This Gibson Mandobass was made in 1914 according to the serial # and confirmed by consensus of vintage expert consultants. It is fully functional, has a great tone, plays easily and in tune. It has been used on many records in Nashville in its earlier years, and more recently in our studio here in Florida. It is not 100% original, as it has had some structural repairs (visible in the photos) as well as after-market tailpiece, bridge and tuning keys, assumed to have been considered upgrades by a previous owner. The original tuning keys would have been friction pegs, which are a bear to get and keep in tune. These are Grovers, which are smooth, low ratio and very stable. It's an unusual and rare instrument to say the least; think of it as a double bass with frets, or a giant mandolin tuned like a bass. It has long scale flat-wound strings, which have a mellow and full sound, both recorded and live. For a livelier sound round-wounds would work fine. For live performance, a Seymour Duncan Woody fits perfectly in the soundhole and reproduces the sound effectively. It mics up well with a small diaphragm condensor, such as an AKG C451.
In the early 1900s Gibson sponsored mandolin orchestras that toured to promote their mandolins and related products. There are articles easily found on the web if you'd like to study more history.
Added bonus: 1921 A style mandolin in good playing condition with a fair amount of cosmetic damage & repairs, including original hardshell case
In-store pickup is of course the easiest, but we'll deliver in the southeast or ship in 48 states for $ 600.
;){kind=link}