the Kalamazoo's, The Gibson branded A-style Dola's from the 30's and early 40's look very different "think Tenor Lute bodies" and they'd have the typical elevated guard with the metal side bracket.

I'd like to see some more pix?

[rcc56]

It's a Gibson H-0, introduced in 1936, discontinued in 1943. I've seen a handful of them, and they vary somewhat in specs.

[William Smith]

I have a 1939 H-0 and it has the TL sized-style body but flat back with the back brace. Way different H-O look from the OP's.

[rcc56]

. . . and they vary somewhat in specs.

It's a depression era Gibson. "Uh-oh, we've got an order for a mandola. Throw something together using as many already-made-up parts you can find, and get it out the door."

[NMW]

Sounds about right. Yeah, this thing has a pressed back (a little deformed in one spot from the attic) with the single clumsy looking brace across it. Top is parallel braced and seems also to be pressed as opposed to carved.
I havent seen a Gibson branded mandolin with the oversized Kalamazoo pick guard before, but the hole and wear on the top suggests screwmount.
Have either of you seen that before?

[Tom Sanderson]

I had one like that about 20 years ago. It was pretty crappy.