Gibson Vintage 1906 A4 Mandolin With Case

For sale is an extremely clean vintage 1906 Gibson A4 Mandolin. This mandolin is marked with serial number 6398 and Factory Order Number 409 inside the instrument. It comes with the non original case as shown.

Gibson 1906 (circa) model A4 mandolin. This beautiful old mandolin was top of the line in its day. It has a black finish. The ebony or (sometimes referred to as mystery ebony-like) fingerboard has standard inlays and the top has an inlaid finger rest, now known as a pickguard. On the headstock it displays "The Gibson" and a fleur-de-lis inlaid and is equipped with a set of fancy Handel tuning machines. Engraved on the pineapple tailpiece is the original "The Gibson" logo. The Orville Gibson label inside the sound hole has a hand written serial number 6398 and the heal block has the order number 409 stamped.

This instrument is in good playable condition, it is loud and very resonate. There is finish wear including checking and common imperfections throughout that include dings, scratches, paint wear from years of use but adds to the mojo of this mandolin. Top is in good shape and not sinking in like some do. The fingerboard is in good condition and the frets show some wear, there is a very slight crack in the upper register of the fingerboard (see photos) that appears to be stable. You will also note there is a slight hairline crack that is in part of the heal (see photos) that is solid and holding steady at this time. The finger rest (pickguard) displays some common separation between the inlaid portions of material. Overall, it is in impeccable condition for being 119 years old. A person will be hard pressed to find another example in this condition.

It's not a new instrument but a vintage piece of American music history. The chipboard case is nothing special but does the job as seen in the photos. Please see all photos for more information or contact us with your questions.

Like any instrument you may need to have the instrument set up or adjusted by a luthier when shipped to a different region. It will have a fresh set of strings and a basic set up done by our in house tech before being shipped out.

All items are shipped using signature confirmation.

Shipping is to the lower 48 states only. This item is sold as described and pictured with NO Returns.

Please contact the shop with any questions.

We only ship to Reverb account addresses, and we only use the Reverb generated shipping labels. Make sure that your information is correct before making a purchase. The buyer will be responsible for contacting Reverb if there is a discrepancy in the shipping address information.  All items are shipped using signature confirmation.

All cancelled purchases will be charged a 10% relisting fee.

This item is for sale locally and this listing may end at any time.

We are a small music shop located in Lincoln Nebraska, we buy, sell, and trade quality new and used musical gear. We also offer repair services and musical lessons. Find us online!