I just purchased this Mandolin. It痴 supposed to be a 1917 A3. Does that sound right. Any useful information would be greatly appreciated. I知 taking it to my Luthier next week for setup. I知 hoping it makes a great player.
Thank you
Joe
I just purchased this Mandolin. It痴 supposed to be a 1917 A3. Does that sound right. Any useful information would be greatly appreciated. I知 taking it to my Luthier next week for setup. I知 hoping it makes a great player.
Thank you
Joe
So what's the serial number on the label -- or the factory order number, often readable through the soundhole, on the neck block?
Looks like a pre-truss-rod A-3, minus its pickguard, and with post-Handel tuners. Bridge seems of later vintage, but I'm not Gibson-expert enough to tell.
Allen Hopkins
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I can’t recall if the blonde A-3s have different rosettes than the white-faced ones. I am on my phone so I don’t see large pics but it looks like back is either refinished or oversprayed. I wondered if it was a white-face also refinished hence my first statement. Maybe, maybe not.
In any case, it could be a very nice player. I have liked many of the A-3s I have played. My first Gibson was a 1919 A-3 and it sounded better to me than all the other As at Mandolin Brothers at that time — late 1970s.
Jim
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Looks like an A-3 with a bunch of finish work? Also it looks like tortoise top binding? Is that correct? Gibson sporadically in the late teens and more so in the 20's used tortoise binding on mainly F-2's and it was on the back, don't believe I've seen it used on the top so this A-3 may have been redone in the early 20's? I'm not up on my oval/round hole Gibson's however!
Thank you for the replies. I could not make out the numbers on the label. Although there is a real cool sticker on the case. I値l post a picture on a new thread.
Jim
My Stream on Soundcloud
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
Jim
My Stream on Soundcloud
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
Aha! Nice work Jim. I was wondering about that rosette, no stamp on headstock, i’ll keep looking for other numbers. I’ve been wanting one of these for a while. I can’t wait to start playing.
Thank you
Joe
Jim
My Stream on Soundcloud
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
This is an A-3, most likely built between 1918 and 1921. The instrument has had significant finish work, but it is hard to judge the specifics without clearer pictures.
From what I can see, I will guess that the back, the neck, and possibly the peghead have been over-sprayed; and that the top has been stripped and refinished. The black soundhole binding ring suggests that the instrument was probably shipped with the "ivory" top finish.
The bridge and the tortoise top binding are not original to the instrument.
Have your luthier check that the top brace is securely glued. The brace on old A models frequently come loose.
I wish you many years of enjoyment from your new mandolin.
Jim
My Stream on Soundcloud
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
It looks like the numbers inside are: 12326
Looks more like 11386 to my foggy brain. If that is the number it is a 1921 FON that isn't in Spann's book.
"It's comparable to playing a cheese slicer."
--M. Stillion
"Bargain instruments are no bargains if you can't play them"
--J. Garber
Check the number again. 12326 does not fit any Gibson numbering series for the period.
Spann does list a batch of A-3's with the number 11326 in the year of 1920.
Hard to see,but looks like 17326
THE WORLD IS A BETTER PLACE JUST FOR YOUR SMILE!
I love people buying this type of instrument. Much of the above advice is sound, and I have no doubt it can provide you a great deal of pleasure. You have what we'd call a player, and after all, that is why you bought it. Optimize the setup and enjoy it.
Silverangel A
Arches F style kit
1913 Gibson A-1
I don't think A3s had Handel tuners. Only F2, F4 and A4 as far as I know. On that subject lots of people used to say the Handel tuners were German but The Gibson Mandolin book published last year says they were made in St Louis.
QUOTE=Br1ck;1755562]I love people buying this type of instrument. Much of the above advice is sound, and I have no doubt it can provide you a great deal of pleasure. You have what we'd call a player, and after all, that is why you bought it. Optimize the setup and enjoy it.[/QUOTE]
From the archives:
- 1905 A3 with Handels
- 1905 A3 with Handels
- 1906 A3 with Handels
- 1908 A3 with Handels
- 1912 A3 with Handels
Looks like the last A3s with Handel tuners were earlier in the teens. BTW which Gibson book are you referring to that said the Handel tuners or the buttons were made in St. Louis?
Jim
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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
Brentrup Model 23, Boeh A5 #37, Gibson A Jr., Flatiron 1N, Coombe Classical flattop, Strad-O-Lin
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That is what I thought. I was obsessed about finding the origin of those buttons but AFAIK Louis Handel makes the most sense according to some of the vintage experts I contacted. There was a thread back in 2006 in which I posited that the Louis Handel made them. I think that is where Paul got the info. I contacted some folks back then and reported on the thread starting at this link.
Jim
My Stream on Soundcloud
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
Yeah thanks folks re Louis Handel Company on New York. I just remembered the Louis bit and got mixed up. I didn't know the early A3s had Handel buttons.
Thank you everyone for sharing your expertise. I took it to the luthier, has a top brace that needs glued and might need refretted. He said the top has flattened out a little bit. He is going to try dry-clamping for a while to try to get the shape back. Otherwise he said the back would have to come off, and he doesn’t really want to do that.
Anyway i’m All in with this puppy.
Thanks again
Joe
I wanted to update everyone on my mandolin. I got it back yesterday and after about $400 of repair it plays and sounds fantastic. It had a loose brace and needed a fret job. The top had to be clamped for a few weeks. I was nervous buying the thing but I'm glad I did. What a sound and what a great feel!!
Thanks everyone
Joe
Thanks for spending the money to revive an old Gibson.
Silverangel A
Arches F style kit
1913 Gibson A-1
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