Gibson Style H-1 Carved Top Mandola (1923)
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Item #13090
Gibson Style H-1 Model Carved Top Mandola (1923), made in Kalamazoo, Michigan, serial # 74352, black top, dark stained back and sides 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 a peak "Loar era" 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 1923, the height of Lloyd Loar's official tenure at Gibson. This mandola benefits from all the then-brand-new advanced period features including the adjustable truss rod, raised adjustable bridge, and somewhat more comfortable less "V" shaped neck profile. The black varnish finish top was also a recent change from the "Sheraton Brown" used just before.
While this H-1 sports the old "paddle" headstock shape it is from the "Snakehead" era; the H-1 never made that design change and no "snakehead" version exists. The top is close-grained spruce, the back and sides birch and the neck Honduras mahogany with a heavy ebony fingerboard. The headstock has a pearl "The Gibson" logo deleted from this model not long after, while the soundhole decoration is simple wood rings instead of the half-herringbone used earlier.
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 Loar's employment are the most perfectly realized in Gibson's history, and have become the template for most similar instruments since. 1923 was the key year in Loar's tenure as his "Master Models" came to market full force; some feel it is the single best year ever for Gibson mandolins of all styles.
All 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 1920s. 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 of the Gibson mandolin family instruments were refined and improved at the same time.
Unfortunately ty the mid-1920's the mandolin orchestra was fading and the jazz orchestra taking hold of America's musical imagination; instruments like mandolas in particular were quickly becoming passe! The H-1 survived as Gibson's only lower-grade Mandola after the fancier H-2 was discontinued in 1924. Mandolas in general were never common, but by this period were being built in ever smaller numbers. "Modern" truss-rod equipped H-1's with adjustable bridges are fairly rare; the earlier 1910s models were built in larger numbers.
This H-1 is an excellent centennial survivor, a great sounding, superbly playable mandola with a 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 at a creative high 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 top finish has some dings, scrapes and checking, with some pick scratches below the soundhole and an odd area of disturbance (source unknown) along the treble edge of the top. The back and sides are relatively clean showing lighter scratching and dings and a small spot on the lower side worn through just below the heel. Some varnish has worn off the back of the neck in the first position.
Structurally this is an excellent instrument, with no cracks or even the common separations to the back/side seams. The original hardware is intact except the oft-missing pickguard which is in fact missing. The tuners, tailpiece and carved adjustable ebony bridge are all original and intact with some typical wear. The label is fully intact and legible.
This mandola was recently refretted with appropriate wire, 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.
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This is a lovely 100+ year old example of a peak "Loar era" 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 1923, the height of Lloyd Loar's official tenure at Gibson. This mandola benefits from all the then-brand-new advanced period features including the adjustable truss rod, raised adjustable bridge, and somewhat more comfortable less "V" shaped neck profile. The black varnish finish top was also a recent change from the "Sheraton Brown" used just before.
While this H-1 sports the old "paddle" headstock shape it is from the "Snakehead" era; the H-1 never made that design change and no "snakehead" version exists. The top is close-grained spruce, the back and sides birch and the neck Honduras mahogany with a heavy ebony fingerboard. The headstock has a pearl "The Gibson" logo deleted from this model not long after, while the soundhole decoration is simple wood rings instead of the half-herringbone used earlier.
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 Loar's employment are the most perfectly realized in Gibson's history, and have become the template for most similar instruments since. 1923 was the key year in Loar's tenure as his "Master Models" came to market full force; some feel it is the single best year ever for Gibson mandolins of all styles.
All 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 1920s. 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 of the Gibson mandolin family instruments were refined and improved at the same time.
Unfortunately ty the mid-1920's the mandolin orchestra was fading and the jazz orchestra taking hold of America's musical imagination; instruments like mandolas in particular were quickly becoming passe! The H-1 survived as Gibson's only lower-grade Mandola after the fancier H-2 was discontinued in 1924. Mandolas in general were never common, but by this period were being built in ever smaller numbers. "Modern" truss-rod equipped H-1's with adjustable bridges are fairly rare; the earlier 1910s models were built in larger numbers.
This H-1 is an excellent centennial survivor, a great sounding, superbly playable mandola with a 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 at a creative high 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 top finish has some dings, scrapes and checking, with some pick scratches below the soundhole and an odd area of disturbance (source unknown) along the treble edge of the top. The back and sides are relatively clean showing lighter scratching and dings and a small spot on the lower side worn through just below the heel. Some varnish has worn off the back of the neck in the first position.
Structurally this is an excellent instrument, with no cracks or even the common separations to the back/side seams. The original hardware is intact except the oft-missing pickguard which is in fact missing. The tuners, tailpiece and carved adjustable ebony bridge are all original and intact with some typical wear. The label is fully intact and legible.
This mandola was recently refretted with appropriate wire, 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.
