Check out this junk

**Darryl Wolfe** · Jun-26-2008, 3:31pm

This is pretty pathetic, especially considering the price. #At best it's a straight A with a new neck, fingerboard, poor inlay and refinished.

<a href="http://cgi.ebay.com/1921-Gibson-A4-Mandolin-A-4-Vintage-Classic-21-657_W0QQitemZ280240306122QQihZ018QQcategory

Z118994QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem" target="_blank">ebay A4</a>

**jaco** · Jun-26-2008, 5:11pm

4K and it's not even a Snakehead. Amazing things at e-bay.

**Jim Broyles** · Jun-26-2008, 6:06pm

It's only 3K now. Bargain.

**markishandsome** · Jun-28-2008, 10:07am

We discussed this one at length last time it was listed a couple months ago.

**mrmando** · Jun-29-2008, 10:43pm

Oh, it's been listed several times, always at the same price. I let the seller know it has problems; doesn't seem to have fazed him a bit.

**Gutbucket** · Jun-30-2008, 6:34am

Oh, but it's a Gibson!

**markishandsome** · Jun-30-2008, 11:08am

I wonder if he'll ever get a bite. It does almost sorta look like an A4, maybe someone without a keen eye for detail will get suckered. Too bad, it might make a fun amateur restoration project if it were listed at an appropriate price.

**F5GRun** · Jun-30-2008, 11:45am

Should a model of this period have tuner bushings? Im not real up to date on my gibson history, but this caught my eye when looking at the headstock. Tuners look real clean too, perhaps too clean.

**Gail Hester** · Jun-30-2008, 2:24pm

For reference, here's a real 1921 A4 from the archive.

**mrmando** · Jun-30-2008, 2:53pm

Tuner bushings are the least of our worries here.

**Darryl Wolfe** · Jun-30-2008, 3:00pm

Sorry, I missed the earlier thread. In my opinion the inlay, lack of three piece neck, lack of peghead overlay on the back of the peghead and gross misalignment to the body point to a reneck of a lower end A

**Bernie Daniel** · Jun-30-2008, 6:56pm

Originally Posted by

Sorry, I missed the earlier thread. In my opinion the inlay, lack of three piece neck, lack of peghead overlay on the back of the peghead and gross misalignment to the body point to a reneck of a lower end A

And even then no fingerboard extension was added?

**mrmando** · Jun-30-2008, 7:40pm

And whoever did this had the presence of mind to add a "4" to the label. Not just incompetent but deceptive!

**Geoff B** · Jun-30-2008, 8:23pm

the rosette is wrong for an A-4 as well... I believe...

**markishandsome** · Jul-01-2008, 8:59am

It's a low end A with at least a new bridge, nut, tailpiece, fingerboard+binding, tuners, inlay, finish, 4. Clearly not done by a professional, so the details like the fingerboard extension are pretty far off. I doubt whoever dolled this one up ever intended to deceive anyone for profit. Paddlehead A4s aren't even valuable enough to make a forgery profitable. They likely found a trashed A1 at a swap meet and had a little fun practicing their instrument building skills. Lots of people get started in luthierie that way. I've seen respected folks here put inlay and extra fancy binding on customers' Ajrs.

**Darryl Wolfe** · Jul-01-2008, 9:13am

Originally Posted by (markishandsome @ July 01 2008, 09:59)

#I've seen respected folks here put inlay and extra fancy binding on customers' Ajrs.

Heh..reminds me of the F-hole A model Ode I redid 35 years ago. Tone bars regraduating finish and of course an F-pot and The Gi.... I left the Ode label though

**f5loar** · Jul-03-2008, 10:18am

Looks like this seller is sticking to his guns that it looks like most other '21 A4s he has compared it to and a few that don't. Sounds like he needs glasses! Says the label says it's an A4 and that's the story he's sticking to. I told him a professional appraisal might save him some money and grief down the road should the new owner get one after the fact.