Results 1 to 15 of 15

Thread: 1933 Gibson A50 with an Oval Soundhole

  1. #1
    FIDDLES with STRADOLINS your_diamond's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jul 2014
    Location
    Tampa
    Posts
    642

    Default 1933 Gibson A50 with an Oval Soundhole

    1933 Gibson A50 Mandolin Oval Soundhole w/Case NO RESERVE .99 Start
    https://ebay.us/K3GsV4
    He states;
    pickguard is missing.
    Gibson only made the A50 with an Oval Soundhole for the first year of manufacture.
    & has lots of chop.

  2. #2

    Default Re: 1933 Gibson A50 with an Oval Soundhole

    Already up to 818$. If only it had stayed at 99 cents

  3. #3

    Default Re: 1933 Gibson A50 with an Oval Soundhole

    That's a beauty and I don't doubt it sounds great. I bought a case that I thought was just like that one in this auction- for my Wards 1642 which is an A50 in most respects- just no truss rod. Well the body fits perfectly but the headstock is just too wide! Of course, once it arrived I could see it was not going to fit. It will fit an A Junior with a snakehead and the cloud tailpiece and no end pin and it will fit my A2 if I take the end pin out! I am not going to buy an A Junior just to fit the case but I have other slimmer mandolins.... that can rattle around in it! I also now have an old Regal that came with the case!

  4. #4
    Registered User William Smith's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jun 2010
    Location
    Sugar Grove,PA
    Posts
    3,370
    Blog Entries
    1

    Default Re: 1933 Gibson A50 with an Oval Soundhole

    That one should have an elevated fret board! Very GOOD mandolin but the next A-50's I think are better from late 34-35 when they went to F-holes and kept the elevated board.

  5. #5
    Registered User Tom C's Avatar
    Join Date
    Sep 2002
    Location
    Warwick, NY
    Posts
    3,985

    Default Re: 1933 Gibson A50 with an Oval Soundhole

    Maple back?

  6. #6
    Registered User
    Join Date
    Jan 2009
    Location
    S.W. Wisconsin
    Posts
    7,507

    Default Re: 1933 Gibson A50 with an Oval Soundhole

    Quote Originally Posted by William Smith View Post
    That one should have an elevated fret board! Very GOOD mandolin but the next A-50's I think are better from late 34-35 when they went to F-holes and kept the elevated board.
    Doesn't look like an elevated board, but then my '22 doesn't have an elevated board and is a killer oval.
    THE WORLD IS A BETTER PLACE JUST FOR YOUR SMILE!

  7. #7
    Worlds ok-ist mando playr Zach Wilson's Avatar
    Join Date
    Nov 2015
    Location
    Auburn, Washington
    Posts
    1,553

    Default Re: 1933 Gibson A50 with an Oval Soundhole

    Beautiful instrument! Anyone wanna buy me an early birthday gift?

  8. #8
    FIDDLES with STRADOLINS your_diamond's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jul 2014
    Location
    Tampa
    Posts
    642

    Default Re: 1933 Gibson A50 with an Oval Soundhole

    This does NOT appear to be a raised fingerboard.

    There is a raised fingerboard oval-hole A-50 on Reverb that is dated 1934. So, Gibson may have made the A50 with an Oval Soundhole for the first year AND A HALF (or possibly two) years of manufacture.

    Anybody know that kind of wood was used for the back?

  9. #9
    Registered User dustyamps's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jan 2011
    Location
    Springfield Missouri USA
    Posts
    300

    Default Re: 1933 Gibson A50 with an Oval Soundhole

    Looks like a nice maple back on this one. Considering how hard it was to sell a mandolin during this time I think Gibson used nice woods on a lot of instruments. My '32 A0 has a quilted maple back on it also.

  10. The following members say thank you to dustyamps for this post:


  11. #10
    ===========
    Join Date
    Feb 2017
    Location
    Connecticut
    Posts
    1,628

    Default Re: 1933 Gibson A50 with an Oval Soundhole

    I can't say that I personally ever remember playing an oval hole with 'lots of chop' . . . .

    Am I wrong?

  12. #11
    Registered User
    Join Date
    Jan 2009
    Location
    S.W. Wisconsin
    Posts
    7,507

    Default Re: 1933 Gibson A50 with an Oval Soundhole

    A guitar has a lot of sustain, but it can have a decent chop just like an oval mandolin. Will it be like an archtop guitar or an ff hole mandolin, no, but then archtop's don't have as deep a sound so the chop is more percussive. I have a decent chop on my '22 Gibson, tho I rarely use chop on any mandolin.
    THE WORLD IS A BETTER PLACE JUST FOR YOUR SMILE!

  13. #12
    Mando-Accumulator Jim Garber's Avatar
    Join Date
    Mar 2003
    Location
    Westchester, NY
    Posts
    30,753

    Default Re: 1933 Gibson A50 with an Oval Soundhole

    At the moment it is at $1035 with 4 days to go. That is approaching normal retail price. I don't see anything in the description about its having "lots of chop." Maybe he read this thread and took it out?

    Here are some pics for when it disappears.
    Attached Thumbnails Attached Thumbnails Click image for larger version. 

Name:	s-l1600.jpg 
Views:	116 
Size:	219.0 KB 
ID:	173965   Click image for larger version. 

Name:	s-l1600-1.jpg 
Views:	132 
Size:	169.5 KB 
ID:	173966   Click image for larger version. 

Name:	s-l1600-2.jpg 
Views:	156 
Size:	167.5 KB 
ID:	173967  

    Click image for larger version. 

Name:	s-l1600-7.jpg 
Views:	128 
Size:	188.3 KB 
ID:	173968   Click image for larger version. 

Name:	s-l1600-5.jpg 
Views:	101 
Size:	105.4 KB 
ID:	173969  
    Jim

    My Stream on Soundcloud
    Facebook
    19th Century Tunes
    Playing lately:
    1924 Gibson A4 - 2018 Campanella A-5 - 2007 Brentrup A4C - 1915 Frank Merwin Ashley violin - Huss & Dalton DS - 1923 Gibson A2 black snakehead - '83 Flatiron A5-2 - 1939 Gibson L-00 - 1936 Epiphone Deluxe - 1928 Gibson L-5 - ca. 1890s Fairbanks Senator Banjo - ca. 1923 Vega Style M tenor banjo - ca. 1920 Weymann Style 25 Mandolin-Banjo - National RM-1

  14. The following members say thank you to Jim Garber for this post:


  15. #13
    Registered User
    Join Date
    Jan 2009
    Location
    S.W. Wisconsin
    Posts
    7,507

    Default Re: 1933 Gibson A50 with an Oval Soundhole

    It's still there Jim, in the top of the blue area description.



    “very nice . pickguard is missing. Very rare Oval Hole A50 (1st year only) has lots of chop.”
    THE WORLD IS A BETTER PLACE JUST FOR YOUR SMILE!

  16. #14
    Mando-Accumulator Jim Garber's Avatar
    Join Date
    Mar 2003
    Location
    Westchester, NY
    Posts
    30,753

    Default Re: 1933 Gibson A50 with an Oval Soundhole

    Quote Originally Posted by pops1 View Post
    It's still there Jim, in the top of the blue area description.

    “very nice . pickguard is missing. Very rare Oval Hole A50 (1st year only) has lots of chop.”
    Yes you are correct. I see it but in my browser it is in the yellow area.

    Click image for larger version. 

Name:	Screen Shot 2019-01-13 at 7.37.57 PM.png 
Views:	79 
Size:	105.6 KB 
ID:	173972
    Jim

    My Stream on Soundcloud
    Facebook
    19th Century Tunes
    Playing lately:
    1924 Gibson A4 - 2018 Campanella A-5 - 2007 Brentrup A4C - 1915 Frank Merwin Ashley violin - Huss & Dalton DS - 1923 Gibson A2 black snakehead - '83 Flatiron A5-2 - 1939 Gibson L-00 - 1936 Epiphone Deluxe - 1928 Gibson L-5 - ca. 1890s Fairbanks Senator Banjo - ca. 1923 Vega Style M tenor banjo - ca. 1920 Weymann Style 25 Mandolin-Banjo - National RM-1

  17. #15
    Full Grown and Cussin' brunello97's Avatar
    Join Date
    Dec 2005
    Location
    Ann Arbor/Austin
    Posts
    6,281

    Default Re: 1933 Gibson A50 with an Oval Soundhole

    "Lots of chop"?
    Be careful how you use it.
    Mick
    Ever tried, ever failed? No matter. Try again, fail again. Fail better.--Samuel Beckett
    ______________________

    '05 Cuisinart Toaster
    '93 Chuck Taylor lowtops
    '12 Stetson Open Road
    '06 Bialetti expresso maker
    '14 Irish Linen Ramon Puig

Bookmarks

Bookmarks

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •