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Thread: Odd vintage Gibson electric

  1. #1
    Martin Stillion mrmando's Avatar
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    Default Odd vintage Gibson electric

    This popped up on Facebook from South Africa. Thought it was worth a share here.

    By the time Gibson started making production electric mandolins in 1936, it had stopped using this headtsock logo. I've never seen this pickup on a Gibson; both knobs are on the bass side, which is something Gibson never did; early Gibson electric mandolins had internal posts added (with screws that went through the top) to keep the top from caving in — no evidence of that here. All of that suggests this was built in the early '30s as a standard acoustic mando and customized later. Anyone have additional thoughts, or recognize that pickup?

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  2. #2
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    Default Re: Odd vintage Gibson electric

    That finish looks really clean for a 30's mandolin. I suspect the logo is a decal applied to a no-name mandolin.

  3. #3
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    Default Re: Odd vintage Gibson electric

    That logo was in use on at least some instruments until the L-00 was discontinued, sometime after the US entered WWII.

    Whoever installed the pickup, it appears to be a very early piece of work, and appears to have been installed for a left handed player. Note the vacant screw hole for the pickguard next to the bass side of the fingerboard.

    And yes, it is a 30's Gibson mandolin. The pickup is not of a configuration I am familiar with, although it reminds me of something. It may be an early after market installation.

    If you're really curious and want to do some digging, I'll bet you'll find a similar pickup on a '30's - '40's lap steel, but I don't know whose.

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    Default Re: Odd vintage Gibson electric

    Could the knobs on the bass side suggest that it was originally electrified as a lefty? There’s a screw hole alongside the 13th fret on the opposite side of the neck to the screw holding the pickguard. It would be interesting to know whether there’s a corresponding hole on the top side.

    If it is indeed a Gibson, there should be a Factory Order Number inside.

    Edit - you beat me to it!!!!

  6. #5
    Moderator MikeEdgerton's Avatar
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    Default Re: Odd vintage Gibson electric

    The mandolin was built by Gibson the electronics weren't. I also suspect it was strung lefty when it was electrified.
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    Registered User John Rosett's Avatar
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    Default Re: Odd vintage Gibson electric

    It's an early 40's Gibson A-1 mandolin with an aftermarket pickup.
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    Martin Stillion mrmando's Avatar
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    Default Re: Odd vintage Gibson electric

    Quote Originally Posted by rcc56 View Post
    Whoever installed the pickup, it appears to be a very early piece of work, and appears to have been installed for a left handed player. Note the vacant screw hole for the pickguard next to the bass side of the fingerboard.
    Well, the nut is slotted for a right-handed player ... so either it was never changed, or it was changed back when the pickguard was moved back to the right-hand side.
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    Default Re: Odd vintage Gibson electric

    Yep thats a late 30's A-1 that someone electrified!

  11. #9
    Registered User John Rosett's Avatar
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    Default Re: Odd vintage Gibson electric

    Quote Originally Posted by William Smith View Post
    Yep thats a late 30's A-1 that someone electrified!
    According to Paul Fox's Gibson mandolin book, the A-1 was the wide body version until 1942.
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  12. #10
    Registered User William Smith's Avatar
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    Default Re: Odd vintage Gibson electric

    Well some were the wide bell shaped bodies A-1's and the fancier burst F-7 inlayed A-50's! But the 10 inch wide A-1 and A-50 along with the flat back A-OO, there is a fine line between then all! But that's an A-1 in the OP's post! Gibson was strange in those years, so it can be tough to decipher the A-1's and A-50's! I've had A-1's with the smaller body and the big bell shaped body! Paul and others know their stuff but with depression era Gibson nothing/model #'s nothing is written in stone!

  13. #11
    Registered User John Rosett's Avatar
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    Default Re: Odd vintage Gibson electric

    Yes. The A-1 and A-50 went to the large body in '37, and the A-00 continued with the 10" body during those years. I've seen both A-1 and A-00 (10" body) with and without back binding. A lot of the A-00's have a laminated back and an internal brace, but not all of them...
    Last edited by John Rosett; Jul-11-2021 at 1:28pm.
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  14. #12

    Default Re: Odd vintage Gibson electric

    I can think of two pickups with large polepieces like that:

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    These were apparently exclusive to Vega and built by Fransch so quite obscure. Perhaps more likely is a Dearmond 210:

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    These were obviously very common for a long time. As the cover on the mandolin looks fairly crude, I wonder if someone made the pickup by cannibalising a Dearmond 210.

  15. #13
    Full Grown and Cussin' brunello97's Avatar
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    Default Re: Odd vintage Gibson electric

    What material was Gibson using for nuts during the '30s? Would that dark nut have been original?

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    Default Re: Odd vintage Gibson electric

    The pickup only has 4 pole pieces so it was either a bass pickup or made for a mandolin. Doesn't look like someone put it together, but looks like a one piece unit. It is only height adjustable by the pole pieces, the pickup doesn't have screws to adjust height side to side or overall.
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    Default Re: Odd vintage Gibson electric

    The pole pieces on a bass pickup would have been wider spaced.

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    Default Re: Odd vintage Gibson electric

    Quote Originally Posted by Ray(T) View Post
    The pole pieces on a bass pickup would have been wider spaced.
    True, so it is probably made for the mandolin. Should finish coffee before I type.
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  20. #17
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    Default Re: Odd vintage Gibson electric

    Here's my EM-150 side-by-side with the odd duck, for easy comparison. Mine is no great shakes, but I believe it's standard issue.

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    Martin Stillion mrmando's Avatar
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    Default Re: Odd vintage Gibson electric

    Photos here of my 1937 EM150 (second year of issue): https://photos.app.goo.gl/PkFUwup2xiJg7hMM7
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    Default Re: Odd vintage Gibson electric

    But ... but ... Yours has a knob on each side. Rather than clearing things up, you've made them more confusing.

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    So what is the standard issue configuration? I thought it was both knobs on the treble side, same as electric guitars.
    But that's just my opinion. I could be wrong. - Dennis Miller

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    Default Re: Odd vintage Gibson electric

    Quote Originally Posted by mrmando View Post
    Photos here of my 1937 EM150 (second year of issue): https://photos.app.goo.gl/PkFUwup2xiJg7hMM7
    Nice, the early one had the Charlie Christian pickup. Wished mine would have had one.
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