1964 Gibson EM-200 Florentine Mandolin
(Serial No. 160658) This is the solid body electric mandolin made by Gibson to compete with the Fender Mandocaster. It looks a lot like a double cut Les Paul. The mandolin has all finish and hardware. I think this is a 1964 instrument. The serial number crosses to 1964, and the tuners, case and knobs are also correct. The book says the surround pickguard was 1966, so perhaps one of us is off a couple of years. Luthier Jerry Ray just replaced a few frets and set the mandolin up. There are no cracks or breaks but it does show some playing wear on the side of the neck and some witness lines at the seams for the ears on the peghead. I think these EM-200 sound more like a mandolin plugged in than the Fender Mandocaster, as the EM-200 has eight strings which will give the mandolin jangle better than a single course instrument. You can turn this one up on your gig, as it will not feed back any more than an electric guitar. Comes with the original hardshell case.
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