1913 Gibson H-1 Mandola- Used
We don't see many Gibson mandola models, and it's even more rare to find one in this condition. It's so clean and unaltered, yet fully functional, that you find yourself wondering "Really? Over 110 years old?" Along with being original throughout, the neck is quite straight with only slight relief and we couldn't find any cracks or signs of past repairs. Tuners all work well, pickguard hasn't warped, and the grained ivoroid binding is still tightly glued. This H-1 did see a some careful use, as the finish is worn from the neck barrel. In the nit-picking department: the catch is missing from the center latch of the case (beneath the original handle) but the other two latches work fine. Delivers that wonderful gutsy tone so if piercing mandolin trebles sometimes get on your nerves, try a mandola!