Handmade mandocello with guitar body, signed by Ryan and Jim Triggs. Jim Triggs started building instruments over 35 years ago. Prior to working for the Gibson Company in 1986, Triggs was a respected mandolin builder in the Midwest and on the West coast. Hired by Gibson to work in their custom shop, his duties included getting their F-5 mandolins back to their 1920’s specifications. He supervised the custom shop, overseeing the archtop guitar line. In his six years at Gibson, Jim worked on over 20 art instruments and signed the labels of over 700 guitars and mandolins. Jim left Gibson in the spring of 1992 to start a “one man custom shop”.

This superb Mandocello is quite fantastic, with a big tone with nice balance. Constructed with a spruce top and maple back & sides, it has the standard L5 jazz box style cutaway body measuring 16.5" on the lower and 12.25" on the upper bout, with a depth of 2 7/8" at the heel and 3" at the tailpiece. Classic Gibson decoration, and is appointed with all gold hardware, multiple ply binding. The fully bound, soft V profile neck is designed with a 24.75" scale length, and a 1 5/8" nut width. Gold Grover imperial tuners round out this fantastic build.

Even low action and a straight neck make it a great player, all the while being a pretty interesting and collectable instrument, which is believed to be the initial Mandocello that Triggs had built (according to the original owner).

This was very well maintained, with hardly a mark on it. Clean frets and finish, with only very mild checking toward the heel.
Includes a nice TKL hardshell case.