Bigsby 10-String Solid Body Electric Mandolin 1951 Natural

Bigsby 10-String Model Solid Body Electric Mandolin
(1951), made in Downey, CA, serial # 113051, natural finish, maple body
and neck, original brown hard shell case.

This most unusual
instrument is one of the rarest even we have ever handled: a 1951 Bigsby
10-string solid body electric mandolin, one of only a handful Paul made
in the early 1950’s. The best educated guess is that Bigsby made a
maximum of 8 or 9 mandolins of all types between 1949 and 1956, and
none after. After several top “Hillbilly” musicians began playing
Bigsby electric guitars, mandolins and steel guitars, he quickly had a
waiting list two to four years long. Bigsby refused to consider
mass-producion (Leo Fender’s stock-in-trade), instead making one piece a
month in his garage completely by hand, which accounts for the cachet
of any original Bigsby—it was created by the hand of the man himself.

This
particular mandolin was originally ordered by a Jefferson City Missouri
DJ named Johnny Muessig in 1951, who owned and played it for many
years. It sports five courses of strings instead of the usual four, a
configuration popular in western swing. It is all original if well
played, a birds-eye maple beauty that only re-surfaced a few years back.
This ultra-rare bird also comes with the original hand-made rectangular
case (Bigsby made his own cases as well), a period “cowboy” strap and a
nearly unique piece of documentation: a copy of the original order
letter from Muessig to Bigsby. The sound is both unique and spectacular,
and just holding this practically unique piece is a unforgettable
experience.
 
Overall length is 27 1/2 in. (69.8 cm.), 10 1/2 in.
(26.7 cm.) wide at lower bout, and 1 7/8 in. (4.8 cm.) in depth at side,
taken at the end block. Scale length is 13 3/4 in. (349 mm.). Width
of nut is 1 7/16 in. (36 mm.). Very Good + Condition.