If you are looking for a Gibson F-style!!

[Bernie Daniel]

Here is a 2003 Gibson F-5G on eBay that is really fixed up nice.

It has Waverly tuners (!!) with Mike Blohm Handel keys (!!) and several other fancy attractions including a blue chip pick. If I was looking for a Gibson F-style it would be hard to ignore this one!

To top it off this is a Gibson mandolin from the 2001 - 2003 era and I've never seen a bad one from that period yet. All the bells and whistles and no I have no clue who is selling this. But somebody from this community ought to have it!! LOL

Original case included. It has one rub spot (finger plant?) --on it but that could easily be fixed or ignored.

Starting bid request is on the high end -- don't know if they have a reserve on it but my strategy would be to decide exactly what I wanted to pay for it and put that bid in during the last 20 seconds of the auction (I'm assuming they will not get bids very quick at that high price?)

[mee]

Hmm..."grandpa's mandolin" makes me think it should be a much older mandolin. I have a great great grandpas (or uncles) mandolin out in the world somewhere that I want to get my hands on. No idea what kind it was, only heard from and old auntie that it was recently found in the attic of the original old house along with a couple fiddles and was given to a cousin I have no contact with. I expect it will be sold if it hasn't already been.

[AlanN]

That one would get my consideration. The scoop is well-done.

[Fretbear]

Hey Rattler!

[Timbofood]

What's the deal with the "booger" on the back of the peghead? Looks like where the truss rod pocket lines up, photo glitch or real?
Inquiring minds want to know, as the saying goes.

[Wynning13]

Side note: is Mike Blohm still making these keys? I'd love to get a set.

[Petrus]

What's the deal with the "booger" on the back of the peghead? Looks like where the truss rod pocket lines up, photo glitch or real? Inquiring minds want to know, as the saying goes.

Looks almost like the tip of an overly long screw from the truss rod cover nearly poking through the opposite side, but who would be dumb enough to put a 1" (?) screw in a truss rod cover?

I love the look of the wood. Does the "wear" on the peak ridge of the scroll seem artificial? I don't see why the finish would wear off there unless someone deliberately sanded it to look "distressed."

[George R. Lane]

Side note: is Mike Blohm still making these keys? I'd love to get a set.

He is in the Builders database.

http://www.mandolincafe.com/cgi-bin/...&submit=Search

[Bernie Daniel]

No bids yet -- the seller may have started too high? Might get a bid for $3,500 in the last few minutes -- no not me -- I don't need two F-5G's but this is clearly fix up with taste! IMO.

[Timbofood]

The screw would have to go through the truss rod for that to happen wouldn't it?

[Bernie Daniel]

The screw would have to go through the truss rod for that to happen wouldn't it?

The lower one at least!

[mandobsessed]

Is it just me or do the hippie tracks on this instrument look fake, especially the wear spot below the fretboard extension. Its too regular and even. Maybe its just me though.

[Bernie Daniel]

Is it just me or do the hippie tracks on this instrument look fake, especially the wear spot below the fretboard extension. Its too regular and even. Maybe its just me though.

The exact position is strange to me - but no, that is what those "finger plant" wear spots tend to look like IMO.

[Scott R.]

I have a 1983 Kentucky KM 1500 and have been considering buying a Gibson F-5 of some type so this mandolin also caught my eye. I certainly do not know as much about mandolins as some of you do, but I agree that for a 2003 some of the wear looks a little weird, like it would take HUGE amount of rubbing with a leather strap to wear the finish off that ridge on the front, and doesn't it look like the bottom is cracking away from the sides in the side views? My gut tells me something is off here and this is a bit of a fixer upper and I would want a very good deal on it.

[Timbofood]

Doesn't look like any back seam failure to me but, I am one to "Follow the Gut"! If it says don't do it, DONT!
And I agree on price, seems a tad more than I would want to go.

[Bernie Daniel]

I have a 1983 Kentucky KM 1500 and have been considering buying a Gibson F-5 of some type so this mandolin also caught my eye. I certainly do not know as much about mandolins as some of you do, but I agree that for a 2003 some of the wear looks a little weird, like it would take HUGE amount of rubbing with a leather strap to wear the finish off that ridge on the front, and doesn't it look like the bottom is cracking away from the sides in the side views? My gut tells me something is off here and this is a bit of a fixer upper and I would want a very good deal on it.

It seems like a lot of viewers think the price is a little high. Maybe they have a point.

I think $3500 might not be too high that mandolin as a final selling price but it is pretty high on the anxiety scale to make an opening bid at that level. It's an inertia or a psychological barrier perhaps?

Also, I believe one needs to keep in mind the Waverly tuners with Blohm knobs --essentially a $700 upgrade? This might be an upgrade you don't really want to pay for --OTOH can you expect the seller just to give them to you?

You might sent the seller a query and ask if he is willing (assuming he still has them) to put the original hardware back on the mandolin and sell it to you for $3000?

If you do that tell him you might know a buyer for the Waverly-Blohm tuners

I do not think the back is separating -- but can you tell me which pic raised your concerns?

Hard to see the finish wear on the scroll with a nice soft leather strap but maybe that is a recent addition --if it originally had some kind of twine or hemp strap it could have been rubber bare?

BTW I have no clue who the seller is or any personal/$$ interest in this auction.

[Timbofood]

Bernie, you do make a very worthwhile point on the "upgraded" tuners, they are indeed that much more. In any case it's not moving in with me so, have fun whoever gets it!

[tnranger]

I hate to cast doubt, but does the "booger" on the back of the peg head have 2 faint cracks radiating toward the nut? Is this a repaired peg head break?

[Bernie Daniel]

I hate to cast doubt, but does the "booger" on the back of the peg head have 2 faint cracks radiating toward the nut? Is this a repaired peg head break?

Well its an interesting thought. I don't know of course...

I do see something of what could be a crack like you suggest one side of the "booger" but not the other. The neck has been sanded to make a speed neck and I see no sign of a break on the unfinished part of the neck.

But since you brought up the subject compare images #5 (with the Waverly box) and image #6.

The "booger" seems to have moved up to between posts 2 and 3 and to have disappeared from the spot where it was in image #5? Are these pics taken at different times -- several years apart etc.?

Seems like a question to the seller on this matter would be in order?

[barney 59]

Well its an interesting thought. I don't know of course...

I do see something of what could be a crack like you suggest one side of the "booger" but not the other. The neck has been sanded to make a speed neck and I see no sign of a break on the unfinished part of the neck.

But since you brought up the subject compare images #5 (with the Waverly box) with image #6. The "booger" seems to have moved up to between posts 2 and 3 and had disappeared from the spot where it was in image #5? Pics take at different times?

Seems like a question to the seller on this matter would be in order?

I noticed that as well --sometimes reflections in photos do weird things--it could be that but it is gone on that second photo and then something up higher. A new set of pictures might clear up this question. A stupid long screw would change the game!

[Bernie Daniel]

I noticed that as well --sometimes reflections in photos do weird things--it could be that but it is gone on that second photo and then something up higher. A new set of pictures might clear up this question. A stupid long screw would change the game!

In the case of image #5 it was pointed out that such a screw would have to go through the truss rod?

[hank]

When you zoom in on the second photo #6 you can still see the discrepancy at the same location as the #5 photo. The other area up higher is just a reflection. The scratch on the side looks like it could have come from a tone guard uhoh. The truss rod cover long screw makes no sense as an explanation for the damaged area considering the truss rod would block this from happening. As much as it looks like a outward protrusion (aka screw tip) it could easily be a inward dent ding from some other modification/use the owner thought was cool like the snake rattlers and the good mods(tuners and buttons). Maybe a night of excessive exuberance that made something hanging from there like a feather or coon tail a good idea. NFI but it looks like it could be a nice mandolin that the owner is trying to recover all or most of his original investment on.

[Bernie Daniel]

When you zoom in on the second photo #6 you can still see the discrepancy at the same location as the #5 photo. The other area up higher is just a reflection. The scratch on the side looks like it could have come from a tone guard uhoh. The truss rod cover long screw makes no sense as an explanation for the damaged area considering the truss rod would block this from happening. As much as it looks like a outward protrusion (aka screw tip) it could easily be a inward dent ding from some other modification/use the owner thought was cool like the snake rattlers and the good mods(tuners and buttons). Maybe a night of excessive exuberance that made something hanging from there like a feather or coon tail a good idea. NFI but it looks like it could be a nice mandolin that the owner is trying to recover all or most of his original investment on.

Henry, that would be my assessment too. Of course few things save death and taxes are certain. The auction has 9 hours to run as of this morning.

On the plus side is what looks like a great Gibson mandolin with lots of nice functional and aesthetic bling. IMO, someone who would put all those extras on it is someone into mandolins. Someone likely to care for his/her mandolin?

I'll say there is a decent chance it is a member of the MC? What do you think? Of course none of the questions raise in this string were addressed so maybe not?

Also on the plus side are free shipping and 100% positive feed back on 205 transactions (I did not look into how many were sells versus buys).

OTOH the seller does not offer a return and there are a few legitimate questions. But, the seller might answer those questions if asked -- who knows?

Bottom-line. If I were interested I would have sent a series of questions to the seller. If no answers my interest would immediately end -- never buy from an non-communicative seller is my policy.

If the answers were satisfactory I'd decide what was the maximum I wanted to pay for it and make that bid in the last 20 seconds of the auction. After that it is in the hands of the eBay gods!

[Scott R.]

I am also seeing what look to me like the beginning of the separation of the back from the sides in photos 10 and 11, the photos of taken from the sides. They appear minor at this point but not a good sign. With all of the stuff all have you have mentioned above, there seems to be a lot of uncertainty with this one and my interest is waning and I don't have time to sit around with the computer all day today. Plus my wife is saying, don't spend the $$, don't spend the $$!

[Capt. E]

My ebay strategy is usually to bid the max I am willing to pay and let it ride. If I get over-bid, so-be-it. Prevents auction fever.

Very pretty side wood.