Gibson A-4 ""Snakehead"" Virzi Carved Top Mandolin (1924)
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Item #3361
Gibson A-4 "Snakehead" Virzi Model Carved Top Mandolin (1924), made in Kalamazoo, Michigan, red sunburst top, dark stained back and sides finish, birch back and sides, spruce top, mahogany neck with ebony fingerboard, original black hard shell case.
If there is a holy grail of Gibson A style mandolins, this is it: a 1924 A-4 from the height of the Lloyd Loar era equipped with a Virzi tone projector. This is simply one of the nicest A mandolins we have ever seen and a spectacular example of Gibson's craftsmanship at the apex of the mandolin era, just before the company's focus shifted to banjos and then guitars. These "Snakehead" instruments are revered for their unmatched tone and projection and have all the most advanced features of the era including the adjustable truss rod, raised adjustable bridge, and slim neck profile. The A-4 was Gibson's highest grade mandolin in the symmetrical-bodied A series and only the elaborately scrolled F-2, F-4, and F-5 were priced above it.
Lloyd Loar's tenure as "acoustic engineer" at Gibson has become so mythical that sometimes separating fact from fiction is difficult. Certainly the mandolin family instruments made during the period of Loar's employment are the most perfectly realized in Gibson's history, and have become the template for most similar instruments since. The mandolins of the "Loar Era" show the influence of a master player on both design and execution, although other Gibson employees (especially Thaddeus McHugh and Lewis A. Williams) actually engineered many of the technical improvements of the early 1920's. Loar was primarily concerned with 'voicing' the instruments properly; the Master Model Style 5 line was his greatest contribution with their violin-style f-hole tops but all Gibson mandolin family instruments were refined and improved at the same time.
This A-4 dates to 1924, the last year of Loar's employment. It features another peculiarity of the era, the Virzi Tone Producer mounted under the top. This device, produced by the Virzi Bros. violin company in New York, was championed by Loar but was an optional (and extra cost) feature at the time. The Virzi was more commonly seen in the more expensive Gibson instruments, especially Master Models, and it is very uncommon to find one in an A style mandolin.
The Virzi itself is a small spruce disk suspended beneath the top, intended to add extra harmonic partials to the instrument's sound. Because it was named the "Tone Producer", many players have been disappointed to discover that it does not actually add more volume to the instrument. What it does do is help produce a more complex sound with richer overtones�that is the theory, anyway! Many Virzis have been removed from 1920's Gibsons by players who wanted a louder, more driving tone, but those that remain are a fascinating part of the Loar era story.
This A4 is truly a splendid instrument to behold�the finish is especially beautiful and even the fleur-de-lys inlaid in the peghead is made of unusually fine green abalone. The tuner buttons are grained ivoroid with a pronounced pattern. The neck is a very slim rounded "V" profile and extremely fast and comfortable. This rates as a particularly fine-sounding and playing mandolin by any standards, with the combination of power and complexity heard only in the finest Gibsons.
Overall length is 25 15/16 in. (65.9 cm.), 10 1/4 in. (26 cm.) wide, and 1 7/8 in. (4.8 cm.) in depth, measured at side of rim. Scale length is 14 in. (356 mm.). Width of nut is 1 1/8 in. (29 mm.).
Very fine original condition overall; the back seam has been reglued, but no other repairs or damage. Finish is excellent with some minor dings and scratches, most noticeably on the headstock. Cherry sunburst finish is still vibrantly bright; all hardware is original and untouched except the bridge, which looks to be a near-perfect reproduction. This instrument has not seen a lot of play!
Original HSC is structurally excellent, but has some white paint misting on the tolex, mostly on the bottom edge -- looks like it was left somewhere when the painters came in! Simply a fabulous find in a Gibson A style mandolin. Excellent Condition.
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If there is a holy grail of Gibson A style mandolins, this is it: a 1924 A-4 from the height of the Lloyd Loar era equipped with a Virzi tone projector. This is simply one of the nicest A mandolins we have ever seen and a spectacular example of Gibson's craftsmanship at the apex of the mandolin era, just before the company's focus shifted to banjos and then guitars. These "Snakehead" instruments are revered for their unmatched tone and projection and have all the most advanced features of the era including the adjustable truss rod, raised adjustable bridge, and slim neck profile. The A-4 was Gibson's highest grade mandolin in the symmetrical-bodied A series and only the elaborately scrolled F-2, F-4, and F-5 were priced above it.
Lloyd Loar's tenure as "acoustic engineer" at Gibson has become so mythical that sometimes separating fact from fiction is difficult. Certainly the mandolin family instruments made during the period of Loar's employment are the most perfectly realized in Gibson's history, and have become the template for most similar instruments since. The mandolins of the "Loar Era" show the influence of a master player on both design and execution, although other Gibson employees (especially Thaddeus McHugh and Lewis A. Williams) actually engineered many of the technical improvements of the early 1920's. Loar was primarily concerned with 'voicing' the instruments properly; the Master Model Style 5 line was his greatest contribution with their violin-style f-hole tops but all Gibson mandolin family instruments were refined and improved at the same time.
This A-4 dates to 1924, the last year of Loar's employment. It features another peculiarity of the era, the Virzi Tone Producer mounted under the top. This device, produced by the Virzi Bros. violin company in New York, was championed by Loar but was an optional (and extra cost) feature at the time. The Virzi was more commonly seen in the more expensive Gibson instruments, especially Master Models, and it is very uncommon to find one in an A style mandolin.
The Virzi itself is a small spruce disk suspended beneath the top, intended to add extra harmonic partials to the instrument's sound. Because it was named the "Tone Producer", many players have been disappointed to discover that it does not actually add more volume to the instrument. What it does do is help produce a more complex sound with richer overtones�that is the theory, anyway! Many Virzis have been removed from 1920's Gibsons by players who wanted a louder, more driving tone, but those that remain are a fascinating part of the Loar era story.
This A4 is truly a splendid instrument to behold�the finish is especially beautiful and even the fleur-de-lys inlaid in the peghead is made of unusually fine green abalone. The tuner buttons are grained ivoroid with a pronounced pattern. The neck is a very slim rounded "V" profile and extremely fast and comfortable. This rates as a particularly fine-sounding and playing mandolin by any standards, with the combination of power and complexity heard only in the finest Gibsons.
Overall length is 25 15/16 in. (65.9 cm.), 10 1/4 in. (26 cm.) wide, and 1 7/8 in. (4.8 cm.) in depth, measured at side of rim. Scale length is 14 in. (356 mm.). Width of nut is 1 1/8 in. (29 mm.).
Very fine original condition overall; the back seam has been reglued, but no other repairs or damage. Finish is excellent with some minor dings and scratches, most noticeably on the headstock. Cherry sunburst finish is still vibrantly bright; all hardware is original and untouched except the bridge, which looks to be a near-perfect reproduction. This instrument has not seen a lot of play!
Original HSC is structurally excellent, but has some white paint misting on the tolex, mostly on the bottom edge -- looks like it was left somewhere when the painters came in! Simply a fabulous find in a Gibson A style mandolin. Excellent Condition.
