“It feels like years since it’s it’s bean here.” One would think that a Gibson H-1 mandolin would be common place and that many would be in circulation – but the fact is that way fewer mandolas were made than mandolins. I we had to guess we’d guess that maybe 1 mandola was made for every 70 mandolins.
A mandola is larger than a mandolin, with a longer scale (often 16.5” to 17” from nut to saddle, although models vary). It is tuned C G D A from lowest to highest strings, which means that if you took off the first course on a mandolin and added a C as the fourth course, you would be in mandola tuning.
That this is an H-1 means that it has a black headstock overlay that bears a “The Gibson” script logo in mother of pearl. It has ivoroid top binding but no back binding (that feature is found on the more well appointed H-2). It has the teardrop shaped body and an oval soundhole with some nice purfling around the soundhole. It has no other decoration on the headstock other than the logo. This example happens to be missing the lower half of its adjustable side clamp and it has its pickguard, however it has its original one-piece ebony bridge, open-gear tuners and slide-on etched “The Gibson” tailpiece cover with floral design. It has its original hard shell case.
The instrument, as is typical for something (or somebody) this old shows normal light dings, scratches, and signs of playing time including some typical chips around the headstock and elsewhere. Our workshop has completed its thorough cleaning, including the removal of some some old tape off of the fretboard (people used to stick tape on the fingerboard and would write the note at that fret position on the tape), and performed a much needed set up and restring. Now that the set-up work is completed it turns out to be an exceptional sounding, easy playing and beautiful -- yet simply appointed -- Gibson acoustic mandola that’s 94 years old but doesn’t look at day over 39. This was $3608 with a Cash Discount Price of $3500 BUT it is presently "On Hold" for a customer and not available.
Original description: http://www.mandoweb.com/Instruments/Gibson-H-1+Mandola-1918/3178