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Excellent Vintage 1917 Gibson Alrite Army Navy style Mandolin and OHSC Rare
Estimated price for orientation: 699 $
Category: Mandolins
Class:
Description Brand: Gibson Exact Year: 1917 Number of Strings: 8
This is a wonderful Gibson "The Alrite" Style D Model Flat Top Mandolin (1917), made in Kalamazoo, Michigan, serial # 63X, natural varnish finish, Mahogany-color stained Maple or Birch back and sides, pumpkin-colored spruce top; mahogany neck with ebony (?) fingerboard, original era hard shell case. The interior of the case is faded purple material and there is an accessory compartment. The case has a comfortable replacement leather handle and has had some repairs on the outside, but the mandolin itself is in awesome condition with no cracks. The neck is straight, the action is good, and the sound is bright. It is all original as far as I can tell, except for the felt which cushions the original pick guard at the body and the bridge. The original paper label is preset with a few tiny pieces missing due to the wooden brace which the label is glued over. The pick guard has a March 30, ’09 patent date stamped into it. The original tuners work well. There is very little fret wear.The style D "Alrite" mandolin was a very short-lived Gibson model made for a little over a year around 1917 and in fairly small numbers. To find one at all is rare and this one is in great condition. Gibson used their standard neck and hardware with a “cloud” tailpiece and the usual tuner strips. The top has wood marquetry around the edge and soundhole. The Style D has a distinctive sound, and despite its short production span is well-remembered. The Flatiron company was founded to produce instruments based on this model in 1977. Gibson kept the flat top design alive with the "Army-Navy Special", which was built to the same general design as the Alrite but without the decorative trim and with only a utilitarian brown finish. Army/Navy models were intended originally for sale to Doughboys at military PX's. This was followed by the "Junior" models introduced after 1919, but the "A-Jr." mandolin was built with a carved top, leaving the flat-top mandolin design to languish until the 1930's when some were produced by Gibson under the Kalamazoo label. The Style D Alrite has a unique tone, bright and peppy but with a distinctly Gibson flavor. This is an all-original good playing and good sounding example of a rare mandolin. Overall length is 24 1/4 in. (61.6 cm.), 9 1/2 in. (24.1 cm.) width, and 1 15/16 in. (4.9 cm.) in depth, measured at side of rim. Scale length is 14 in. (356 mm.). Width of nut is 1 1/8 in. (29 mm.). The birch/maple back often shrinks, and on this one the back is no longer perfectly aligned with the edges of the sides. There are a few scratches in the finish and very minor play wear.Shipping will be $45 to any place in the contiguous 48 states and actual cost anywhere else. I will loosen the strings and pad the mandolin and case well, use a sturdy shipping carton, and fully insure the package. No international sale/shipping of this instrument, sorry. Please ask any questions you have before bidding. Thank you for reading the entire description.
Description
| Brand: | Gibson | Exact Year: | 1917 |
| Number of Strings: | 8 |
This is a wonderful Gibson "The Alrite" Style D Model Flat Top Mandolin (1917), made in Kalamazoo, Michigan, serial # 63X, natural varnish finish, Mahogany-color stained Maple or Birch back and sides, pumpkin-colored spruce top; mahogany neck with ebony (?) fingerboard, original era hard shell case. The interior of the case is faded purple material and there is an accessory compartment. The case has a comfortable replacement leather handle and has had some repairs on the outside, but the mandolin itself is in awesome condition with no cracks. The neck is straight, the action is good, and the sound is bright. It is all original as far as I can tell, except for the felt which cushions the original pick guard at the body and the bridge. The original paper label is preset with a few tiny pieces missing due to the wooden brace which the label is glued over. The pick guard has a March 30, ’09 patent date stamped into it. The original tuners work well. There is very little fret wear.The style D "Alrite" mandolin was a very short-lived Gibson model made for a little over a year around 1917 and in fairly small numbers. To find one at all is rare and this one is in great condition. Gibson used their standard neck and hardware with a “cloud” tailpiece and the usual tuner strips. The top has wood marquetry around the edge and soundhole. The Style D has a distinctive sound, and despite its short production span is well-remembered. The Flatiron company was founded to produce instruments based on this model in 1977. Gibson kept the flat top design alive with the "Army-Navy Special", which was built to the same general design as the Alrite but without the decorative trim and with only a utilitarian brown finish. Army/Navy models were intended originally for sale to Doughboys at military PX's. This was followed by the "Junior" models introduced after 1919, but the "A-Jr." mandolin was built with a carved top, leaving the flat-top mandolin design to languish until the 1930's when some were produced by Gibson under the Kalamazoo label. The Style D Alrite has a unique tone, bright and peppy but with a distinctly Gibson flavor. This is an all-original good playing and good sounding example of a rare mandolin. Overall length is 24 1/4 in. (61.6 cm.), 9 1/2 in. (24.1 cm.) width, and 1 15/16 in. (4.9 cm.) in depth, measured at side of rim. Scale length is 14 in. (356 mm.). Width of nut is 1 1/8 in. (29 mm.). The birch/maple back often shrinks, and on this one the back is no longer perfectly aligned with the edges of the sides. There are a few scratches in the finish and very minor play wear.Shipping will be $45 to any place in the contiguous 48 states and actual cost anywhere else. I will loosen the strings and pad the mandolin and case well, use a sturdy shipping carton, and fully insure the package. No international sale/shipping of this instrument, sorry. Please ask any questions you have before bidding. Thank you for reading the entire description.