1968 Gibson A-5 Carved-Top Mandolin

It's been a while since I had a "lump scroll" Gibson mandolin in here. While the admirer's circle for these is on the small side, I think they're pretty cool -- but then again, I also like the "lump scroll" Regal mandos ("Smurf" or "Gumby" mandos in "common parlance") of the '20s and '30s as well.

I've played a few of the f-hole versions of these instruments but this is the first round-hole version I've played. It essentially sounds pretty much the same as the f-hole model (an A-12) but with maybe a little more of an "open" character. It's built with the same 12-fret neck joint and faster neck profile that you find on F-5 (and A-12, for that matter) models, though, so because of that it handles "more bluegrass" and sounds "more bluegrass" than the round-hole models of the teens and '20s just because of the different joint placement. It's got a springy, midsy, choppy sound with a bit of a velvet burr to the top-end vs. the f-hole models which have more of a "chirp" to their treble notes.

This instrument came here via consignment, but I didn't have to do anything to it outside of a mild adjustment of the truss rod and bridge height. It had already been done-over by Bob Smakula in the past and previous repairs seem to have included a neck reset, refret, and speed-necking of the neck's finish. That last bit makes a big difference for a '60s Gibson instrument as the finish tends to be sprayed a little thicker on this era of mandos and so they play a lot faster with it removed (especially in humid summers).

Repairs included: mild setup -- but it's had a neck reset, refret, and speed-necking in the past.

Top wood: solid spruce, carved

Back & sides wood: solid maple, carved

Bridge: rosewood, adjustable

Fretboard: rosewood

Neck wood: maple

Action height at 12th fret: hair-under 1/16" (fast)
String gauges: 40w-11 I believe

Neck shape: medium V

Board radius: flat

Truss rod: adjustable

Neck relief: straight

Fret style: small/narrow

Scale length: 13 3/4"

Nut width: 1 1/16"

Body width: 9 7/8"

Body depth: 1 1/2" + arching

Weight: 2 lbs 11 oz

Condition notes: it's pretty clean. overall but the finish does show some dings below the bridge on the top, some disturbance near the heel on the back, and mild wear throughout. It still looks great, though. It appears to have original bits throughout, too. The original finish was removed on the neck, though, to "speed-neck" it, and then sealed with a thin coat. It feels nice...

It comes with: a good, TKL hard case.