1920 Gibson F4

1920 Gibson F4 in good vintage condition. This one isn't likely to appeal to a collector due to replacement/missing parts, but if you are looking for a good deal on a great sounding, problem free vintage Gibson F4 to play and enjoy then this one certainly fits that bill.

This is a beautiful sounding mandolin with the iconic deep and rich vintage Gibson oval hole sound. Very sweet and mellow but we also feel that this example has a bit of extra oomf in the volume department and still maintains a wonderful crisp clarity and definition across the tonal spectrum. It is not overly "tubby" in the bass response like some of these old Gibsons can be and certainly has the amazing seasoned tone quality that can only be found in well played vintage instruments. The mandolin is set up great and plays wonderfully in all positions with a comfortable low action and no issues. The frets are in great shape showing virtually no wear, which leads us to believe they must have been replaced at some point. Whoever did this work did so beautifully, as there is no evidence in the fretboard or binding and the original fret wire size was used.

At some point the original tuners were replaced with some ill fitting "modern" tuners so we installed a brand new set of the Golden Age Restoration tuners. These tuners are the same specs as the original, function great, and have the right look for this instrument. There is some chip out around the tuner bushings where the previous set was but this poses no problems other than being a tad rough aesthetically. The original bridge has been replaced with an adjustable ebony bridge that looks to us to be 50's era, so this was likely replaced long ago. There is a small chip of ebony missing from the treble side of the bridge but since it obviously poses no problem, we opted to not replace the bridge. The pick guard is missing as is the original case. Other than that, the mandolin appears to be original including the finish and it is gorgeous! Showing the usual dings, scratches, and finish abrasions of any 100+ year old instrument, it is far from a museum piece but we find the decades of play wear to be quite charming.

Spruce top, maple back and sides, mahogany neck, ebony fretboard with pearl position markers, ebony adjustable bridge, Golden Age tuners, flat fretboard, 1-3/16" bone nut. Comes with a modern Superior brand fiberglass hardshell case.