Nice 1910 3-point on ebay

**Goodin** · Feb-24-2009, 8:56pm

http://cgi.ebay.com/Gibson-F4-Mandol...3%3A1|294%3A50

Im not the seller.

**djweiss** · Feb-24-2009, 9:33pm

I believe I've played this mandolin before at the Inverness Co-mando gathering last year, and I rememeber *really* liking it...If it is the same mandolin, I wish I had the money for this one...

-DJW

**Goodin** · Feb-24-2009, 9:39pm

Theres a utube of Dan B playing one just like it. the tone is just fantastic...Dan you might want to chime in on this one!

Ive been looking for one of these for awhile but that price is more than i want to spend. worth it???

**woodwizard** · Feb-24-2009, 9:49pm

Originally Posted by Goodin

Theres a utube of Dan B playing one just like it. the tone is just fantastic...Dan you might want to chime in on this one!

Ive been looking for one of these for awhile but that price is more than i want to spend. worth it???

I'm sure someone will buy it. Those are my absolute favorite headstock inlays not to mention the 3 pts. Beautiful mandolin. That price IS a killer for me too tho.

**jim simpson** · Feb-24-2009, 10:23pm

His other auction items are interesting, how about the Martin 0-17 folk art paint-job?

**danb** · Feb-25-2009, 11:56am

Ah what fun. I actually nearly bought this one twice. Once on ebay when a previous owner had it, then once after when he emailed me after an initial sale fell through. At the time it had a sort of folk-art tailpiece, which I see is mentioned in the listing. It's been replaced with the correct one which is no small expense. Back in 2004, I enquired all over, and could only find one for sale at $800!

These are my personal holy grail- orange top, torch & wire, and raised pickguards. The added bonuses are that it's still old enough for the more anachronistic Orville Gibson label and pineapple tailpiece cover, and the scroll carving is just exquisite in this vintage. Tonally they are a little darker than a teens 2pt, but the tone is much closer to teens than the ones with the inlaid pickguards in my experience.

I've had offers for mine over the buy-it-now price on this particular example, but this one does list a hairline crack next to the fingerboard.

Another big plus is that Frank Ford has gone over it.. so that points to a great set-up. I also see it's been refretted (frets a little thicker than old and overhang the binding). A few scuffs here and there too, but what can you say, they are the halogen lamp to my moth.

One last thing that is really cool- the original owner is well-documented, and appears in a couple different places in vintage gibson documentation that I've seen. Like my example, the original owner was a focus point for Gibson, someone who ran a large urban mandolin orchestra and also served as a dealer. I expect that some of these examples got a little extra special treatment to help encourage sales of other instruments in their territories.

Interesting to see that the inlay has stayed very strongly silver, even though the body finish looks like mine. Now I wonder, is the golden hue to my inlay something done intentionally (a tint in the varnish), or perhaps sun damage? It's hard to guess, because I'd want to see them next to each other to compare the tint of the bodies. If mine was a darker orange..

Anyway, I think the buy-it-now is set right. That's a good price for such a beast, blonde T&Ws are rare enough, but the raised guard and orville trimmings make this one the only other example I know of with all my favorite features

**Goodin** · Feb-25-2009, 12:44pm

I also noticed how white the inlay work is and the tuners are nice and white as well. I always assumed that if the inlay work, binding, and tuners were yellowed then the instrument spent more time in a smoky environment or an attic, or perhaps hanging on the wall next to a sunny window. Looks like this one has been in a good stable environment.

Is it just me or is the neck wider than usual?

I was hoping it would end without bids and I would make the seller an offer but...it already has one bid!!

I reckon my holy grail will continue to be a 1913-1917 blondie F-4

**Dave Reiner** · Feb-25-2009, 10:11pm

Sure looks nice! Non-original case, though. I have one of the old rectangular F4 cases, but I think the third point would be a problem...

Dave

**danb** · Mar-02-2009, 7:16am

so who got it?

**danb** · Mar-02-2009, 7:56am

Here's Stent from the Catalog F, probably right about when he placed the order for this very mandolin

**Goodin** · Mar-02-2009, 3:02pm

Went for the starting bid price of $7500 with one bid to O***B (ebay doesnt list the buyers full use name).

**jeff mercer** · Mar-02-2009, 4:44pm

This is probably the only time I'll get to say this, but I've actually played that mandolin

.

It was in a well known vintage guitar shop here in Sydney, Australia not that long ago. The description of the non-original tailpeice was the giveaway.

It played quite nicely, but did'nt have a whole lot of volume. There is every chance it came straight to Steves' shop from the family, so it would definately benefited from a good set-up. It was certainly a beautiful instrument to LOOK at, besides anything else

.

Funnily enough, the price it just went for is not a whole lot less than HALF of the price tag that was on it when I played it !

Aesthetically, one of the most beautiful mandolins ever made, I reckon..

**bootinz** · Mar-02-2009, 11:35pm

I bought it. I've always wanted the T&W.

**jeff mercer** · Mar-03-2009, 5:02am

Congrats, Bootinz !

How is it sounding ?

When I saw it last, it had $ 12,000 on it..no, I'm not joking

Enjoy, you're a lucky person !

**danb** · Mar-03-2009, 6:52am

Congrats, please send in some pictures once you have it! I hope you took the seller up on the offer to have the portrait of Stent along with the mandolin, that's a nice piece of history

**jeff mercer** · Mar-03-2009, 5:01pm

...Although, given the performance of the Aussie $ against the US$, Twelve Grand is probably about right

. !

Looking forward to some photos, Bootinz ! Any chance you could show that weird tailpeice that was on it ? It was sort of a long, Art Deco looking thing from memory. Given the original owner was obviously an accomplished musician, I wonder why he replaced the original in the first place ? Were the very early tailpeices prone to breakage ?

**bootinz** · Mar-03-2009, 9:58pm

I'll post some pix when I get it.....even the groovy tailpiece.

**danb** · Mar-04-2009, 4:16am

I have photos from the 2004 ebay listing in Australia, I came pretty close to pulling the trigger on this one too once!

That's the "folk art" tailpiece mentioned in the listing

**Goodin** · Mar-04-2009, 2:20pm

I kinda like the groovy tailpiece!

This mandolin certainly is one of the most stunning instruments ever made.

**bootinz** · Mar-14-2009, 8:19pm

Here are a few pics of the T&W 3 point. Sorry for the quality....I'm still working on my skills.

**bootinz** · Mar-14-2009, 8:20pm

another

**bootinz** · Mar-14-2009, 8:21pm

and more

**bootinz** · Mar-14-2009, 8:23pm

More

**bootinz** · Mar-14-2009, 8:34pm

More

**journeybear** · Mar-14-2009, 8:36pm

That is one splendid instrument! Hope it sounds as good as it looks. I wonder why someone would put a buy it now price of $47,495 on a 1939 F-5 when such a fine instrument as this can be had for a quarter of that.

cf: http://cgi.ebay.com/1939-Gibson-F-5-...3A1%7C294%3A50