Gibson Mandolin Tells a Story

I often think about the stories vintage instruments would tell about the various people who have owned and played them; and about the many places they have been: if only they could talk. I have one instrument that actually tells quite a story. It is a Gibson Alrite mandolin. The Alrite was a flat-top “pancake” mandolin similar to the Army-Navy model, which was a bare-bones, no-frills instrument made to be sold in the PX’s for a few bucks. The Alright was a higher grade “pancake” with a nice spruce top embellished with some fancy inlay around the contour and around the soundhole. This Alrite put in some military service. She belonged to a crew member of the steamship USS Calamares toward the end of World War I. Carved into the back of this mandolin is a little picture of an anchor, and above it are the letters, USN. Neatly carved below, in letters about 3/16” high are the words, including carefully carved periods and commas:

SHOVED OFF AT
HOBOKEN, N.J. – SEPT. 15, 1918.
ARRIVED IN HARBOR
BREST FRANCE – SEPT 27, 1918.
LAY AT ANCHOR 4 ½ DAYS
BACK IN N.Y. HARBOR OCT. 11, 1918
ON BOARD U.S.S. CALAMARES
T.H.M.

According to information provided by the Naval Historical Center and NavSourceOnline, Calamares, a refrigerated cargo steamship, was built in 1913 at Belfast, Ireland. She was owned by the United Fruit Company. Acquired by the Army for World War I service, she was transferred to the Navy in April 1918 and placed in commission as USS Calamares (ID # 3662). She was used as a troop transport and made five voyages to France for this purpose. On October 11, 1918, she was assigned to the Naval Overseas Transportation Service, which used her to carry provisions from the U.S. to France on three more trips. October 11, 1918 was the very day that the sailor who carved this information reached N.Y. Harbor! Thus, we know that the voyage this sailor described was the last of the five voyages which had transported troops to France.

The photos of USS Calamares below are courtesy of the Naval Historical Center and Paul H. Silverstone. The one on top shows her at New York Navy Yard on June 28, 1918. In the photo on the bottom, a Navy Band plays on the dock of a French port as a group of sailors stand in formation with USS Calamares in the background. This photo is dated 1918. Perhaps “T.H.M.” is in this photo!

Calamares again returned to transport duty in March 1919 making five voyages which brought more than 10,000 U.S. service personnel home from Europe. The last of these trips was completed August 1919, and USS Calamares was decommissioned and returned to the United Fruit Company. In December 1941 Calamares was acquired again by the Navy for use during the Second World War. After being converted to a storeship she was commissioned in April 1943 as USS Calamares (AF-18). She was decommissioned in April 1946 and turned over to the Maritime Commission. She was sold for scrapping in December 1947.

I bought this wonderful piece of Americana on eBay. There was some work that had to be done so that the mandolin would be playable. My friend Paul Gorman Meadors, an excellent luthier, built a new ebony fretboard and a rosewood bridge, and put a spline inside the instrument, repairing a crack that extends up the entire back. He left the crack open at the top and bottom of the Gibson label so as not to obscure it. The result: a completely stable, perfect player! She is no Gibson A model, but she sounds full, with plenty of volume and plenty of bass, and is punchy, perky, and very well balanced. I am delighted with the sound—she sounds great for fiddle tunes and great for J.S. Bach (from whom I know only one piece!). All in all, I have a total of $463.00 invested in this instrument—a real steal as far as I’m concerned.

I love the mandolin and I love the story she tells. Every time I pick her up and play a tune I am reminded that I can enjoy musical instruments and so many other things only because of the freedom which has been secured through the great sacrifice of generations of our men and women in uniform—people like “T.H.M.” who once owned my Gibson Alrite.

Big Sound, Small Price: The Epiphone EL-00

Now you don’t have to spend a bundle to own a guitar that is small-bodied, easy to play, and puts one in mind of the much cherished Gibson L-00’s of the 1930’s. On sale at a special price of $299.99, the Epiphone EL-00 is modest in ornamentation; yet in her simplicity, she conveys the elegance of those Gibsons of yesteryear. The top is solid spruce with a very rich vintage sunburst finish. She sounds great—every one I’ve played is lively, with perfect separation and balance. One thing that bugs me, however, is that Epiphone recently changed this model from the classic Gibson 24.75” scale to a 25.5” scale, (which I hate!), but apparently they have changed it back to the 24.75" scale (which I love!). Both the specs at Musician's Friend and Epiphone.com now show the 24.75" scale.

The Epiphone EL-00 is on sale at a savings of $282.01 off suggested retail price at Musician’s Friend. I have purchased many instruments from this company. In fact, their prices are so low (the lowest you can find anywhere) that I have purchased guitars there and have turned right around and sold them on eBay for a profit! You can’t beat their free shipping and no-hassle return policy. I am an affiliate of Musician’s Friend, so I make a small commission when their items are purchased through their links to this site. Therefore, I sure would appreciate it if you would purchase online any item you buy from Musician’s friend through this site. When you link on from any of my articles you will have access to every item they sell—and you pay the same price that you would pay if you went directly to their site. Thank you! Click below to see the Epiphone EL-00:
Epiphone EL-00 Acoustic Guitar Vintage Sunburst Chrome Hardware

The Gibson Arlo Guthrie LG-2 Acoustic Guitar

The LG-2 is a classic Gibson, and the vintage ones are rare indeed. When Arlo was 5 years old his famous daddy Woody apparently gave him one: hence the Gibson Arlo Guthrie LG-2 Acoustic Guitar. Imagine how easy it to play a 22.75” scale, which is even shorter than the classic Gibson scale of 24.75”! I am especially fond of guitars with shorter scales. They are easier to play for two reasons: One, you don’t have to stretch your fingers as far, and two, the strings are more flexible, so they are easier to push down to the frets. I am of the opinion that a shorter scale usually makes an acoustic guitar sound better too. The increased flexibility translates into increased sensitivity: It takes less effort to produce a greater range of dynamics. I love shorter scales for flatpicking fiddle tunes solo. The LG-2 is especially mellow and resonant, with a solid Sitka spruce top and solid mahogany back and sides. A great guitar for child, ladies, a smaller person, or a not-so-smaller-person who likes a smaller guitar! The Gibson Arlo Guthrie LG-2 Acoustic Guitar is on sale at a special price at Musician’s Friend. I have purchased many instruments from this company. In fact, their prices are so low (the lowest you can find anywhere) that I have purchased guitars there and have turned right around and sold them on eBay for a profit! You can’t beat their free shipping and no-hassle return policy. Click below to see the Gibson Arlo Guthrie LG-2 Acoustic Guitar:
Gibson Acoustic Arlo Guthrie LG-2 Acoustic Guitar Vintage Sunburst

Jeff Row and guitargitaa

Check out the blog of my long-time friend Jeff Row called guitargitaa at http://guitargitaa.blogspot.com/

In Hawaii Jeff grew up listening to the best of the best slack key guitarists play on their porches. During several of my pre-teenage years, I was privileged to listen to Jeff play surf music and rock ‘n’ roll in a band with my older brother, Jay. Green Onions, Walk Don’t Run, Penetration, Pipeline… It was all there. Although he probably doesn’t remember this, Jeff taught me some of the first licks I learned on the guitar.

guitargitaa is a forum on performance and cultural concepts of the guitar. Jeff loves the guitar and his enthusiasm shows. He has keen insight into some of the things going on in the world of music. It will be a treat to watch his blog develop.

Jeff—all the best to you!