R.L. Givens experts

[Frank Russell]

Hey Givens owners/scholars, I am in the process of purchasing a Givens A from a good friend, and I want to try and set a fair price with him. #I don't even know what model it is, but I can give a pretty good description. #It's got top and bottom binding, sort of plain brown color (more green than red brown), unbound fretboard and peghead, and the R.L. Givens inlay on the peghead is in the middle of a sort of art deco cross/North Star figure. #It has no truss rod, which is unusual from the other Givens mandos I've seen, but neck is straight and no top sinkage. #A little fret wear, but otherwise cosmetically superior. #Also pretty good flamed neck and back. #Great tone, needless to say, and good volume. #A real easy player. #Unfortunately, I am a computer caveman and can't post a picture. #The only non-original part is a Monteleone-style tailpiece, engraved. I almost forgot, it's #683, dated and signed by Bob 11/15/92. #I have a good idea of pricing on the upper-level A models, and the F's, but I don't know where to begin on this one. #If you folks can point me in the direction of a knowledgeable source, or if you have any guesses as to value, let me know please. #Thanks, Frank

[pickinNgrinnin]

Hey Frank, give Greg Boyd, in Missoula, Montana a call. He seems to have sold a number of Bob's Mandolins over the years. http://www.gregboyd.com/

Jeff

[Rroyd]

I saw your question and was going to post a response, but I see that pickinNgrinnin had already posted for me. By all means, as Greg is one of the most knowledgeable folks in the country as far as Givens instruments go.

[holdenzdad]

Charles Johnson at www.vintagemandolin.com could also give you some insight.

[Billy Mack]

Fj, Let us know what you find out. Mine is almost exactly as you describe and only a little older. Thanks

[Potosimando]

At #683 and 11/92, this instrument has to be one of the very last mandos that Bob made. I have never run across a higher number than my own at #674 (7/8/92), although I knew they existed. Bob must have been awfully ill in November of 92, as he passed away perhaps four months later.

Re. trussrod, I am guessing that the instrument has a truss rod, but that it is the odd type that you adjust from the end-pin hole--Greg Boyd has/had a special tool for adjustment for this type of trussrod (if he has them, then I don't know if he sells them outright, or gives/sells them only to his own Givens customers).

Good luck. As Billy Mack said, let us know what you find out.

[bud]

Sounds a lot like the A3 I bought from Greg Boyd last year. #I paid $2500. Well worth it. #Here is a photo of mine. #It is serial number 378 made in 1987 when Bob was in Idaho. #Hope this helps you some. #I can send additional photos is you like.

[Nick Triesch]

I had a Givens A type made about 1984 and it did not have an adjustable truss rod. Nick

[Frank Russell]

Thanks to all and keep that info coming. Greg Boyd is at the top of my list to call, but he's out of town till Monday night, so I thought I'd quiz the good folks here at the Cafe meantime. That hidden truss rod stuff is pretty interesting. Thanks again. Frank

[bud]

frussell,

Here is a photo of the headstock.

[Mace]

I have #275, his plain A. I have a question regarding his work over time. He, obviously, had his tone 'dialed in' rather early in his career. His attention to finish details, selection of woods, appointments (new logo, gold tuners)seems to have shown up in later instruments. Is this true? Reflection of customer demand, dealer input, co-worker input?
I also, in reading these threads, have often wondered if he was a player; and where did he develop his craft?

[Nick Triesch]

IMHO I think Bob Givins mandolins sounded great. Mine sure did. Had a real sweet spot. I think Bob cared more about sound than fit and finish. His mandolins did not look bad by any means but they were no where near the near perfect mandos we see today. ButI think a lot of the mandolins of the time were made the same way. I think flatirons of the Givins timeframe were made much cleaner but I also think that Bobs mandolins sounded better. He really had the sound thing down! I wish I didn't sell mine. Again IMHO. Nick

[Frank Russell]

Just a quick update. Got ahold of Greg Boyd yesterday. What I've got is an A4, Sheraton brown, and yes, it does have the funky truss rod you can only access through the end pin hole, I looked. Greg gave me all the info I needed. He agreed that it was a late model, but definitely not the end, as he's seen up to #689 or so. He gave me a good price range to consider so I can set my deal up where both will come out satisfied. Thanks to Greg, who is always a pleasure to talk to, and to the good folks here who are always there with good advice. I wish I could post pix, because this is really a beautiful mandolin. Frank

[Frank Russell]

Sorry to dredge up an old thread like this, but I finally paid this Givens off, and it's all mine. Got a steal of a good price, and paid it off real slow to keep the owner from having cold feet. He's a good friend of mine, and let me hold onto it now and again over the last 14 months or so. I bought one of Greg Boyd's strange truss-rod adjusting tools for the through-the-endpin adjustment style rod that Givens used occasionally, and I'm good to go. Greg Boyd could not have been more helpful in advice on how much I should pay, recent prices, etc... He's definitely the man when it comes to Givens. I put new strings on this thing last night and it woke up like it had been sleeping for ten years. Just as loud and sweet as can be, nice radius, little bit wider neck profile than the A6 I had briefly. Tone for days. I'll try and post some pix with my cheapie digital cameral. Frank

[pickinNgrinnin]

[QUOTE]I'll try and post some pix with my cheapie digital cameral.

Frank - does this mean you have joined the 21st century? http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/laugh.gif

[Frank Russell]

I guess so. Not enough to buy a good digital camera. This one was a $30 cheapo, and has no display screen, so you have to wait until you hook it up to the computer to see pix. I'm still pretty low-tech. Frank

[doc holiday]

Good to hear you got the Givens. Greg Boyd has sure been a pleasure for me to deal with over the years too.

It kills me that he has a great sounding lefty Givens A on his site and no one has picked it up yet.

Cheers
Doc

[Rick Schmidlin]

Greg is tops and enjoy your Givens.

[BrazAd]

Doc,

The lefty must not be THAT great, or the owner wouldn't be selling it, right? http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/tounge.gif

I'd love to own it, myself.... I'm just short on the funds needed to buy it.

MAS, how I love thee, let me count the ways... http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/biggrin.gif

Gary Collier
Atlanta

[doc holiday]

Braz/Ad. Who really knows? But I visited Greg a couple of times in the last while & dusted it off. If I hadn't just paid for the Heiden I would have taken it. Today I see it's on hold. I just hate to see good lefty instruments gathering dust while some people say they can't find one. http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/coffee.gif http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/mandosmiley.gif

Doc

[mandolooter]

Congrats on having it in your hands full time! He made some great mandolins!http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/smile.gif

[Frank Russell]

Thanks looter. I really love this A model. It's powerful but has a really "sweet" tone. I also like the understated headstock inlay, looks kind of art-deco. There's a similar one on page 9 of the "Headstock inlay: post a picture of your favorite" thread from months past. This one's a keeper, beats all the A's I've owned, and that's more than a few. Frank.