Please help me learn about this gibson a-4

[CharlieD]

(Sorry. I thought I uploaded pictures, but it didn't work. Not sure what to do now.)

If anyone can help educate me I would appreciate it. #From the reading I've done, this mandolin is an A-4. #It came to me when my father passed away. #I enjoy having it because it was his, but I feel like someone should be playing it, so I may sell it.

Thanks for any assistance you can give me.

Charlie

[Bill Snyder]

Charlie is the photo on your computer or on a photo hosting site? If it is on your computer the file needs to be 153k or less. Click the http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/Skin/Default/images/t_reply.gif button. Enter your text, click browse under the dialog box and find the file on your computer. DO NOT PREVIEW THE POST. If you do it will not post the photo.
If the photo is on a photo hosting site like photobucket you can just click the Image button and paste the information for the photo into the drop down box.

[Peter LaMorte]

Charlie,
Don't over think it. If you want to sell it, sell it, yes it should be singing. However Music to me is how it makes ME feel, for pros it about how it makes them feel and how it makes others feel. Pick it up...... get some books.....check out musicmoose.org...... and have at it. You'll be surprised what can happen.
Peter

[mrmando]

Here is Charlie's A4; he sent me a few pics. Appears to be a 1919 or 1920 A4 (non-Handel tuners, 1-pc. bridge) in OHSC; very good condition with no obvious problems judging from this photo. It's a little blurry, and a few more photos would be needed, including a photo of the back.

Charlie, the photos were indeed too big ... if you don't have an image editor on your computer (like Microsoft Office Picture Manager), you can use any of the Web sites that let you resize photos for free (picnik.com, photosize.com, shrinkpictures.com). Shrink them down to about 25% of original size and you should be able to post them.

As to what it's worth, if it is as nice as it looks in this photo, maybe $2,000, give or take a couple hundred.

[atetone]

I wish I had found a beauty like that in the attic.
Nice find.

[Bill Snyder]

I wish I had found a beauty like that in the attic.
Nice find.
The OP did not say anything about the attic. That was another thread.

[JeffD]

From the picture that looks like a beauty. When was it last regularly played? Has there been some tension on the strings most of the time since then?

[otterly2k]

I had a 1921 A4 that looked just like that... sold it a few years back. If you're certain you won't want to play it (or that someone close to you won't want to play it), then go ahead and sell...mine fetched 2k... and unless there are problems with the condition of yours that aren't apparent in the photo, yours probably would too.

However... it is nice to keep family heirlooms like that, if there's anyone in your family who might play it.

At the time I sold mine, I hadn't played it for years and felt like it should go to someone who would play it... used the $ as seed money to experiment with other mando-family instruments. I don't regret that, and I like what I ended up with, but in retrospect, I probably should have kept the A4.

Whatever decision works for you...