Snakehead H-2 mandola?

[blidgood]

More images:




Any idea what the back and sides are made of?


Here's the neck joint - looks good to me!


and a video:
https://vimeo.com/144142155

[Ken Waltham]

Wow.
I have to say, when I only glanced at those first pictures, I sincerely thought it was a joke, and, that it was left kind of amateurish, ie not lined up, to make sure that was understood, tongue in cheek. I never even clicked on them.
But, now this above.
That is way too cool.

[danb]

Everything looks good to me. Blidgood, are you able to read the serial number and stamp number? Stamp number is purple ink up inside above the label on the block.

We've never seen another one of these.. so there is possibly an interesting set of possible explanations.

The size of the nut, scale, truss position, neck join type, 3-piece neck.. these all look right to me.

The pickguard bracket isn't an original Gibson one from 1924 of course, but that's about the only thing that doesn't look 1924 to me in that instrument

The back & sides are birch- exactly period correct.

Some interesting finish crazing on the back, possibly a little lacquer overspray or old polish.. what do you think Darryl?

[MikeEdgerton]

Thank you for posting the images. This is truly a neat instrument.

That video is great as well, thanks again for posting this. Excellent.

[Hendrik Ahrend]

Wonderful instrument, thanks for posting (and you all for discussing).
Are there any snake A4s with a three-piece neck? This H2 has just that, making it seem like a factory reworked paddle blank.

[sgarrity]

You just never know what might pop up with the Gibson name on it. Just look at Lil Pup, Grisman's two point, or that three point octave he had. What a cool find. Thanks for sharing with the rest of us mando-geeks!

[Tobin]

Wonderful instrument, thanks for posting (and you all for discussing).
Are there any snake A4s with a three-piece neck? This H2 has just that, making it seem like a factory reworked paddle blank.

Yeah, I think it really needs to be proven beyond all doubt that this is not just a reworked paddle head (either reworked at the factory or by a later owner) before we all start drooling about it being a one-of-a-kind prize. I mean, it's cool and all, even if it is a rework. But obviously not in the same league as it would be if it were original.

It would be nice to see some really up-close photos of the peg head details. Maybe get someone to overlay this image with an H2 paddle head to see what we should be looking for in terms of filled tuner peg holes, etc.

I really want this to be original. But we need to disprove the most likely alternative first.

[Timbofood]

I like it! I am particularly interested if there is any way to find out if the "rework" was done at Parsons Street! Given the provenance of other "unusual" items which have come from the original shop through economy of using what was on hand or what might have been modified from the factory, this is quite a pearl indeed!
Where's my popcorn!?

[MikeEdgerton]

I'm amazed. Does anyone commenting actually understand what "making it seem like a factory reworked paddle blank" means? There would have been no tuner holes to fill, it's a blank. Thanks to www.archesmandolin.com for the picture.

[MikeEdgerton]

Wonderful instrument, thanks for posting (and you all for discussing).
Are there any snake A4s with a three-piece neck? This H2 has just that, making it seem like a factory reworked paddle blank.

I just took a quick tour through the 1923 A4's that had image files and didn't find any three piece necks. I would assume that they would have occurred early. I'd guess that they planned on selling enough mandolins to justify building snakehead blanks for them. If you look at the Spann book there aren't a ton of mandola's being built in that period and if as Darryl has suggested they had the neck blanks then I'd assume they'd rework blanks on hand to match that snakehead spec. The numbers of mandolins vs mandolas is really lopsided.

[MikeEdgerton]

I like it! I am particularly interested if there is any way to find out if the "rework" was done at Parsons Street! Given the provenance of other "unusual" items which have come from the original shop through economy of using what was on hand or what might have been modified from the factory, this is quite a pearl indeed!
Where's my popcorn!?

I'm sure the neck blank was reworked before it was installed and the mandola left the factory so the answer would be that the rework of the neck blank was done at Parsons Street because that's where the instrument was built.

[Tobin]

I'm amazed. Does anyone commenting actually understand what "making it seem like a factory reworked paddle blank" means? There would have been no tuner holes to fill, it's a blank. Thanks to www.archesmandolin.com for the picture.

If you're referring to my comments about filling holes, I was talking about if a later owner had it reworked. It would be nice to rule that out definitively.

[Jim Garber]

It looks like there is only one Loar Era H2 with accompanying photos in the Archive: 1923 H2 Mandola.

[MikeEdgerton]

That one has the mandolin sized pickguard and the correct bracket. There weren't a heck of a lot of mandolas even listed in the Spann book.

[Timbofood]

I'm sure the neck blank was reworked before it was installed and the mandola left the factory so the answer would be that the rework of the neck blank was done at Parsons Street because that's where the instrument was built.

Mike, I am in total agreement though, maybe I expressed myself poorly, the concept that "Here we have a neck blank (albeit a paddlehead) and, we have a order for a mandola, let's make it the design currently in the catalog, even if we only make a couple" strikes me as both practical and forward thinking should additional orders have come up.
As I say, I may have expressed myself poorly. I'm just glad it was made! And only a mile or less from where I sit!!

[mandroid]

Proportionally, it looks like another Mandolin pictured , not a Mandola


Aint Gibson But i got a Mandola from the Builder , Greg Biller with a 'Surf' scroll and a snake head
Black walnut neck sides and Back ... Its Got all the Notes ..

H scale seems to Be 0.4M. / 400mm

[Timbofood]

For some reason I feel a small itch for a mandola! Thank God it's small, can't afford one, I will just use bamboo and scratch my back until something improves in the job market for me. Drat, drat and double drat!

[MikeEdgerton]

For some reason I feel a small itch for a mandola! Thank God it's small, can't afford one, I will just use bamboo and scratch my back until something improves in the job market for me. Drat, drat and double drat!

Yeah, me too. I'm lamenting not knowing about the one Martin (mrmando) mentioned. It's here. I've been looking at the Trinity College models all day.

[sgarrity]

I could help you scratch that itch........

[Timbofood]

With which Shaun? The job I need, the mandola, not so much but, thanks!!!

[oldwave maker]

Most inspiring old Gibson I've seen here since the teardrop 21.25 scale octave.
Sign me up for the blueprint, Mr. Condino, especially if you can mic the octave too.
Thanks to Scott T. for enabling this worldwide deep well of mandoarchaeology!

[Timbofood]

I like the term "mandoarchaeology" and yes, thanks so much for all your effort Scott et al.

[Hendrik Ahrend]

I like the term "mandoarchaeology" and yes, thanks so much for all your effort Scott et al.

Yes, I agree, it's wonderful. Others may want to call it "organology": http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Organology

[Kevin Stueve]

Yeah, me too. I'm lamenting not knowing about the one Martin (mrmando) mentioned. It's here. I've been looking at the Trinity College models all day.

I'm drooling over the mandola that Old Wave just posted for sale in the classifieds. (but I really wanted my next one to be an OM)

[Fretbear]

Well that's one for the books
Very sweet and penetrating tone, similar to that ancient banjo-sounding-like A that Grisman recorded "Turn of the Century" with.