Details
This Gibson F-4 was made in 1918 and it’s in excellent structural condition. The neck angle is excellent, the neck is straight, no bulging or sagging of the carved top, and it was recently refretted so it plays like a new instrument. The finish shows a fair number of scuffs and scratches but it has a lovely patina and has never been oversprayed. There are no cracks in the top back or sides. It still has its original tuners, bridge and tailpiece, but the pickguard is long gone.
Gibson had their oval soundhole mandolins dialed in by the mid-'teens, and this example from 1918 shows the results of all that practice. It has a light, bubbly tone that is not powerful enough to drive a bluegrass band, but it works very for Celtic, jazz, old-time and just about every other style.The F-4 was the highest mandolin model in their catalog for over a decade (until introduction of the F-5 in the early 1920s), and sunburst F-4 models like this one were pictured on more than one of Gibson's catalog covers. Include a slightly oversized Harptone case that was probably in the 1980s.
Specs
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Back sides
Carved Maple Back
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Binding
Ivoroid
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Bridge
Ebony Compensated
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Fingerboard
Ebony
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Finish
Original varnish
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Frets to body
12
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Neck material
Mahogany
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Nut width
1 3/16"
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Scale length
13 7/8"
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Top material
Carved Spruce
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Tuners
Waverly w/ Amber Buttons
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Year
1918
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Case type
Hardshell
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Serial number
47155 (FON 11131)
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SKU
GIBF4-47155
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UPC
141479
