1918 Gibson F-2 Style Mandolin

[Thordis]

Hi from germany,
can you please help me. I want to sell my mandolin, what is it worth. This is my discription.
Gibson F-2 Mandolin

build 1918 in Kalamazoo, Mich, U.S.A
Serial Number: 52024
Color: dark mahagony sunburst

This instrument is not restored and in a damaged condition, but still playable
to find out the age of production, it was the result of many investigations

the faults by all appearances are:
the mandolin tuning maschines are not original and one knob is half broken
on the backside, near the neck and sidewood, the back is loosen
on the top and backside are thin, fine haircracks visible ( in the vanish - maybe in the wood )
in the right side of sidewood, there is a longer, small crack visible ( into the vanish and the wood )
the pickguard including the bracket is missing
all damages you can see on the pictures

the Mandolin is an instrument with damages, mistakes and missing parts !

including the old original Mandolin Case

The same model was still in white color

Thanks for your answer

greetings

[mrmando]

Also, it's been refinished, and the bridge and soundhole rosette are not original. Altogether, with damage, refin and missing parts: US$1750.

[pfox14]

S/N 52024 dates to 1919. It was definitely refinished. It has a sprayed sunburst, not hand-rubbed. With all the problems and missing parts, I was going to say $1400-1500. Collectors don't like refinished instruments and non-original parts.

[Tom C]

Rosette round sound hole not original either

[mrmando]

I was going to say $1400-1500.

And I thought I was going to be the lowballer this time!

As noted elsewhere, I recently sold a '12 F2 with replacement bridge/fretboard, minor cracks/repairs, and non-original HSC for $2500. It wasn't refinished, though.

[Bill Snyder]

Do we really have any idea of its market value in Germany if we are in the USA?

[Bernie Daniel]

Do we really have any idea of its market value in Germany if we are in the USA?

I think I have often seen American vintage instruments offered for approximately same the same number of BPS as it would cost in USD on this side of the pond.

So for example, an F-2 might be worth $1500 in the USA but £1500 in Europe? So it would take $2300 USD to buy it from a European owner (before shipping and tariff)?

Well they would be more rare over there yes? So maybe Martin's estimate is not so bad?

[mrmando]

I'm not sure what someone in Germany would want with British pounds, unless the EU is getting ready to bail out Greece again. But anyway, at current rates:

US$1,500 = £990.39 or 1,298.32 EUR

If we assume there is a 50% "Europe effect" on prices, then it's

£1,485.56 or 1,947.42 EUR

[Bernie Daniel]

I'm not sure what someone in Germany would want with British pounds, unless the EU is getting ready to bail out Greece again. But anyway, at current rates:

US$1,500 = £990.39 or 1,298.32 EUR

If we assume there is a 50% "Europe effect" on prices, then it's

£1,485.56 or 1,947.42 EUR

Well --its a SNAFU for sure. My example was not meant to apply to the specific instrument in discussion I was just making a general comment about comparative prices for vintage USA-made instruments in Europe generally. Using the Euro might have been better. Even so I was fine until a brain f*** (rhymes with start) caused me to write the last sentence confusing everyone I suppose.

[grassrootphilosopher]

The refinish has a negative impact on the price. The other issues suggest that it needs some attention. The post does not hint at what specific repairs are necessary. Therefore - to my mind - a price cannot be determined. Other than in the vintage guitar market a refinish does not necessarily cut the price of an instrument in half. This refinish though looks less than perfect.

Therefore I would advise to show the instrument to a knowledgable repairperson. In Germany there is Hamburg´s Jürgen Richter (http://www.gitarrenreparatur.de/). He has also built some nice mandolins. You could also take a trip to Brighton and visit TAMCO (www.theacousticmusicco.co.uk; must see). Both could tell you what your mandolin is worth.

[grassrootphilosopher]

The price discussion is futile in my mind. You cannot gerealize. You´d have to study the market first. This though is quite complicated with a niche product like a mandolin.

[mrmando]

We know something about the market for vintage Gibson mandolins in the USA, thanks. One may safely presume that these instruments carry a bit of a premium in Europe, since there are fewer of them to be found over there. It is hard to say how much of a premium, though.

[mrmando]

The post does not hint at what specific repairs are necessary.

Eh? Repair a side crack, replace a tuner button, close up the open seam, and investigate the other cracks to see if they need cleating.

[strum75]

Hello to everybody,
this mandolin is on ebay.com right now with a buy it now of $3400! Unfortunately I can't do a link, but it looks like the bail out might be back on!
The extra pics tell a fuller story of it's condition! A google search with the serial number should bring up the previous german owners attempts at selling
it on ebay all over europe.I seem to remember him ending the auction early on at least one occasion on ebay.de.
This mandolin was discussed on these pages in the latter part of last year, I can't find that thread but think I remember one or two people saying it was worth fixing.I do remember some eagle eye pointing out that the frets were not original.As to value, I could not guess but to me this falls into the restoration or project bag.Player grade and above will bring a euro premium but for this type of thing , I would'nt be so sure.I would be sure about the repairs being more expensive and finding some able to do them alot more difficult!

[grassrootphilosopher]

Eh? Repair a side crack, replace a tuner button, close up the open seam, and investigate the other cracks to see if they need cleating.

Well, the side-crack is not shown in the pictures. We do not know if it needs cleating or not, if the (refinished) finish is disturbed where the side-crack is, we are not shown the back, so we do not know anything specific about "the back is loosen". We do not know if there is something wrong with the neck (or neck block), as the back is "loose" near the neck. We do not know if there are top and or back-cracks and if so how many etc. etc. As I see it, all these factors are essential to determine the amount of repair and the repair costs.

I would refrain to simplify any repairs with this little evidence. But in general you are right that it´s easy to estimate the repair costs when it comes to the repairs that you quote.

I will prophesy that a refinished mandolin of this kind will sit like lead over here. The classical bunch will not touch it, because they are set on other instruments. It holds no interest for the bluegrass crowd. They are a nitpicky bunch that is well informed and seeks out instuments without refins and a certain repair history (except in much higher valued instruments). The folk bunch (Irish etc.) likes flattop mandolins (think Fylde). An F-2 like this one moves only at a heavily discounted price. The best way to move it would be to represent it through a well known shop (like Richter in Hamburg, Boetzkes in the Netherlands or TAMCO, Brighton, UK).

[Ivan Kelsall]

Most of the comments above are pretty negative & i fully understand why = re-finished,structural issues,tuners not original etc. - but !. I have a friend who works in one of Manchester UK's largest music stores who owns a Gibson F2 & it's a beautiful sounding instrument in great original condition,something that turned me on to that model of mandolin. The only way i'd value the OP's F2,would be to get the value of a good original condition F2 & get a cost estimate for repairing the OP's instrument & subtract the cost of the repair from the price of the good F2. Not all mandolin players are 'collectors' or overly bothered by a 're-finish' (as long as it's a decent job),if the structural problems were sorted & the tuners replaced,as long as it sounds good,it could find a buyer. How many Lloyd Loar F5's have had repairs done to them ?. If it was mine,i'd get the work done first & then offer it as a 'ready to go' instrument. It's not everybody that wants to buy a 'repair project',
Ivan