Gibson settled in Kalamazoo, Michigan in the early 1880s, and by 1896 he was listed in Kalamazoo’s directory as a musical instrument manufacturer (Gibson’s first year of production is generally accepted as 1894). It may surprise readers that Gibson started out as a mandolin manufacturer-guitars didn’t come into their line until several years later. Let’s start with a little history about Gibson mandolins. Mandolins are a common estate item today since they were so popular during the early 20th century (many people who have passed away in recent years grew up during this era). I really dislike hearing about how a certain musical instrument was either sold for little to nothing, or thrown away because the family didn’t know what it was. I see this much too often, and without proper documentation it can really turn into a mess. I recommend documenting all musical instruments (as well as any important artifacts) and designating what should happen to them when a loved one passes away. Can you help me and my parents out?Īs unusual as this might seem, I answer many questions regarding instruments in the estates of family members. I’m trying to get some information on it, including the model name and the current value. The only information is on the inside with the numbers 24XXX. There are no markings on the mandolin itself, including on the headstock. My grandfather passed away several years ago and one of the items my parents ended up with was an old Gibson mandolin.
By the way, the inlay on my peghead is world class (a Fern), as is likewise, the sunburst, the woods, and the tone). So Tom's response may add some new heat to this ongoing debate. Respondents to past threads on the Cafe have been rather emphatic that the celebrated Sumi was a builder only of KM900s, 1000s, and 1500s, but NOT the KM850.
#KENTUCKY MANDOLIN SERIAL NUMBERS SERIAL NUMBERS#
For the last 15 years or so the serial numbers begin with the year of production, but before that it is hard to pinpoint the exact year of manufacture. We have very few records from that period of production when the company was much smaller than it is today. I've seen 4 digit SN's from the early '80s and 5 digits starting with 19XXX from the mid to late '80s, so this is the best estimate I can come up with. I can narrow this one down to 1983-1986 approximately, but there's no fool-proof way to know for sure. This Kentucky is definitely from that factory in Japan (Sumi was the inlay guy in that period), which shut down sometime in the late 1980s-the label inside confirms that.
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