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Thread: Snakehead H-2 mandola?

  1. #1

    Default Snakehead H-2 mandola?

    Looking around on the cafe, I've found that folks here aren't aware of any extant Gibson-made snakehead mandolas. I realize that this ground has been covered, but I want to raise the question again :Has anyone else turned up news of mandolas with the snakehead headstock shape? I've recently become aware of the mando-viola that Loar made, etc. (http://www.mandolincafe.com/forum/sh...do-Viola-70321) that makes this possibility seem at least remotely likely. Is there a possibility that someone might have custom-ordered a snakehead mandola to complement their similarly-headstocked-mandolin?

  2. #2
    Martin Stillion mrmando's Avatar
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    Default Re: Snakehead H-2 mandola?

    I wouldn't stay up late worrying about it.
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    Default Re: Snakehead H-2 mandola?

    Never say never but until you see one I wouldn't think there are any out there.


    Phil

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    Hester Mandolins Gail Hester's Avatar
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    Default Re: Snakehead H-2 mandola?

    I don't think Gibson ever made one but they should have. Here's one that I'm working for a customer.
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    Gail Hester

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    Kelley Mandolins Skip Kelley's Avatar
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    Default Re: Snakehead H-2 mandola?

    Nice work, Gail! I'd like to see more pictures!

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    Moderator MikeEdgerton's Avatar
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    Default Re: Snakehead H-2 mandola?

    Interesting. There are none in the archive with images.

    http://www.mandolinarchive.com/perl/...olas_cellos:1:

    By the way Gail, nice work.
    "It's comparable to playing a cheese slicer."
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  9. #7

    Default Re: Snakehead H-2 mandola?

    The institution where I work received an instrument donation, some older axes of various kinds and qualities. Along with this beauty, which looks to be a 1924-ish snakehead, with "H2" printed on the label.
    What do _we_make of this? I'd love to hear from folks!

    Click image for larger version. 

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    Apologies for the quick and dirty images, will work on figuring out how to get better quality images posted here.
    Last edited by Scott Tichenor; Oct-30-2015 at 7:19am. Reason: placing images side by side for clarity for those unable to distinguish... never mind

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    Default Re: Snakehead H-2 mandola?

    Wow. That was quick.

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    Moderator MikeEdgerton's Avatar
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    Default Re: Snakehead H-2 mandola?

    Could you submit the pictures and the serial number and FON to the Mandolin Archive? Like I said, there are none with pictures. The serial might already be there.

    http://www.mandolinarchive.com/contact.shtml
    "It's comparable to playing a cheese slicer."
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    "Bargain instruments are no bargains if you can't play them"
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    Moderator MikeEdgerton's Avatar
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    Default Re: Snakehead H-2 mandola?

    Look at the headblock through the sound hole. Are there numbers stamped on it? That would be the Factory Order Number (FON). That should show up in Joe Spann's Gibson book along with a shipping date.
    "It's comparable to playing a cheese slicer."
    --M. Stillion

    "Bargain instruments are no bargains if you can't play them"
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    Registered User jim simpson's Avatar
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    Default Re: Snakehead H-2 mandola?

    Quote Originally Posted by blidgood View Post
    The institution where I work received an instrument donation, some older axes of various kinds and qualities. Along with this beauty, which looks to be a 1924-ish snakehead, with "H2" printed on the label.
    What do _we_make of this? I'd love to hear from folks!
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    Apologies for the quick and dirty images, will work on figuring out how to get better quality images posted here.
    I want to work at your institution, lol!
    Old Hometown, Cabin Fever String Band

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    Mando accumulator allenhopkins's Avatar
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    Default Re: Snakehead H-2 mandola?

    Would be a great find -- and I know you can't tell a whole lot from a single picture -- but size-wise, doesn't this look more like an A-2 than an H-2? Sorta going by the hand size of the person holding it...

    Could the "A" in "A-2" be partially obscured/erased, making it look like an "H"? The Gibson factory batch records should tell us how many mandolas were built during the "snakehead" period.

    Hope my skepticism's unfounded, as a snakehead H-2 would be a wonderful discovery.
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    Moderator MikeEdgerton's Avatar
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    Default Re: Snakehead H-2 mandola?

    That's a mandolin pickguard on a mandola body. I'm pretty sure it's an H.
    "It's comparable to playing a cheese slicer."
    --M. Stillion

    "Bargain instruments are no bargains if you can't play them"
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  18. #14
    Registered User Glassweb's Avatar
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    Default Re: Snakehead H-2 mandola?

    from the pic it looks like an A4 size body but the end of the fingerboard is not the typical A4 extension... more like a mandola extension. have never seen the like before! if it does turn out to be a mandola that will indeed be a "first". ya never know...
    Tom, Darryl, Ken... what sayeth ye good men?

  19. #15
    Martin Stillion mrmando's Avatar
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    Default Re: Snakehead H-2 mandola?

    Well, there's always the possibility that someone did a conversion job: start with a paddlehead mandola, plug the tuner holes, reshape headstock, cover it all up with a new headplate and back veneer, and redrill.

    Our experts will want a real close look at that headstock, front and back, particularly the logo inlay. It looks fairly well done but I don't have the expertise to declare it authentic or inauthentic.

    The tuners appear to be an example of the "coffee-colored" buttons that appear on some high-end snakehead mandolins from the Loar period. The pickguard bracket is a replacement and part of the pickguard itself is broken.

    If it's an authentic, factory-made, custom-ordered snakehead H2 it'll be worth some coin for your organization, replacement parts notwithstanding. If it's a converted paddlehead, then not so much. If you know anyone in the medical imaging line, an X-ray shot of the headstock would reveal all.

    blidgood, what's your location? It would be helpful to take some side-by-side photos with a snakehead A4 and paddlehead H2. There might be a Cafe member nearby who'd be willing to help.

    It's definitely a correct 21-fret mandola fretboard, and the 12th fret lines up with the end of the riser block just as it should, and it extends over the soundhole just about as much as it should ... which wouldn't be the case if the body were mandolin-sized. Good photos of a Loar-period paddlehead H2 here, for comparison: http://www.mandolinarchive.com/gibson/serial/71983
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    Registered User Glassweb's Avatar
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    Default Re: Snakehead H-2 mandola?

    wait a minute... that photo is a composite of 2 different images... i'm all confused now!

  21. #17
    Martin Stillion mrmando's Avatar
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    Default Re: Snakehead H-2 mandola?

    Right, we need a single photo showing the whole instrument, and if you can take a ruler and measure the distance from the nut to the 12th fret, that'll lay to rest any qualms about the scale.
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    Mando accumulator allenhopkins's Avatar
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    Default Re: Snakehead H-2 mandola?

    Quote Originally Posted by Glassweb View Post
    wait a minute... that photo is a composite of 2 different images... i'm all confused now!
    The plot thickens...
    Allen Hopkins
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    H-O mandolinetto
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    Registered User MANDOLINMYSTER's Avatar
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    Default Re: Snakehead H-2 mandola?

    Quote Originally Posted by allenhopkins View Post
    The plot thickens...
    fingerboard is to skinny in the top photo. I thinks its a mandola body ad a mando neck.

    We need the full Monte.:
    Michael Lettieri

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    Martin Stillion mrmando's Avatar
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    Default Re: Snakehead H-2 mandola?

    Quote Originally Posted by MANDOLINMYSTER View Post
    fingerboard is to skinny in the top photo.
    True, unless the fellow holding it is a basketball player. blidgood: please measure the nut width!
    I thinks its a mandola body ad a mando neck.
    That would be a major Frankenstein job, especially getting the mandola fretboard to fit correctly. You'd have to make a dovetail for the dovetail!
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    Moderator MikeEdgerton's Avatar
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    Default Re: Snakehead H-2 mandola?

    Am I the only one that knew that was two photos to begin with? I'm waiting for more photos. I suspect it's real but won't know until we see some pictures of the back as well and get the serial and FON.
    "It's comparable to playing a cheese slicer."
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    "Bargain instruments are no bargains if you can't play them"
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  27. #22
    Registered User Glassweb's Avatar
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    Default Re: Snakehead H-2 mandola?

    A4 mandolin headstock in the top photo and a H2 body in the lower photo. i didn't know today was April Fool's Day!

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    Default Re: Snakehead H-2 mandola?

    This could be like the boy who is supposedly trapped down the well when in reality he is in the barn hiding. In this case I hope we find that boy in the well.

    *No boys or wells were harmed in this post.

  29. #24
    Moderator MikeEdgerton's Avatar
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    Default Re: Snakehead H-2 mandola?

    Using the totally unscientific approach of trying to get a known snakehead headstock from an A2Z to be the same size as this image. The buttons and the truss rod cover should be close.
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    "It's comparable to playing a cheese slicer."
    --M. Stillion

    "Bargain instruments are no bargains if you can't play them"
    --J. Garber

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  31. #25
    Martin Stillion mrmando's Avatar
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    Default Re: Snakehead H-2 mandola?

    Mike, can you do the same with an H2 paddlehead headstock?
    (To me it looks as though the tuner buttons in your A2Z photo are just a bit bigger than those in the purported H2 photo ... but even so we can see that the H2 headstock and nut are wider ... )
    Emando.com: More than you wanted to know about electric mandolins.

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