1919 Gibson A-3 Mandolin white top

[Tina MBee]

I'm looking to buy a Gibson white top and wondering what's a fair price. My teacher suggested I visit the mado cafe message board to get some info. We're thinking it's a great looking mandolin but before we maybe go look at it we were wondering what the price range would be. Anyone got any info???

[allenhopkins]

Bernunzio in Rochester is selling a white-face A-3 for $2,250. Here's a link to it:

A-3 mandolin

I remember steering someone to a white-face A-3 not too long ago for $650, but I guess those days are forever gone...

[jim_n_virginia]

not really sure what the going price is but you can check out what they are selling on eBay which is pretty much the modern day "blue book" for anything these days.

I know one thing those... its a nice mandolin if you get one. good luck!

[Eric F.]

With all due respect, I'm not sure eBay counts as the blue book for anything. Emotions play into auctions sometimes, and two people get determined to win, so you end up with tailpiece covers going for astronomical sums, or a Flatiron flattop fetching $950.

Conversely, many people will buy on eBay only if they perceive the deal as a bargain. I'm certainly in that camp. Most auctions are "as is," and you can't check out the goods first, so people expect to pay a bit less than they would from a regular retailer.

Also, sometimes auctions are influenced by bidders who really don't know what they are doing. I would suggest that whoever just paid $380 for one of those "souvenir" Flatirons Gibson made for a while is about to find that out - and I don't think that price will set the standard for the future.

Finally, whiteface A-3s don't come up on eBay very often, so it's going to be hard to get a sense of what several of them went for.

If I want to get a handle on the approximate value of a mandolin, I check the Web sites of Elderly, Gryphon, Bernunzio, Mandolin World Headquarters, Inter-Mountain Guitar, Vintage Instruments and a couple of others. Charles Johnson has two whiteface A-3s right now listed at $2,500. At any rate, good luck and happy playing.

[danb]

white A3 in very nice condition $2300 IMO, that's
white PG
tp cover
no color yellowing or arm wear
original tuners
original case

[GBG]

For $2,300-$2,500 it better have some real tone and volume too.

[guitharsis]

I was interested in the one at Bernunzio's awhile back. John Bernunzio said that one has excellent tone and volume.

[Tom Mylet]

Here's a couple of things I usually consider when trying to determine what to pay: 1) If it's from a reputable, knowledgable dealer, it should be set up, ready to go with no surprise repairs needed anytime soon, 2) If I decide to sell later, what are my chances of getting at least what I have in it back? Selling on consignment through a dealer generally costs 20-25% of the selling price.

[Adam Tracksler]

There was a nice one at Umanov in NYC, my neice was with me, so I didnt get a chance to check it out in any detail.

[Ira Chavis]

I've seen and played the one at Umanov . I think they are listing it as a 22/23 but no truss rod..theya are asking $3.3K for it..it is fairly mint. Be patient grasshopper, they do show up here and on ebay every so often..the last few have gone for around $1800 - $2K that i remember. I have a 1920 A-3 which is sweet looking and great sounding. I hope you find one.

Ira

[Mandobar]

there is one at vintage-instruments.com in philadelphia. playersvintage.com had one for a while. vintagemandolin.com had several a while back. they are out there. for one in decent shape you'll need to spend about 2200.

[Tina MBee]

thanks for all the advice,BUT in the process of looking at other sites that were suggested I found a couple other type Gibsons I like better!Has anyone ordered from Bernuzio or vintage-instruments in Philly? I live in another state so I'd have to do the shipping thing. I guess looking could go on forever but I need to make up my mind sometime if I ever want to actually play it!

[guitharsis]

I've purchased from Bernunzio's before. They've been in business a very long time and are reputable. They are located in Rochester,NY which is my home town.

Good luck in your purchase. Let us know what you decide on.

[phoenix]

I had a great experience at Vintage Instruments in Philly when I got to try ten or twelve Gibson A's a few times each until I found the one I liked best. The crazy part was they all sounded pretty good and the choice was tough to make.

[Mandobar]

fred oster at vintage instruments in philly is world renowned. he is on antique roadshow as one of their experts from time to time. his specialty is violins etc, but he is quite knowledgable about mandolins and such. he always has nice stuff.

[PaulD]

No financial interest here, other than liking to see local music businesses thrive. You may want to check out Intermountain Guitar and Banjo in Salt Lake City, UT. They have an inventory online and the phone number is on the Website if you want to give them a call. They are reputable and knowledgable about these instruments and deal with folks around the country and, to some extent, around the world. I don't know how their prices compare, but they are another knowledgable source of vintage instruments.

Paul Doubek

[allenhopkins]

I'm also from Rochester and can vouch for John Bernunzio. He's not cheap, since he sells internationally and European and Asian buyers often pay more than Americans, but his descriptions are accurate.