Orville Gibson was an American luthier who started making instruments in 1894 in his home workshop in Kalamazoo, Michigan.With no formal training, he created an entirely new style of mandolin that followed a violin design, with curved top and bottom for greater volume, tone and comfort.He patented his idea for mandolins in 1898, and founded the Gibson Guitar Company in 1902.
This is a Style A mandolin, symmetrical and shaped like a teardrop - sometimes referred to as ‘pumpkin top’ due to the orangish colour of the top. Manufactured in 1911 it was imported from America around 1913 by Gibson’s sole British Agent, Aladar De Vekey, a music shop owner in Bournemouth.
The mandolin has been kept in superb condition and only required some light restoration from ourselves. It looks to have a solid Spruce top with maple back and sides – giving a delightful tone with great sustain. The top has a 2 tone sound hole rosette purfling and ivoroid binding. The mahogany neck has an ebony fretboard with mother of pearl dot inlays.
The mandolin is all original and has retained all its original features: “The Gibson” etched nickel tail piece; internal label with serial number 14475; tortoiseshell scratch plate with ‘Pat Mar 30‘09’ imprinted in bottom corner, with tortoiseshell mounting bracket; Ebony bridge with “Pat Sep 21’09” imprinted to one side and a FON of 1764 imprinted onto the inside end of the neck heal.
The mandolin comes complete with its original leather Maulbetsch & Whittemore (M&W) Bull’s Head mandolin case. The logo is a bull's head superimposed on a musical stave with the initials M W. It is made of heavily reinforced black sole leather, hand buffed and handsomely embossed. The case is in really good condition – it has signs of its age to the leather, and a broken security strap, but considering it is almost 125 years old it really is fantastic.
Truly a great example of this pre-war Gibson Mandolin and case.
Shipping within mainland UK using fully insured 24-hour courier service @ £35.00.
Shipping to US/Canada, using UPS, is £185.00. Shipping to EU is £65.00
Customers outside of UK/EU/US/Canada should contact Vintage Rare & Retro Guitars for a shipping quotation. Free pick-up is always available at our Gullane shop.
