Dec 18, 1980 signed Gibson F-5L [Archive]

f5loar

Dec-18-2013, 7:57pm

Gibson has never released production records for these years and ex-employees that would know have signed papers not to tell.
This is still in Kalamazoo and long before the Bozeman F5L, so I would guess this is the only one signed that day. If I guessed on production of the F5L in early 80's it would be about 50 per year or less. I recall waiting list at dealers for the F5L in early 80's.

Sergio Lara

Dec-18-2013, 10:41pm

Thanks Tom. Either way, happy birthday to my awesome Gibson F-5L....:)

By the way, Richard Doan was the luthier at Gibson that repaired the headstock on Bill Monroe's Loar F-5 mandolin. He replaced the peg-head overlay veneer with a new "The Gibson" and flower pot inlay after years of the famous pocket knife incident and also repaired the missing small scroll on the headstock and a few other things that the mandolin needed at the time.

All these repairs were done after Gibson and Mr. Monroe agreed to make up after many years and to establish a new relationship.

At the time, he was also presented with a brand new Gibson F-5L and he also was included in adds and posters for a new campaign promoting the new Gibson F-5L.

Those were the days.

Darryl Wolfe

Dec-19-2013, 10:37am

I think Bill Halsey might be able to shed some light on this one. Maybe he will chime in

Timbofood

Dec-22-2013, 10:47pm

I tuned Bill Halsey in on this, we shall see...

Graham McDonald

Dec-23-2013, 4:52pm

I met Richard Doan, through the good offices of Bill Halsey, a few years ago and had the chance to interview him about his time at Gibson. I am away from home and my notes of the meeting, but memory is that he told me he would work on several instruments at a time and completing a couple every week to the stage of sending off to the finishing dept for straining and lacquering. I didn't think to ask at what stage of building the label was attached. There were three or four people building mandolins at that time, but it would seem likely that on any one day Richard would only sign a couple of labels, unless they did them in batches. I suspect that Gibson in 1980 didn't have the current obsession with the dates of signed Gibson labels.

Cheers

sunburst

Dec-23-2013, 5:49pm

...At the time, he was also presented with a brand new Gibson F-5L and he also was included in adds and posters for a new campaign promoting the new Gibson F-5L...

Yep. Anybody else got one of these?
111495

Still, it's a little bit of a shock to see the year 1980 in the vintage section! That makes my first mandolin very close to vintage!! :disbelief:

Timbofood

Dec-23-2013, 6:44pm

Yeah, vintage does not look as far back as it did once upon a time for me either John!

f5loar

Dec-23-2013, 9:54pm

Yeah I never got the promo on that poster. It clearly says "Music with the Gibson F-5L" and then it shows Monroe with a 1923 F-5.
Are they promoting the new F-5L or the old 20's F5s? At least they could have staged a photo of him holding the 1978 F-5L they gave him and used that photo in the poster. I mean someone had to approve that poster before it went to print. What were they thinking?

sgarrity

Dec-24-2013, 12:46am

What were they thinking?? They wanted you to think that '80 F5L sounded like a '23 Loar!

f5loar

Dec-24-2013, 1:53am

Not!

Timbofood

Dec-24-2013, 7:43am

Many mistakes made by advertising agencies, ad men, promotion advisors all the time. Much like weather people, don't have to be right and can still keep their jobs! I keep telling my grand children that while science and the arts are so important if they want to be wrong more than half the time and keep a job they need to be weather broadcasters. At four my grand daughter would do the weather standing in front of the window and was just as accurate as the twenty-something who,was getting paid! Sorry a little off topic but,hey it's Christmas Eve!
Hohoho

Jim Nollman

Dec-24-2013, 3:59pm

Does this mean that my 1984 Kentucky is a vintage instrument? Never thought of it that way before.

barney 59

Dec-24-2013, 7:47pm

Hard to fathom isn't it? but.... if in 1972 you had bought a pre WWll instrument that would have been only 30 + years old and you would have considered it "vintage" then. (But would your Dad? ) So yah I guess your '84 Kentucky is now officially vintage!

The problem as I see it is at what point does your new stuff become vintage and when do you start to consider yourself vintage?

sunburst

Dec-24-2013, 8:11pm

...if in 1972 you had bought a pre WWll instrument that would have been only 30 + years old and you would have considered it "vintage" then...

No, I would have considered it old. I still consider them old but not "vintage"; that's for wine.

barney 59

Dec-25-2013, 5:08pm

Bernie Daniel

Dec-25-2013, 8:28pm

So then when you visit the "Vintage" instrument dealer, as they do tend to call themselves, do you prefer the red or the white? Yes, vintage does refer to wine but it is also presently used differently and I would think now to the point that it is an accepted term. I say that as I am looking at my "Vintage Guitar Price Guide" sitting on the desk next to me. Language constantly changes, IMHO, and I think this is a case where it has.

Yes 'vintage" is the in word today. But John was replying on the concept of "vintage" from the perspective of 1972 -- and I'm not sure I used the term vintage then either? I owned a 1919 F-2 in 1972 and I can't remember for sure but I think I just called it an "old Gibson" :))

In answer to your question I say "red" and -- good idea! I believe I'll have a few sips of a nice Alexander Valley Merlot right now.

Just to nod at the OP. A Gibson F-5L made & signed in Kalamazoo in 1980 would have been one of the Siminoff-inspired models wouldn't it?

sunburst

Dec-25-2013, 8:28pm

barney 59

Dec-25-2013, 9:18pm

Yes, language changes, but I'm old (or would that be vintage?) and stubborn enough to decide I don't have to change with it. When "vintage" is used to describe anything other than wines (where it does have a specific meaning) it is a term used to project more perceived value onto the item and thus an attempt by the seller to get a higher price.

...and, red for me, thank you.
Yes, absolutely correct that is what the word implys and yes it is a marketing tool. When I was a teenager if my Dad showed up with a Falcon automobile I would have been mortified but as it is I happen to have a 1964 Falcon that I am about to sell. I was thinking maybe I would start my ad with "Vintage,Classic...." what do you think?

Bernie Daniel

Dec-25-2013, 9:39pm

Yes, absolutely correct that is what the word implys and yes it is a marketing tool. When I was a teenager if my Dad showed up with a Falcon automobile I would have been mortified but as it is I happen to have a 1964 Falcon that I am about to sell. I was thinking maybe I would start my ad with "Vintage,Classic...." what do you think?

I think it would sell good if you shoe horned a vintage 351 cube Windsor V8 under the hood....

Bill Snyder

Dec-25-2013, 11:57pm

If you look at this section's sub heading it says "Discussions of all mandolin family instruments, pre-1945."

barney 59

Dec-26-2013, 3:38am

Well, I'll be!

Randy Smith

Dec-30-2013, 10:05am

Yep. Anybody else got one of these?
111495

Still, it's a little bit of a shock to see the year 1980 in the vintage section! That makes my first mandolin very close to vintage!! :disbelief:

Yes, I have one. Along with Tom Ewing, Blake Williams, Tater Tate, and Billy Rose, Monroe signed the poster. He also dated it, October 20, 1989, which was about a week before his fiftieth anniversary on the Opry.

Bill Halsey

Jan-02-2014, 4:56pm

Does anyone know how many Gibson F-5L mandolins were signed on December 18, 1980 by Richard Doan?

Sergio, I just received a response from Dick Doan. He said that they made about four or five mandolins per month in those days, and he was quite sure that yours would have been the only one that he signed that day. Dick also confirmed that the labels went in after the instrument was finished and strung.

Sergio Lara

Dec-15-2017, 9:23pm

My good old Gibson F-5L...still here and play it everyday:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YhAcqmjQNZI

I wish I could contact Dick Doan...

Bill McCall

Dec-15-2017, 9:48pm

Very cool. That one must be very close in serial number to mine, also December 1980, but I have forgotten the code to decipher it. Its signed by Jerry Rowland, but not dated.
#83380065.

Bill Halsey

Dec-16-2017, 10:49pm

I wish I could contact Dick Doan...

Sergio, I just sent you a PM on this.
Regards —

Sergio Lara

Dec-16-2017, 11:34pm

Got it Bill. Thanks so much! :mandosmiley:

Sergio Lara

Dec-18-2019, 3:55pm

Happy Birthday to my Gibson F-5L...39 years old!

Bill McCall

Dec-18-2019, 4:25pm

My F5L celebrated on 12/4. Also 39.

f5loar

Jan-02-2020, 1:49am

I see no one has brought up the poster boost Monroe as the "King of Bluegrass". A title he once used up until he was given his "Father of Bluegrass" title. After that Jimmy Martin used the King title in promos and records. This poster is dated much later as if to tell Jimmy Martin he is not the King and never was the King.

William Smith

Jan-02-2020, 6:12am

I had a 1980 Gibson F5-L-don't remember who it was signed by but what I do know was that Dewey Farmer bought it new and was very disappointed with it so it had an internal re-grad by maybe "Ward Elliot-I don't remember as I've had way too many mandolins!" But it was Wayne Benson's after that for awhile and it went back home to Ken who worked with Roger Siminoff around 2007 when I sold it. I liked it and it wasn't too bad of an F-5! Another I should've maybe kept-but can't keep them all!

jim simpson

Jan-02-2020, 10:54am

I have an F-5L that was signed by Rich Brown on April 16, 81. I took a chance on it (Ebay) knowing it needed a little work. It came with a radius fingerboard that was installed by Randy Wood. I had my luthier refret it with EVO's that were a little smaller than the oversized ones that came with it. I have a later Fern that is nicer in terms of binding, fit and finish but the '81 has that something extra.

Glad to hear you're still enjoying yours!

MikeEdgerton

Jan-02-2020, 4:24pm

Could that have been Rick Brown?

https://www.mandolincafe.com/forum/threads/110412-Gibson-head-luthiers/page6

jim simpson

Jan-05-2020, 9:20pm

Could that have been Rick Brown?

https://www.mandolincafe.com/forum/threads/110412-Gibson-head-luthiers/page6

Possibly as it matches the timeline, it looked like Rich to me but will look again.

jim simpson

Jan-06-2020, 3:23pm

Possibly as it matches the timeline, it looked like Rich to me but will look again.

Here's a photo of the label, still looks like Rich to me. It could be that Rick Brown also went by Rich, it's seems unlikely that Gibson had Rick Brown & Rich Brown working there at the same time.