mandolin Gibson F2 - 1916

Gibson F2 - 1916 In Stunning vintage cherry sunburst finish this beautiful century aged Gibson F2 was hand built in 1916 at the famed Kalamazoo factory by the crafts men and women of the Gibson Mandolin & Guitar Co as it was known then. Acoustically the F2 is identical in every way to Gibson’s then top of the line F4, only the F2 had fewer cosmetic extras. As you would expect from a 100 plus year old instrument there have been a couple of minor changes to this otherwise original mandolin. It has been fitted with time correct tuners, The back of the neck finish has been stripped making the age-old mahogany clearly visible and extremely smooth and playable, The volute has been reinforced with a piece of ebony and the colour on the back of the headstock has been equally matched. The frets were replaced not too long ago and the binding on the fretboard was also replaced at that time. Comes with its original celluloid pick guard and bracket with their US Patent stamps (See photos). The mandolin also comes with the original Geib F style case. (These are super rare themselves and very sought after with most of them fetching €500 plus on Reverb) Also included is the original non adjustable ebony bridge and a (Possibly) 50’s/60’s Gibson adjustable rosewood bridge. (And to note… At some stage in it’s lifetime an F4 style flowerpot decal has been applied to the headstock just below the Gibson logo and then lacquered over.) The serial number is too faded to make out but I have sent the stamped FON inside the mandolin to Joe Spann and he has dated it to 1916. (If you’re not familiar with him, Joe wrote the book on Vintage Gibson’s….. Literally) The mandolin itself is in incredible shape for something that’s pushing on close to 110 years old. It has an amazing vintage patina with it’s visible pick wear across the sweet spot that just adds character to this beautifully hand crafted work of art, Obviously an instrument that was a prized possession, Played, And clearly well cared for. Sound wise it has a beautiful full rich sound with an open woody vintage tone… If that makes sense. Strung with D’addario XS 11-40 Specs are; Hand carved Spruce top Hand carved Maple back and sides. Fingerboard radius: Flat Neck: Ivoroid binding, Pearl dot inlays Nut width: 30.1 mm/1.18” Scale length: 355mm/13.9” String spacing: 40mm/1.57” Bridge: Ebony Tailpiece: Original “The Gibson” Tuners: Replacement time correct Repairs were carried out by the Fellowship of the Acoustics, Dedemsvaart, Netherlands. Might consider a partial trade and cash for this. Thanks for looking.