79457

[mrmando]

Seller's claim that this 1924 <a href="http://cgi.ebay.com/Gibson-Mandolin-Circa-1920s_W0QQitemZ270107596279QQihZ017QQcategoryZ308Q QrdZ1QQcmdZViewIte
m" target="_blank">snakehead Ajr</a> belonged to Doc Severinsen is bogus in the extreme, but it sure looks nice.

I wonder if anyone will jump on it at this price, given how snakeheads are burning up the charts right now?

[MikeEdgerton]

I think if I was going to make a bogus claim that my mandolin was owned by someone I might choose a different celebrity. I'd probably accept the fact that Doc owned it. I might even ask if they had pictures of Doc and the Mom and Dad in the restaurant.

I can say I appreciate the fact if he did indeed own it that he signed the case and not the mandolin. Signatures on musical instruments drive me up the wall.

I mean you could say "My mandolin was owned by Doc Severinsen and so what?"

The mandolin looks to be in great shape and I already had that puppy on my watch list. I doubt the provenance will drive up the price. The condition might.

Added: After looking at this again, I might have to agree that the provenance is in question. Even though his mother's last name might have been different than his own, there's a bit too much difference in what is listed as his last name and that last name. Most of the time when names were changed they were changed to make them easier to say or spell. I've never seen anyone go the other way. Maybe someone else wrote his name in the case just to remember who they got it from and they misspelled it. Either that or the Wikipedia page has the spelling wrong.

Doc's Wikipedia Page (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Doc_Severinsen)

[markishandsome]

Is anyone else having trouble finding this auction?

[Jim Garber]

Try this link: 1920s A Jr (http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=270107596279).

Jim

[mrmando]

I don't think Doc would misspell his own name. The owner got back to me and said he has photos of his parents with Doc, so that part is true ... I just think somebody got confused along the way, and a mandolin that had nothing to do with Doc ends up getting attributed to him, 'cause he was a musician and his name's sorta similar to the name in the case. Memory ain't what it used to be. eBay ads are full of old-timers' tales about when and where they got their Gibsons, and sometimes those tales just don't add up. I'm not saying anyone deliberately fabricated a story, just that details tend to get fuzzy over a lifetime. Heck, I've only lived half a lifetime and there are things I don't remember so well.

[markishandsome]

I can barely make out the signature in that tiny blurry ebay photo, and "celebrity" signatures are often hard to read anyway, maybe the seller just typod it.

[MikeEdgerton]

There was a bigger picture of that signature this morning, the description has been revised.

http://i19.ebayimg.com/01/i/000/97/52/337c_1.JPG

[mrmando]

Yep, the earlier photo clearly said "D. Svenson."

[Soupy1957]

I could do without the case......phew....must smell kinda musty!!

-Soupy1957

[MikeEdgerton]

If you ever get any 1920's Gibson cases (I'd really like any of the rectangular ones that have a green interior) that are musty please contact me and I'll take them off your hands.

The mandolin is worth more with the original case. That doesn't mean you have to use it day to day.

A few years ago a young lady asked me to sell a Gibson mandolin for her. It was a 1932 F2 if I recall, I could be wrong on that. The case was musty so it made her clothes smell bad. The case was a Loar case. The gentleman that ended up winning that auction was more interested in the case than the mandolin.

[markishandsome]

Oh well, I guess I'll have to find a different crown jewel for my Doc Severinsen memorabilia collection. http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/smile.gif

[MikeEdgerton]

That's good. That's really good. http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/biggrin.gif

[slidezone]

Ok, I now have gotten this mandolin and can clear up the story a little. Firstly, Ive been longing for AJr from the Loar years for sometime and Ive played several and they all were pretty darn good mandos. This one is no exception...its also in great condition although it has had some french polishing to clean it up. Id rather of had the aligatored finish but tis ok...the ladys dad was a member of the local Wa. old time fiddlers for over 40 years and played all over the west coast. She does have pics of her dad w/Doc but I dont think it was his ever...I think the sig is Svensen...as in Olie or Sven...old halibut fisherman mabey?... Doc mabey played it but I think thats it. She was very nice and didnt want to ship it to me and made a 4 1/2 hour drive to hand deliver it to me!...I was very surprised walking out of my door and there she was with it in her arms...needless to say, she cherished the memories of it, and was very glad its found a good home...Ps...case is most excellent and not musty at all!...cheers http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/mandosmiley.gif

[ethanopia]

Wow you got a nice mando for the money.

Does the top look overly light to anyone else? It could be the lighting in the pics, but to me this looks lighter than it should be? Most of the onse I've seen look more like a dark red wine or brown color.