How do I identify my Gibson mandolin?
The Gibson Label The first thing to look at is the label. It should tell you the model number and serial number of the instrument. Some were written in pen, some in pencil. Mine (1921) is nearly illegible, but with a bright light and a lot of patience, I was able to read all of the information from the inside.
When did Gibson start making mandolins?
Orville Gibson started making mandolins in Kalamazoo, Michigan sometime around 1893, which makes this A-style mandolin from 1899 one of his earliest instruments.
How can you tell how old a mandolin is?
Most antique mandolins have bowl-shaped backs made of a number of wooden ribs, and lutelike, teardrop-shaped bodies. Mandolins of an unusual shape are more identifiable and often more valuable. Check aesthetic features like the shape of the pickguard, the tailpiece cover and inlays or ornaments.
How do you date a Gibson mandolin?
A number stamped with ink on the back of the headstock. Gibson’s solid bodys were released in 1952. Gibson did not use serial numbers at that time but started in 1953. The first digit of the series number is the last digit of the year.
When did Norlin buy Gibson?
1969
In 1944, Gibson was bought by Chicago Musical Instruments (CMI), which was acquired in 1969 by Panama-based conglomerate Ecuadorian Company Limited (ECL), that changed its name in the same year to Norlin Corporation. Gibson was owned by Norlin Corporation from 1969 to 1986.
What can I do with an old mandolin?
What to do with that old mandolin?
- Get it restored/repaired. Mandolins that have been sitting for a while usually need a little work before they can be safely strung up and played.
- Learn to play it. This might be the best thing for you and the mandolin.
- Consider donating it.
- Sell it.
What is a Gibson mandolin?
The A model Gibson mandolins have a teardrop shaped body with no points. The mandolin has a carved, arched top and back, a design patented by Orville Gibson in 1898. Five businessmen bought the name and patent from Orville Gibson in 1902 and started The Gibson Mandolin-Guitar Manufacturing Co., Ltd.
What do Gibson serial numbers mean?
The 1st digit indicates the year of manufacture for the 4 & 5 digit serial numbers, these were used from 1989-1999. The 1st and 2nd indicate the year of manufacture for the 6 digit serial numbers which we’ve been using since 2000. Examples – 9 xxx = 1989 (4 digit number beginning with “9” used only in 1989)
When did the first Gibson Mandolin come out?
Here’s a wonderful early Gibson. Dated photographs help us estimate the date of this mandolin to, 1902 or 1903 (the Gibson company’s offical… Black finish. abalone & black inlaid top. style “F” (no number) appears in the earliest catalog.
What kind of mandolin is the F style?
F-style mandolin or bluegrass mandolin is a special archtop type of mandolin designed in the early 20th Century by Gibson, f-hole soundholes, jazzier sound than bowlback (less bright)
What kind of bridge does a Gibson mandolin have?
An A model mandolin is symmetrical, and teardrop-shaped. L-R: Gibson A3, Gibson F4 Bridge Prior to 1921, the only bridges made for Gibson mandolins (A or F) were made from a single piece of wood, with no adjusting screws. Models around 1910-1921 have little inserts on the saddle for compensation.
How can you tell if a Gibson Mandolin is forgery?
The label will probably have yellowed somewhat with age, but a nice new-looking piece of whitish-grey speckled paper with crisp, clear writing does not indicate a forgery – that’s what they were like when brand new! The early instruments with Serials below 10000 have a lyre mandolin and Orville Gibson’s face on the label.