Results 1 to 5 of 5

Thread: Do Gibson Factory Order #'s repeat?

  1. #1
    Registered User mandopaul's Avatar
    Join Date
    Feb 2004
    Location
    Ny
    Posts
    223

    Default Do Gibson Factory Order #'s repeat?

    Happy New Year Everyone!

    I have a pumpkin top A from I think 1916 serial # 34767, Factory Order #3455

    Was looking through Mandolin Archive and put in FO# into search bar, and a mandolin came up with same # but was built in 1920, and ship date of 1920.

    All serial #'s from around mine don't have any FON, and the closest # to my serial are all from 1917. Just curious, but can anyone help?

  2. #2
    Registered User Hendrik Ahrend's Avatar
    Join Date
    Oct 2008
    Location
    Leer, Northern Germany
    Posts
    1,554

    Default Re: Do Gibson Factory Order #'s repeat?

    According to "Spann's Guide to Gibson", which, in my opinion, is very well researched, your mandolin was made in 1916 (per FON) and sold in 1916 (per serial #).
    The other mandolin you looked up was made in 1916 as well, but sold in 1920. For some reason, the Mandolin Archive still gives "traditional estimates" as manufacture date. Remember that this is just that, an estimate based on very little information and mainly on the serial number, a routine from the times before Joe Spann presented his evidence about the significance of the FON and the serial # respectively.

    Some FONs do reappear. However, FON 3455 is from 1916 and 1941, many years apart that is. Which is why Spann suggests to always tale the construction features and the serial # into account before dating a particular instrument. (Spann doesn't list this particular FON for 1941, but other neighboring FONs.)

  3. The Following 3 Users Say Thank You to Hendrik Ahrend For This Useful Post:


  4. #3
    Martin Stillion mrmando's Avatar
    Join Date
    Sep 2002
    Location
    Seattle
    Posts
    13,103

    Default Re: Do Gibson Factory Order #'s repeat?

    That leads to a question about the impact of World War I on Gibson instrument production.

    We know that Handel tuners stop appearing on Gibsons around 1917, possibly because the war made imports impossible.
    We also know about the Army/Navy line of instruments produced in 1917–18.
    So, did Gibson reduce production of its other lines during the war, or contribute to the war effort in any other way?
    Emando.com: More than you wanted to know about electric mandolins.

    Notorious: My Celtic CD--listen & buy!

    Lyon & Healy • Wood • Thormahlen • Andersen • Bacorn • Yanuziello • Fender • National • Gibson • Franke • Fuchs • Aceto • Three Hungry Pit Bulls

  5. #4
    Teacher, repair person
    Join Date
    Oct 2017
    Location
    Southeast Tennessee
    Posts
    4,078

    Default Re: Do Gibson Factory Order #'s repeat?

    Gibson made lots of mandos in 1917 and 1918. They only began to decrease mando production after the war, due to the beginning of the jazz age. That ended the mandolin boom, and resulted in a decline in the popularity of mandolins and a swift rise in demand for 4 string banjos. 10 years later, banjos fell out of popularity and guitars became Gibson's primary sellers.

    Gibson introduced their first banjos in 1918. Their early banjos were primitive instruments compared to what other manufacturers were building at the time. As a result, they began to refine their designs during the mid 1920's. Banjos began to fall out of favor in the late twenties, and guitars rose in popularity. Gibson responded with rapid development of their guitar designs. By the end of that decade, the demand for new mandolins was very low, and remained low until the late 20th century.

    Gibson did not seriously curtail instrument production until the 1930's, when the Great Depression crippled the entire instrument manufacturing industry. Gibson and Martin survive and recover. Many other manufacturers go out of business. Some others remain open but never really recover.

    1910's-- Mandolins are in.
    1920's-- Banjos are in, mandolins fall out of favor.
    1930's-- Guitars are in, banjos fall out of favor.

    1980's-- Interest in mandolins and banjos begins to grow significantly for the first time in decades.

  6. #5
    Registered User Hendrik Ahrend's Avatar
    Join Date
    Oct 2008
    Location
    Leer, Northern Germany
    Posts
    1,554

    Default Re: Do Gibson Factory Order #'s repeat?

    The German name "Handel" ("Hδndel") may have led to the assumption that Handel tuners came from Germany. However, Paul Fox ("The Complete Guide to Gibson Mandolins...", 2016.) points out that those tuners were delivered by the Louis Handel Co., located in New York City. Gibson used Handel tuners until 1922, the inlaid version until c. 1917. At that time the popularity of mandolin orchestras was still rising. AFAIK there is no evidence that Gibson produced for the WWI effort.

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
  •