1937 Gelas Mandobass

[gweetarpicker]

This week's unusual instrument is a 1937 Lucien Gelas Mandobass, double top construction, 20" lower bout, 39 3/8" scale, end pin. Tone is more like a big flattop guitar than a carved upright bass or carved Gibson mandobass.



www.vintagefrettedinstruments.com

[Tavy]

That's one seriously big mandolin - cool!

[Jim Garber]

Matthew: Does this Gélas mandobass actually have a Gélas label. Most of the mandolins I have seen have labels from other luthiers licensed by Gélas.

From Lucien Gélas article on Wikipedia:

Gélas produced the instruments with the help of guitar-makers (following his patent), at first Théodore Gaudet and later Jean Roviès, Beuscher, Richard Jacob and others. The instruments included classical guitars, mandolins, jazz double-basses and Hawaiian guitars.

[gweetarpicker]

It has a "Mandolone Gelas" label with "J.R. - Paris" underneath which likely stands for the French builder, Jean Rovies in Paris. However unlike my Gelas tenor mandola and mandocello, the label in the mandobass does not have the added signature of Gelas penned across the label. I'll try to get a shot of the mandobass label but for now I've included a photo of the mandocello label which is similar except it says "Mandoloncelle Gelas" and it has the added Gelas signature.