Gibson mandolins 'perfect for any style'

Guitar manufacturer Gibson has released details surrounding its latest acoustic musical instrument, with a focus on a no-compromises approach to tone and playability.
The Jam Master Series Standard A-Style Mandolin aims to be the perfect instrument for musicians whatever style and genre of music they play. Offering “unmatched performance” with fewer trimmings, the manufacturer claims that the mandolin blends craftsmanship with tone and playability.
Gibson’s Mandolin designs have, in the past, helped to recapture some of the instrument’s long-lost folk intrigue with the brand associated with quality throughout the peak years of its popularity in the 1910s, 20s and early 30s.
“This austere, teardrop-shaped A-Style model is a fresh take on one of Gibson’s most popular mandolin lines, offering a simple yet elegant look, but with several performance-enhancing elements that players of this new line will certainly come to appreciate,” the manufacturer explains.
Gibson has introduced larger frets as well as doing away with the neck and headstock bindings. Thirteen of the instrument’s 20 frets are now clear of the body – a modification which the guitar maker says will help improve fingering for many players and different playing styles.
Additionally, a 1 3/16″ width at the nut will provide musicians with enhanced comfort and finger room across the raised fingerboard. On the design side, each A-Style mandolin features a carved solid spruce top trimmed with simple single-ply binding to contrast its Sheraton Brown satin lacquer finish.
The back and sides are constructed from figured maple, and the figured maple necks are carved and hand shaped to the popular rounded V profile.
Meanwhile, last year Gibson released a 75th anniversary edition of its F-10 Mandolin, with the instrument featuring the same design cues seen in the original model.