1924 Gibson Snakehead A

1924 Gibson Snakehead A in good vintage condition. There are lots of scratches, dings, and finish abrasions and some scuff where the bridge was improperly located, but it is crack free and the mandolin maintains a perfect arching in the top. There is a small amount of back shrinkage that manifests by showing the lip of the side on the lower bout centered behind the tailpiece. When we received the mandolin it was equipped with what we believe are 40's era tuners from Gibson. It also has a 40's era Gibson case leaving us to speculate if maybe this change was made at the factory in the 40's. These tuners were a bit stubborn so we replaced them with a brand new set of the Golden Age Restoration tuners, which are modern replicas of the 1920's originals and provide smooth trouble free tuning. The set we took off will be included in the sale.

Like most Loar period snakehead mandolins this is a great sounding instrument with just the right amount of that iconic low end "tubby" sound while still maintaining a wonderfully powerful midrange and treble response. The ring and sustain of this mandolin are very impressive and it is balanced across the tonal spectrum as well as up and down the fretboard. It is set up with a low action and plays easily in all positions. This is a good deal on a Loar period snakehead for anyone not concerned about 100% originality. Flat fretboard, 1-1/16" nut width. Comes with 40's era Gibson hardshell case.