1968 Gibson F style Mandolin worth

[mando-tech]

Here is the deal. I don't have a picture of the mandolin. I asked a close family friend if he could give me some pointers. Problem is, my friend is Jeff Parker from Dailey and Vincent and it is hard to talk with him. I have left a message on his cell...The owner of the mandolin is the fiddler for Dailey and Vincents dad.
Jeff played the mandolin in the show on Sunday night. He contacted me to tell me he really liked the mandolin and thinks it is a great mandolin.....
That is all I have to go on...
The mandolin is a F-12.....
I just don't want to put my saved money....into something I am going to get burned on. He is asking 4000.00 firm....(I have been playing a MK and am excited to step all the way..so to speak)
But...
If I can't trust Jeff Parker from Dailey and Vincent....Who can I trust?

If it has an extended fingerboard it is NOT a 1968 F12, I had a '67 F12, the finger board was not extended, it had an unbound headstock with block letter GIBSON.
Those 70's F12s did not pack very much credentials ! I"m at the library, so I don't have my GIBSON ser. no. info with me, when I get home I"ll check the no. you gave against my set of #s. The F12 I mentioned was bought for $1100 and sold for $1250, over 20 years ago !

[FLATROCK HILL]

The F12 I mentioned was bought for $1100 and sold for $1250, over 20 years ago !

That was a mere 14 years ago when when the last post was written.

[DataNick]

That was a mere 14 years ago when when the last post was written.

Don't mean to be a contrarian Flatrock baby, but try almost 6 years (2009 then -2015 now)...but I hear ya brotha!

I wonder what she ended up getting...

[Timbofood]

It is interesting when some of these interesting threads just seem to fall off the face of the earth! I wonder what happens to the OPs and the outcome of purchases or repairs? No wonder I can't keep track of anything!

[MikeEdgerton]

It is interesting when some of these interesting threads just seem to fall off the face of the earth! I wonder what happens to the OPs and the outcome of purchases or repairs? No wonder I can't keep track of anything!

OP's last post on Feb-07-2010, 8:42am :

http://www.mandolincafe.com/forum/sh...950#post764950

[FLATROCK HILL]

The F12 I mentioned was bought for $1100 and sold for $1250, over 20 years ago !

That was a mere 14 years ago when when the last post was written.

Don't mean to be a contrarian Flatrock baby, but try almost 6 years (2009 then -2015 now)...but I hear ya brotha.

Don't worry about being a 'contrarian' Nick. I'm glad you brought it up.
Actually, it wasn't my math that was lacking, the fault was with my poor wording.
mando-tech mentioned that a certain mandolin was bought and sold over 20 years ago.
What I meant to convey was that at the time of michellerenee's (2009) post, the mandolin in question had only been sold 14 years earlier rather than 20.

[Timbofood]

Thanks Mike! But not to nitpick they never completed the original thread, no finality, I always feel like I have been left hanging.
It makes me sad, no logical conclusion, they just leave... no note, no flowers it's like a date gone bad.
If I remember what a date even is.

[f5loar]

Still no photos and serial no. not right, so I'd say this one's dead in the water. Can't tell something about it without those photos.

[Jeff Mando]

I know this is an old thread from 2009, but the fact remains nobody really gets excited about an F-12, even if it is from the 50's, UNLESS it is dirt cheap. Reworking the top by an expert is an option, but again, to spend megabucks reworking an instrument requires you to get into the instrument for a song--unless the work has already been done.

[lenf12]

I know this is an old thread from 2009, but the fact remains nobody really gets excited about an F-12, even if it is from the 50's, UNLESS it is dirt cheap. Reworking the top by an expert is an option, but again, to spend megabucks reworking an instrument requires you to get into the instrument for a song--unless the work has already been done.

My '56 F-12 was not "dirt cheap", but it was very fairly priced. Randy Wood's re-voicing treatment in 2008 did not cost "megabucks", but it too was very fairly priced. I'm not going to quote prices but the amount of money I have tied up in my mandolin is way less than the amount of pleasure I derive from playing it and the pride of ownership. I can't attach a dollar value to these abstract concepts but I know when I feel them and they sure do feel good.

Len B.
Clearwater, FL

[Jeff Mando]

My '56 F-12 was not "dirt cheap", but it was very fairly priced. Randy Wood's re-voicing treatment in 2008 did not cost "megabucks", but it too was very fairly priced. I'm not going to quote prices but the amount of money I have tied up in my mandolin is way less than the amount of pleasure I derive from playing it and the pride of ownership. I can't attach a dollar value to these abstract concepts but I know when I feel them and they sure do feel good.

Len B.
Clearwater, FL

PLUS, it is a vintage Gibson and you can feel good about that. I didn't mean to offend, Len B, I was just stating the economics of the equation, as I see it, based on my own available funds that I can put toward my hobby. Everybody's situation is different. There is an early 50's F-12 that I have known about for a couple years, in fact it is in a pawn shop that I stop at on the way to visit my mother. I'd love to buy it, but it is $2600 and the fact they have not sold it in two years tells me it is severly overpriced. That tells me nobody has even made an offer. I don't know what is in the mind of the pawnbroker, but most pawn shops will deal if an offer is made, because they usually have so little in an instrument. I would have made an offer, but thinking in terms of resale, even in better marketplaces, F-12's seem to linger. I'm guessing it would linger at $1500-1800. I don't know what the "Buy It Now" price would actually be. I'm sure if it were an F-5 it would have been long gone. Or, if it had been a 50's Gibson guitar.

You're right, no need to attach a dollar amount to the enjoyment we get out of these instruments. The enjoyment is indeed, priceless.

[mando-tech]

Can someone please help me find some information on a gibson mandolin...f style head stock has the same number as the label....45501? Where do I go to find any information as to the worth of the mandolin before I purcase it?

I find it somewhat odd that the ser# is only five digits ! Usually it would be 6 or 8 digits. However, according to my set of #s, the ser# you gave fits into the #s for 1962.

[f5loar]

I find it somewhat odd that the ser# is only five digits ! Usually it would be 6 or 8 digits. However, according to my set of #s, the ser# you gave fits into the #s for 1962.

You are correct that number would be in the 1962 range, but the OP says he was told it was a 1968 and that it had an extended fingerboard. I suspect this may be a 70's F12. Something don't jive with that statement for it being a '62. As far as nobody cares about the 50's/60's F12 because of one that has not sold is wrong to assume all F12's were created equal. Yes some where not so great, but many were. Several pro players used the F12 for many years and had no work done to it. They do have the cool vintage Gibson factory. Even Dave Apollon had a custom 50's F12 with an F5 fingerboard on it because he liked it. I have several vintage F12 and they get the job done. Prices do seem to be a factory and I would not think a '56 at $2600 is a bad price unless it has some issues with it.