Consecutive serial numbers on F-2's

[Treble in mind]

Thought you all might be interested in the following-

A friend of mine who lives in Maine (I'm in Michigan) emailed me to tell me about an all-original 1914 blackface F-2 in great shape that he purchased from Gryphon. I replied that I, too, had an all-original 1914 blackface F-2 in great shape, purchased about a year ago from Elderly.

So of course we compared the numbers. Lo and behold, the Factory Order Numbers on the neck blocks are identical and the serial numbers on the labels are consecutive!

He'll be visiting at some time in the future, and comparing the mandos is definitely on the agenda. Both are well played and minus any structural repairs, so it should be apples and apples. Plus we'll get some neat photos.

Fun, huh?

[Tom C]

That is so cool. Too bad probably neither of you would sell to the other.

[ethanopia]

wow that is really cool, do post pictures and comments I'd love to hear how they compare out.

[Darryl Wolfe]

Gibson instruments were built in batches. #Generally speaking with having the same FON number, the serial numbers will be consecutive for however many instruments are in the batch...and the instruments are always the same model. #It's like a piece of paper with the FON on it was handed down from management saying "we need 12 more F2's". #The FON on the headblock is how they knew it will end up being an F2 and not an F4 while it was still in the early stages of construction. #Once it reaches a certain point where all the pieces are coming together (and it's not just a piece of the whole mando) it gets a serial number penciled in under where the label will later be applied.

This is how I extrapolate/interpolate how many Loars were actually built. #

For example, let's say those two F2's had the same FON, but the serial numbers were 12 apart. #Then I would deduce that they mad at least 12 F2's with that FON number..so on and so on on for every different FON I knew of.
Refer to mandolinarchive.com and you will see the connection

[sunburst]

Not much mandolin content here, but Several years ago I bought a Gibson mastertone banjo after selling about 5 instruments and saving money for a while.
Not long after, Mandolin Brothers had the next serial number banjo for sale. Same model, identical to the one I bought. Knowing now what has happened to prices, I should have borrowed the money to buy the other and had a matched set with consecutive serial numbers.

[Darryl Wolfe]

And with banjos..generally speaking the first part of the serial number is the batch number and the second part is it's place consecutively in the batch
Like 9578-3 for the later ones and 11892-18 for earlier stuff. The batch nu8mbers line up with the ones found on the headblock of other Gibson instruments..meaning that the 11892-18 Banjo was built around the Loar era

[sunburst]

One of the banjos I sold to buy the mastertone was an old TB-1 that was a consecutive serial number to one owned by a friend of mine.
I don't know how often this sort of thing happens, but it happens.