1919 Gibson A-2 Carved-Top Mandolin

I bought this cool old Gibson A-2 from out west recently and put it in my shortlist for repair as I'm quickly going broke all the time trying to pay new hires and the usual mix of bills and frustrations. It's dumb of me to buy instruments from folks at the moment but sometimes I can't resist... and I really do like the brown As!

It arrived as foretold -- with a back separated a bunch from the sides and neckblock and some weird old repair attempts in evidence. I glued that up, fit it all back as best as I could (Gibson A backs tend to always "sprout" from the sides as they age), glued-up a hanging brace, fit a new adjustable bridge, leveled/dressed the frets, and set it up and hey presto! -- it's truly a winner.

This one turned-out loud, full, and warm. It's carved a little too thin in the top which is why it sounds so good, so I suggested only 34w-10 or similar for it as 40w-11 would probably sink the top in the future and cause other trouble.

I love how worn the tailpiece cover is and the obvious signs of use and love seen throughout the finish. The fretboard was planed and refretted in the past, too, so it feels real nice under the fingers.