Gibson EM-150 Model Hollow Body Electric Mandolin (1955), made in Kalamazoo, Michigan, serial # W4611-21, sunburst top, dark back and sides finish, maple back and sides, spruce top; mahogany neck with rosewood fingerboard, original black hard shell case.
Gibson's EM-150 was the company's longest-serving electric Mandolin, in production from 1936 through 1971. Basically this is a standard A-50 style fully hollow body mandolin mounting a 4-pole P-90 pickup (sometimes waggishly referred to as the "P-45" or "P-60" although that's not official Gibson designation!). The sound is mellower than solid body mandolins, with more acoustic character. The cosmetics are typical Gibson for the era with a dark sunburst finished top in a dark stained maple rim, single binding on the front, back and fingerboard and pearl dot inlay. Not a particularly rare Gibson but still a fine playing example of the company's most popular electric mandolin.
Overall length is 26 1/4 in. (66.7 cm.), 10 3/8 in. (26.4 cm.) width, and 1 3/8 in. (3.5 cm.) in depth, measured at side of rim. Scale length is 14 in. (356 mm.). Width of nut is 1 1/4 in. (32 mm.). Very nice all original condition; no alterations, very minor wear overall. Some typical fretwear in the lower positions, but still eminently playable. The one oddity is the truss rod cover appears factory- mounted upside down (we tried it the "right" way around, and it's been reversed forever!). A cool and still very useful instrument, complete with the original HSC. Excellent - Condition.
