1937 Gibson A1 Mandolin
(Serial No. none) This could be as early as 1937 or as late as 1941. With no serial number it is hard to pinpoint an exact date, however they were only made for a few years. Nice original wide body mandolin. These came in two versions - the A50 which was a little fancier and the A1, which is the mandolin presented here. The difference was in the trim levels. This mandolin has the original sunburst finish, a beautiful birdseye maple back, sides and neck, and an ebony fingerboard with a silkscreened script logo. All hardware and finish is original except the endpin button. Tuners are correct type Klusons with the hexagon bushings. At 14 1/2 inches, these are the longest scale mandolins ever made by Gibson. Frets and neck set are good and the mandolin was set up by luthier Richie Dotson. Plays like silk and has a good chop. These were used extensively in bluegrass as they were more affordable than the F5 but still a good mandolin. Comes with a newer hardshell case that fits well.
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