Splendid The Gibson Style A mandolin produced in Kalamazoo around 1920, in very good condition.
The Style A appeared at the same time as the Gibson company itself, the first examples having been built in 1903 by the hand of Orville Gibson or at least under his direct supervision. It is the simplest style of mandolin offered until the early 20s and the introduction of the Junior models, devoid of the often extravagant decorations that adorn the instruments of the time. It is important to note that the distinction between the different ranges of instruments produced by Gibson is not made on the quality of manufacturing or the materials used, but on the degree of finish: thus, the style A is characterized by the absence of a logo on the headstotck of the instrument, simple hardware, and a sober finish known as “Sheraton Brown” – this color, introduced by Gibson from 1918, was particularly simple to apply compared to the Sunburst of the high-end models since it consists of two layers of wood stain followed by a layer of clear shellac varnish.
This mandolin remains intact to this day with most of its main parts – only the pickguard and its fixing clamp are missing. The instrument has been superbly maintained and restored for playing: we carried out a complete refret and made a new bone nut in order to restore all the playing comfort and accurate intonation of this century-old mandolin!
Sold in a 50’s Gibson case.
