Is there really a better year for Gibson A Mandolins 1915-1928?
I sat and played quite a few Gibson A mandolins at a vintage store a few years ago and some spoke to me, while others didn't. There were many obvious differences between them, yet I didn't see any pattern that led me to pick one model (e.g., A4 v A1) or year as my favorite. The most noticeable difference was the neck size and certainly some of them were more ascetically pleasing when I looked at them. As I've observed prices over the last few years it seems that prices of mid-20's Gibson A's have gone up at a much faster pace than other years. In fact, ad prices seem to compare to F2's and F4's. Lately I've been wondering what has led to these prices. Are these really that much nicer than other A mandolins (sound, looks, neck size ...)? Are they scarce? Are the sellers overly optimistic? Are collectors driving up prices? I'm really curious what people who have experience playing them think.
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