Hi, just thought i'd post about gettting my '20 A back from restoration. Got off ebay a few months back, and took a chance, got a decent price because the back was separating, brace needed regluing, has some fretboard ruts, and had a few cracks in the soundboard. But, after clean up & putting back together, it really rings & sustains forever. I like it alot even though it looks beat up & down the street.
some more picts showing the sides that didn't want to join up evenly again.
seem does not match on top, but does around rest of sides, bottom.
The Back. Is this Birch, or Maple?
All Original finish, if you can't tell.
...and the tuners don't match. can't have it all now, can you?
Looks pretty cool - congratulations! The distressing adds mojo.
I have a '21 that's in similar condition. The tuners that were on it when I got it are not (I think) original. I found an old set of Waverlys on eBay that are the plain square ones, like one side of yours. The set of tuners that were on mine when I got it seem to be pretty nice too. They have a 24:1 ratio. I don't know if that would make fine-tuning easier, but it ought to. The only reason I am not using them is because I havn't seen them on A-Jr's before. They're really nicer looking that the plain ones.
Here's the "rack" I made to whip the rim back into shape, as best I could. The back is still slightly shrunk though.
Thats a nice rack! The luthier i took my "basket case" to had a similar rack that he put pressure in equal amounts slowly to the sides to help the back align again. But it turns out that my back has shrunk and he figured that no more amount of rack pressure would do much good. I'm glad it worked, and i can play it now.
I love the look of that wide grained top.
Look up (to see whats comin down)
I don't want to sound like a predatory poster.. if there is such a thing..but, I have one side only of the very tuner you need. And, it's the proper side.
Email me, it's yours for what I paid for it. It will complete your project.
It's one of the things I love doing best, that is restoring these great old Gibsons. They are just so fine, and such a joy to play.
kwaltham@porchlight.ca
Ken
That's pretty much my experience here too. Like you and Ken said though, it's cool to hear 'em sing again. The sustain is somethin' else!Originally Posted by (mandopaul @ Mar. 30 2007, 18:50)
You'd better take Ken up on his offer. You could have her wearing her favorite jewelry again.
Shane
edit: By the way, what do you guys think about adding thin black binding to the back (and maybe the top, just for "balance") to an A-Jr with a shrunk back? I have the binding, but I didn't do it. I was thinking I'd leave it as-is. Of course, it would look a little better bound.
I asked about adding binding to the back too, but he didn't like the idea of "taking away" anything, meaning in order to install the binding, you'd have to route away wood to seat it. Probably look better though than shrunken areas to have the binding, but you are altering it. I didn't do it on the advise of my luthier.
Seems ment to be for that tuner, doesn't it? I'm in the process of communicating now.
I think 24:1 tuners appeared on some Harmony mandolins, shedding teeth with the passage of time ..
would have been better if the round gear was allowed to get bigger in diameter so the gear teeth were not so thin.
But then It wouldnt have been spaced like all the other guys tuners.
writing about music
is like dancing,
about architecture
The tuners that Harmony used were Grovers. I have a set of NOS still in the original Harmony box that I bought several years ago and have always wanted to try on something. I just never found the right mandolin. I didn't know that Waverly made them as well.
"It's comparable to playing a cheese slicer."
--M. Stillion
"Bargain instruments are no bargains if you can't play them"
--J. Garber
Sorry for the confusion, guys. The Waverlys I mentioned aren't the 24:1 tuners in my picture above. I have no idea who made those 24:1 tuners. Mayabe they're Harmony's? Is that what my picture looks like to you?
The Waverlys are the plain, square-corner tuners like the plate on the treble side of mandopaul's mandolin above. On the "inside" side of the plate, facing the headplate when installed, they say "Waverly of New York" (or something like that). They're not bad, but if Waverly's current $500 tuners aren't any better, then people are spending WAY too much money on the new ones.
Shane
Mandopaul - nice acquisition! I also recently acquired a 1920 A - check it out on the thread I did called "new" gibson, with a last post from 2/26/07 - further down the first page of this set of threads. My serial # is 54427 - how about yours? Mine also has a few minor issues, and it was just today I was able to get it to my local luthier (who was - I am glad to report - too busy to take it on about a month ago). His take on the top sinkage I was worried about was that it was minor, and the brace was a little loose, so he'll address that. With a promised tweak to the nut and taking care of some back separation, he thinks it'll be fit as a fiddle, so to speak, in short order.
Even with its imperfections, I have gotten in some playing time since I first got it, and with a little tender loving care, I am excited to have it back and ready to go. Hope I can do well by it.
Anyway, just sharing the excitement along with you - do check out your serial number when you can.
Dave G
Dave, i saw the pictures, nice one. Looks in better shape than mine. My serial # is 60672 some six thousand apart from yours, wonder how much time apart that is. maby a few months. Nice shot of mando by your dog. What breed is that? Looks like you have a built in audience. My dog likes to listen, as long as I play softly, delicate ears.
Mandopaul - Miniature Schnauzer. And even small for that breed. He complements our other small dog, a West Highland White Terrier. Can't say that they enjoy the tunes, but they haven't run away yet when I do play.
As for the serial numbers, I wonder how they are read. I wonder if there are that many individual mandos made between mine and yours. Anyway, I hope to get mine back from its tune up next week. Hope you're enoying yours!
Dave
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