Is this a Gibson Headstock?

[BlueMountain]

Here's another eBay "find." The body looks like a circa 1920 Gibson A. The seller says the label says it's an A. The tuners look right. The tailpiece looks right. But what about this headstock? I've seen them on some other mandolins, but never on a Gibson from that period. And I assume that the flower pot was also a later addition.

Would you think that this is a Gibson body with a replaced neck? Would Gibson have put a neck like that on an old mandolin as a repair?

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll...:X:AAQ:US:1123

I also would hesitate to buy an instrument with designs crushed into the top half the thickness of the wood. I'd think it could weaken the top. Maybe it improved the tone? It would be interesting to try it.

[Nate]

Are all carved tops that thick? All I know is my flat-top Tacoma, which is maybe 3/16".

It looks like nearly 1/2" at the soundhole there, or is that just a trick of the photo angle?

That carving looks really neat (to me) in the far picture, but it's a real mess close-up.

[MikeEdgerton]

The neck could be original, the headstock was probably reshaped when whomever altered the body did their work. The hardware might be the same as it was when it left the factory, not much else is.

[mrmando]

The gouges look pretty deep near the rim -- why someone would deface a mandolin like that is beyond me. I do like the look of a flowerpot on an A headstock, though.

The color is Sheraton Brown, not "Stafford Brown." I think Stafford Brown was the chief aide to Sen. Sheridan Downey, assigned to look after Downey's mandolin on trips around the world.

[BlueMountain]

Were there Gibson A style mandolins made circa 1920 that had one piece necks (except for ears near the tuners)? I thought they all had a strip down the middle, but I'm not an expert.

[BlueMountain]

Photo of back of neck

[Skip Kelley]

It looks like the peghead has been re-shaped. Work has been done as you can tell by the inlay.

[danb]

vandalism

[barney 59]

I'd bet it's an all original Gibson A model that has been considerably "personalized". I like the headstock but the etching leaves me a little cold --to each his own. This makes for a very affordable way to get into a vintage A model I would think. No matter what the asking price is the value has gone way down!

[Eric Platt]

I'd bet it's an all original Gibson A model that has been considerably "personalized". I like the headstock but the etching leaves me a little cold --to each his own. This makes for a very affordable way to get into a vintage A model I would think. No matter what the asking price is the value has gone way down!

I agree. Have a friend that used to collect stuff like that. Had a Rickenbacker electric guitar that was carved up pretty heavily. More folk art than instrument.

This one isn't nearly that bad. Although it's pretty heavy carving.

Hopefully it'll go to a good home.

[markishandsome]

Yikes! It would be worth more re-topped.

[allenhopkins]

Even "customized" as it is, a bargain at less than $400, but there are days to go and the price will probably rise -- I wouldn't go much higher than what it is now. One wonders how it sounds; to me that would be the crucial factor.

[mtucker]

The gouges look pretty deep near the rim

those aren't gouges that's a ' distinctive hand tooled design' !