1923 Gibson F2 Mandolin
(Serial Number: 73275 FON 11784) Excellent minus condition. This is one of the best oval hole mandolins ever made by Gibson - a Loar era truss rod F2. The F2 was the next to the top of the line mandolin for Gibson. It has a true red sunburst, spectacular flamy woods on the sides and back, pearl logo, bound top, and a bound ebony fingerboard with treble extension, truss rod in the neck, and the original adjustable bridge. The differences in a F2 and a F4 are cosmetic - the F2 usually has an unbound back, fingerboard and peghead, and simpler peghead inlay. The build is the same and it has the same sound - just less cosmetic trim. The action is good and the sound is excellent. BIG tone and volume! Nice woody sound from this mandolin with good bass. Neck is straight, neck angle is good and the frets show very little wear. There is some picking wear evident on the mandolin but no structural repairs. Finish and hardware are original. I note that there is tortoise plastic back binding on this instrument. I have had about 7 mandolins over the years with the tortoise back binding added, and they were all 1923 models. I suspect this was a short-lived attempt by the Gibson factory to compensate for the back shrinkage common on these mandolins. Loar era scroll mandolins are hot right now and getting very hard to find, and prices are continuing to rise every year. Comes with the original green lined hardshell case.
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