1918 GIBSON A1 MANDOLIN “PUMPKIN-TOP”

Gibson A1 “Pumpkin-Top” mandolin from 1918, in very good condition.

A very fine example of an American mandolin from the late 1910s, when the golden age of Mandolin Orchestras was still in full swing, now over 100 years old but still with a lot of life ahead of it! Typical features of the period include a carved spruce top finished with a stunning amber shellac varnish, 4-in-a-line Waverly tuners, an engraved “The Gibson” logo tailpiece cover and a one-piece ebony compensated bridge – to be noted, the pickguard is a replacement part made as a copy of the original, the original mounting bracket has nevertheless been retained. We also report an old stress mark at the heel of the neck.

The A1 model was slightly more aesthetically advanced compared to the A- style, with just a few additional touches in terms of decoration: a pearl “The Gibson” logo inlaid on the headstock and two concentric circles around the sound hole. This makes the A1 style a little more visually elegant but has no impact on the sound, which is always excellent, on the bright side as is typical of mandolins of the period. Re-fretted, fully set up and prepared in our workshop, this instrument remains a lasting testament to the exceptional workmanship of the original Gibson factory and is now ready for a new century of playing. Sold in its original Geib & Schaefer case.

SOLD