Gibson A2 1918

[JerseyPicker]

Hi All,

I am on the hunt for a new Mandolin, and had the chance to play a 1918 Gibson A2 that was at a local Guitar Center. http://www.guitarcenter.com/Used/Gibson/Vintage-1918-A2-Mandolin.gc


I really like the way it sounded ("rich and tubby"), and the setup on it is pretty good. Intonation was good except a little sharp on the G strings. I didn't want to mess with the bridge in the store to try and fix this. They are asking $1,299, but said they could lower it to $1,160 for me.

The issue that I have, is that the top is significantly sunken down. I had their in-house tech look at it, and he looked inside with a little mirror and didn't see any evidence of cracking. He recommends taking the strings off, and leaving it in a case with a sponge for about a week. While looking at it, he also saw signs of an old repair to the body (not the top), which was done well.

I guess I'm here looking for some advice on how to proceed. This is my first -real- mandolin purchase, and I don't want to get something that will break or fall apart on me. Should I stay away from this because of the sinking top? Will the 1 week humidity trick bring the top back? Is it worth what they are asking?

[Mandoplumb]

I would suggest standing over it saying top arise abracadabra, probably work just as well.

[John Rosett]

I have a 1919 A2 that I bought last March for $1100. I think that for what they're asking, you could find one with a healthy top. Here's a sweet looking style A from a reputable dealer for $1200: https://www.mandolincafe.com/ads/116609#116609

[allenhopkins]

Any slight recurving of the top induced by humidification, could obviously be reversed by subsequent drying. A fairly extensive reconstruction of the top would be needed, or forcing the top into a more pronounced arch by installing a new transverse brace. The added expense of such major work would force the instrument right out of a reasonable price range.

The best case would have been if the brace had cracked or loosened. Since this isn't the case, it has deformed under string pressure. If the "house tech" thinks the sinkage is correctible by re-humidification, suggest that the store do this before trying to sell the instrument.

[mrmando]

To put it more bluntly, the house tech sounds like he has no idea what he's talking about. Re-arching a top is a major repair and you can expect to spend $400 to $500 to have it done properly. The mandolin is not worth what they are asking for it.

[UsuallyPickin]

And the answer is ding ding .... look for a better deal on a healthy instrument. R/