Mandolin & Mandolin Family

This mandolin was made during one of Gibson’s most golden period.  1924 was the last year in which Lloyd A. Loar was the Acoustic Engineer at the Gibson factory.  The inventions and co-designs of Mr. Loar are legendary.  It is a snakehead, which means it has a somewhat slimmer neck shape than the mandolins that came before; it is made using some of the concepts that Loar incorporated into the -5 series (top of the line) Gibson instruments – includign as to curvature, torque and the creation and transmission of sound.   

What we have here is one of the most beautiful, clean and complete pre-1918 Gibson A-4 mandolins as we have recently seen.  The reason we emphasis pre-1918 is because that was the year in which Gibson stopped supplying the A-4, F-2 and F-4 models with the glorious Handel inlaid tuning buttons (each button is inlaid on each side, using abalone, pearl and nickel-silver wire with a magnificent little flower).

Our Discount Price is $3,450 and Our Cash Discount Price is $3,350 - you can phone us (718 981 8585) to place that "Right of First Refusal" deposit.

Kentucky has really outdone itself on this one:  Solid, handcarved and graduated select Adirondack spruce top, solid flat-sawn, handcarved, select highly flamed maple back and sides from northern Michigan, one piece maple neck with dovetail neck/body joint at 15th fret, bound ebony extension fingerboard with M.O.P. dot position markers, ivoroid binding on all edges, vintage-style ebony bridge, with small adjustment wheels, traditional 2-screw truss rod cover plate, mother-of-pearl nut, peghead inlaid with Kentucky® script and unique flowerpot inlaid in pearl.

About this model Gibson says that the F-9 has a no-frills design with a handsome satin Vintage Brown finish.   It comes with all the design features that give the F-5 its legendary tone, including a hand-fitted dovetail neck joint, solid maple neck, sides and back, a solid spruce top and a hand-tuned tone chamber.   Gibson goes on to say the following under the headline:  “Sleek Gibson F-9 makes legendary mandolin sound more affordable.”    

This mandolin presently "on hold" for a gentleman in SC who has provided us a $100 "Right of First Refual" deposit.

The Gibson Style F-12 harkens back to 1931 when Gibson decided, 9 years after they debut of the famous and fancy F-5, that a less expensive alternative was needed.   Early F-12s were somewhat fancy, having an ivoroid bound headstock and peninsula-extended fingerboard and the fingerboard was raised over the body as is an F-5.  On the headstock at that time was a vase and curlicue inlay pattern and the tuner buttons were actually mother of pearl. . . .  (click "More Info" for more of the story)

The manufacturer writes:  "All JBovier mandolin models are built to my specs, in very small batches (4-10) then sent to me.  These are no longer the "entry level/factory" JBovier mandolins. Instead I like to refer to them as "affordable professional".

Traditional Kentucky A-model mandolins offer players that big sweet tone and easy playability, all priced within the reach of any budget-conscious musician. Saga has now raised the bar even further by upgrading the features of the KM-140 to include a solid top - making this already runaway best-seller even better!

This brand has been made, since 2003, by Chris Baird of Moab, Utah.  This is an extremely handsome and well-made mandolin finished in a “sunset” color sunburst, having an Adirondack “Red” spruce, wide-grained, carved top, a beautiful wood headstock overlay bordered in crème.   The fingerboard is neo-classical meaning that it has no inlays on its front surface but does have 8 side dots on the bass side in 7 fret positions (double dot at 12).

The teardrop shape of the American OF Mandolin offers much more than you would expect from its simple design.  The O style creates a boomy, deep range that speaks with clarity and authority in any playing situation you find yourself in. Composed of Sitka Spruce for the top and Western Maple for the back and sides, the OF has tone bar bracing which further complements the bold projection. Breedlove mandolins are said to be easy to play with a radiused fingerboard and oversize frets that allow for extreme comfort. The finish on this OF is a sumptuous semi-gloss vintage sunburst, both beautiful to the eyes and to the hand.  The Breedlove List Price is $1639

Made from solid walnut back and sides, figured maple top and neck, vintage steel hardware (the cover plate looks like brushed aluminum but it is no doubt plated steel), vintage-style open gear tuners, 1 ¼” nut width, 14” scale length.  NOW ON SALE!  WAS $1645 BUT NOW: 

This fine A-style mandolin conforms to the standard description of the style (interestingly we cannot see the dash or hyphen after the lower case "a" written in pencil on the label - most often they had a dash) having a teardrop-shaped body with an oval soundhole.  Said orifice is approximately 2 ¼" horizontal size and 1 ½" vertical measurement, which port is bound in ivoroid.  This is priced $1953 or at our Cash Discount Price $1895 but it is presently in our Repair Shop.

This National Triolian single cone mandolin,has the striking sunburst finish and remains in what may be excellent condition when it is made playable, and it has its  hand-made and painted, nicely crafted, rectangular hard shell case.This really is an incredibly beautiful piece and the condition, is actually not bad at all.   This would make an extremely fine musical instrument for a mandolin player seeking ultimate volume and prewar panache, or it could be a wonderful collectible to be stared at , fondled and cared for over the next 500 or so years.   All it needs is that tailpiece.  Hey – do youse perhaps got one?

Body: Solid Basswood, Neck: Solid Maple, bolt-on, Fretboard: Rosewood (.080" frets), Tuners: 2-to-a-side, Wilkinson J-805, String Gauge: .010", .015", .025", .039", Electronics: Dual JB-53 custom single coil pickups, 3-way volume and tone controls, Hardware: Chrome, Includes: Premium JBovier padded gig bag, Finish: Vintage Cream

We can attest that this piece is quite clean – there is virtually no sign of wear on the gold plating of the “The Flatiron” with floral etching tailpiece cover; the headstock is likewise inlaid “The Flatiron” in mother of pearl and thereunder an approximately 2 ½” long abalone fern inlay.  Metal parts are all gold-plated; the black ebony fingerboard has the usual 13 frets to the body joint, 21 full length frets plus four partial ones in the fretboard peninsula. Fingerboard width at the nut is 1 2/16th"   . . . .   OUR PRICE WAS $5000 BUT NOW ON SALE FOR:

This mandola is quite handsome with its glossy lacquered black finished face offset by a simple, symmetrical but classy soundhole rosette of tan, black, grained ivoroid, black and tan.  The soundhole itself is bound in grained ivoroid (celluloid), and so is the face – but not the back on this model.  The headstock is also polished black ebony and hosts “The Gibson” in script mother of pearl positioned horizontally.   Thereunder is the bell-shaped black plastic truss rod cover held in place by two brave screws.

The Gibson F-2 was, in its time, the least expensive Florentine model mandolin.  It has the large body scroll on the upper bass bout and the two large body points on the treble side.  The headstock is wide at the top with a small scroll on the bass, a larger scroll on the treble and a huge dangerous looking point at the top of the headstock slightly off center to the right.   This headstock is inlaid “The Gibson” in script mother of pearl at an angle and there is nothing else inlaid or provided on the headstock except a glossy black ebony headplate that shows some crazing lines.

Hand carved and graduated from the finest mountain spruce and northern maple for the best tonal characteristics. The KM-805 has a radiused rosewood fingerboard for comfortable easy play and the traditional “torch-style” peghead inlay for those who like a more simple vintage look.