Gibson Style H-1 Carved Top Mandola (1920)
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Gibson Style H-1 Model Carved Top Mandola (1920), made in Kalamazoo, Michigan, serial # 62034, dark brown varnish finish, birch back and sides, spruce top; mahogany neck with ebony fingerboard, original black hard shell case.
This is a lovely 100+ year old example of the "pre-Loar" Gibson Style H-1 Mandola, still in very nice original condition with a lot of life left in it over a century along. It was made in late 1920, just as Lloyd Loar was beginning his official tenure at Gibson. Typical period features include the dark but very thin "Sheraton Brown" varnish finish top, a raised celluloid pickguard and the standard Gibson-engraved tailpiece and solid carved ebony compensated bridge without individual saddle inserts. The top is spruce with a pronounced somewhat wavy grain, the back and sides birch and the neck Honduras mahogany with a heavy ebony fingerboard.
These "browntop" mandolin family instruments of the late 'teens may not be the sharpest looking of the old "paddlehead" Gibsons but they are often the best sounding. This one is an excellent centennial survivor, a superbly playable mandola with a very low, comfortable action and powerful, ringing tone brighter and livelier than some. It remains an enduring testament to the exceptional work of the original Kalamazoo, Michigan Gibson factory and a lovely instrument all around.
Overall length is 28 1/4 in. (71.8 cm.), 11 1/16 in. (28.1 cm.) width, and 2 in. (5.1 cm.) in depth, measured at side of rim. Scale length is 15 3/4 in. (400 mm.). Width of nut is 1 5/16 in. (33 mm.).
This century-old Mandola shows generally light wear for its age and is an excellent player, with a great sound and a very comfortable action. The VERY thin top finish has its share of dings, scrapes and checking, but only a few noticeable pick scratches. The back is quite clean, the sides showing wear mostly in the heel area. Some varnish has worn off the back of the neck in the lower positions.
Structurally this is an excellent instrument, with no cracks, just some of the common separations to the back/side seams. The original hardware is intact including the oft-missing pickguard as well as the tuners, tailpiece and carved ebony bridge which are all original, clean and intact. The tailpiece cover is still shiny, the label is fully intact with the faded original pencil notations.
This mandola was recently correctly refretted, the neck is in excellent shape and the instrument is set up ready for another 100 years of service. This H-1 is a lovely survivor of the mandolin orchestra era and an instrument with a lot of potential still to be explored, a truly fine player housed in the original HSC. Overall Excellent - Condition.
This is a lovely 100+ year old example of the "pre-Loar" Gibson Style H-1 Mandola, still in very nice original condition with a lot of life left in it over a century along. It was made in late 1920, just as Lloyd Loar was beginning his official tenure at Gibson. Typical period features include the dark but very thin "Sheraton Brown" varnish finish top, a raised celluloid pickguard and the standard Gibson-engraved tailpiece and solid carved ebony compensated bridge without individual saddle inserts. The top is spruce with a pronounced somewhat wavy grain, the back and sides birch and the neck Honduras mahogany with a heavy ebony fingerboard.
These "browntop" mandolin family instruments of the late 'teens may not be the sharpest looking of the old "paddlehead" Gibsons but they are often the best sounding. This one is an excellent centennial survivor, a superbly playable mandola with a very low, comfortable action and powerful, ringing tone brighter and livelier than some. It remains an enduring testament to the exceptional work of the original Kalamazoo, Michigan Gibson factory and a lovely instrument all around.
Overall length is 28 1/4 in. (71.8 cm.), 11 1/16 in. (28.1 cm.) width, and 2 in. (5.1 cm.) in depth, measured at side of rim. Scale length is 15 3/4 in. (400 mm.). Width of nut is 1 5/16 in. (33 mm.).
This century-old Mandola shows generally light wear for its age and is an excellent player, with a great sound and a very comfortable action. The VERY thin top finish has its share of dings, scrapes and checking, but only a few noticeable pick scratches. The back is quite clean, the sides showing wear mostly in the heel area. Some varnish has worn off the back of the neck in the lower positions.
Structurally this is an excellent instrument, with no cracks, just some of the common separations to the back/side seams. The original hardware is intact including the oft-missing pickguard as well as the tuners, tailpiece and carved ebony bridge which are all original, clean and intact. The tailpiece cover is still shiny, the label is fully intact with the faded original pencil notations.
This mandola was recently correctly refretted, the neck is in excellent shape and the instrument is set up ready for another 100 years of service. This H-1 is a lovely survivor of the mandolin orchestra era and an instrument with a lot of potential still to be explored, a truly fine player housed in the original HSC. Overall Excellent - Condition.