❌SOLD❌ Gibson A1 Mandolin Pumpkin Orange Top, 1915

Here we present a lovely Gibson A1 mandolin, oval sound hole mandolin built during 1915 at Kalamazoo, Michigan, featuring a pumpkin orange top.

Orville Gibson’s A-style and F-style mandolins, and larger instruments, were ground-breaking. No-one had seen the way to combine violin and mandolin construction concepts. This revolutionized the mandolin and guitar world, dramatically improving tone, volume, and projection. All of the arch-top guitars we have seen, from the big band era to the ES thinlines, began with these instruments.

Using well established violin techniques had other benefits, too. First, the European bowl back design is complex to build compared to the violin, which has many fewer parts to fit together. As well, the carved top and back plates develop and maintain tone for much longer periods; this is seen in very old violins, and today’s pair of Gibson A style mandolins, each at least a century old.

This wonderful Gibson A1 mandolin appears to be in largely original condition, and includes both the original celluloid faux-tortoise pickguard and the original hard shell case. The top is Sitka Spruce with a bound, oval sound hole, the back and sides are Maple, with Mahogany for the neck. The fingerboard and bridge are Ebony. The tuners and tailpiece are original. The top, fingerboard, and sound hole have a single layer of binding.

It plays well with only light fret wear. We suspect it was professionally refretted some time ago,as the board is very flat – usually there is pitting from fingernails – and there’s a bit of evidence of the binding having been re-glued.

Overall, this mandolin is in nice shape and has the brilliant warmth and projection that’s typical of these historic instruments. Though it is over 100 years old, it is by no means ready for retirement!

The original hard shell case is included./p>