Summary
1924 (Loar Period) manufacture date (traditional estimates)
1924 shipment date, according to Spann's Guide to Gibson
Tenor Lute, Style TL4
Serial 77240
Factory Order number: 11190a
Description
Red finish. Red sunburst, 8-string, bound peghead, std. style 4 appointments
The most rare configuration of one of the most rare "standard" Gibson instruments, the TL-4 is the fancy version of a tenor banjo neck grafted onto a mandola body. It has a ringing tone with long sustain, but not a lot of volume.
Source
From Gryphon Strings.
Frank Ford is on of the founders of Gryphon Strings. Frank is world-renowned as a master repairman and an expert on vintage mandolins. Gryphon often carries very nice vintage mandolins. Frank is also the author of Frets.com, a website well worth the visit for instrument fans, luthiers, and repairmen