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A friend asked for assistance. He found this Mandolin in an estate sale. Says it has a handwritten date on the label of 1869


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Orville Gibson was only 13 years old in 1869, and didn't start building instruments until around 1894.

At first glance I'd say it's somewhere around 1908, could be a bit later. They can be nice instruments, but are often in need of significant work at this age (necks delaminating and warping, back separations, etc).

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Eschew obfuscation, espouse elucidation.

Hard to say, but the clamshell T/P if original might be an indicator of an early "Orville". The "Lyre mandolin" label is also an indicator. Looks in fairly nice shape, I would say David has the year about right, maybe a year or two earlier. Don't have my book handy. Also an expensive one for the time, an A4 style with fleur de lis inlay and Handel buttons.

Thanks David and Haans. I think that handwritten 1869 is maybe a model number or perhaps a serial number. A friend Paul Verticchio chimed in with the same info as you did. Dated it between 1905-08. Said the tuner buttons had scrimshaw on them. Thanks guys. I'll pass the info on to my friend.


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Actually, Lonnie, it is not scrimshaw, it is inlayed wire and abalone. They were made in Germany at the turn of the century...the other one.

Wow Haans,that's awesome info. Just how cool is that? Thanks again my friend. Again let me say the mandolin you're working on right now is ever bit as classy as this one.


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Nice Find .

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Well I didn't find it. A fellow builder. Actually found it. He was just asking me if I could give him some info. I figured this would be a good place to start.


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Here's the best place to go...

http://www.mandolinarchive.com/

That is the S/N, and looks like #8608 or something like that from what I can see. That would put it around 1908.

Thanks Haans will pass on that info.


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Please come back in and tell us about your discoveries. All I can say is: I can hardly believe that pick guard is still intact after all these years. I've got a 1937 A-model and its pick guard self-destructed in the 1970s. This isn't meant to cast aspersions on the pick guard shown. I am just remarking on its excellent condition, all things considered. I wish my instrument had been that lucky!

To be honest I have my doubts about that pick guard also. But all I've seen is the photos I posted. I haven't actually held the instrument. You'd think just the years unless kept in airtight storage with no light at all would have eaten it up.


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Some of those pickguards seem to hold up just fine, lots of original pre WWI ones still going strong. I have a nice "pumpkin" colored A style from 1913 with the original guard, no problem.

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Rian Gitar og Mandolin

Kind of a mystery to me why celluloid sometimes disintegrates. I have a '22 F4 with a perfect pickguard, original.

http://www.mandolinarchive.com/gibson/serial/68127

Also had a '16 A4 with a perfect original pickguard. Have seen some ugly ones though.