1918 Gibson A4 Mandolin
Here is a wonderful mandolin nearly a century old that was purchased from the family of the original owner. Features include red spruce top, birch back and sides, the famous pre-war Gibson redburst varnish finish, mother-of-pearl “The Gibson” and abalone fleur-de-lis inlaid in the peghead. All parts are original, except it is now missing the pickguard. (upon arrival here, right after we took these photos, we noticed the pick guard was “gasing off;” that is, the unstable solvents that were used in the original construction were beginning to breakdown and corrode the acetate; fortunately, we were able to remove the pickguard before any damage was done to the finish of the mandolin). The original case is also in excellent condition. This was the top of the line of the Gibson “A” body mandolins in the golden era of the teens and twenties, and it has a wonderful, full sound as is the case with the very best of these A models. Except for the missing pickguard, this is almost an opportunity to open a time capsule from 1918 and buy the top-of-the line A model! $2950.