got a mandolin!

[guitar junkie]

sounds like you should be able to pick pretty good then

I sold the Michael Kelly also after finding a great deal on a 1930s Kalamazoo made by Gibson.... sure it is an A model rather than an F but it really roars and thunders when I want to, but lets me play a lot of the softer stuff I do the rest of the time.

[newunatthis]

I just got a Gibson A-9 model a couple of weeks ago. The differance between an A model and an F model is that the F model has a scroll on the uper bout, and two points on the rim, one on the upper end bout towards the tail-piece, and one on the lower bout towards the tail-piece. The A model is what is known as a teardrop shape. I suspect that the Kalamazoo that you have is an A model. Also Gibson made an A-5 when Loyd Loar designed the F-5. The A-5 and A-9 has the longer scale neck on them than the regular A models, also the top plates and back are graduated carved the same as the F-5. Don't know if you know this or not, but it is some good info to have when discussing mandolins.

[guitar junkie]

yeah I have been well informed over the years, and the mandolin cafe is a good site for info as well...

I have an A model with F holes and the shorter 12 fret neck which seems to lend itself to a more woody tone. My mandolin is also x braced inside rather than tone bars.

Kalamazoo made this mandolin from around 1934-1937

To put it in prospective though... The mandolin is worth about 5 times what I paid for it