FatBear
Apr-08-2016, 6:31pm
I noticed an ad for this mandolin on Craigslist. It was at a nearby pawn shop, so I stopped in to see it. Turns out they have also tried it twice on eBay and here is the recent listing:http://www.ebay.com/itm/1930-1940-Gibson-Mandolin-A-00-/231897015198 It has expired so you'll have to scroll down to see it.
It looks a bit rougher in person than in the photos, but there is one thing that concerns me. If you look closely you'll see a chip in the top next to the G strings. It actually goes into the wood, but not all the way through. It is otherwise free of cracks and other serious problems.
So is that chip a show stopper? Is it easily repaired? And if I just play the thing without fixing it will it get worse or less repairable? It's a pretty fresh chip. I wouldn't be surprised if some customer did it after it was already in their possession.
The instrument plays very well and sounds really sweet to my ears. I'm not totally hung up on it, but I wouldn't mind owning it.
I've read around the net about the A-00 over the last couple of days and it appears that their price is probably ridiculous. I also know that pawnshops pay a small fraction of their asking price, so there might be room for a super low offer. I couldn't pay more than $700 even if it was worth that, but I've read a lot of postings where people got theirs for $600 to $650 and they probably didn't have a chipped top.
This is a 1936 flat backed A-00. I've read that they converted to carved backs in 1937.
What would you offer, given the few photos and brief description I've given?
Thanks, --Brian
It looks a bit rougher in person than in the photos, but there is one thing that concerns me. If you look closely you'll see a chip in the top next to the G strings. It actually goes into the wood, but not all the way through. It is otherwise free of cracks and other serious problems.
So is that chip a show stopper? Is it easily repaired? And if I just play the thing without fixing it will it get worse or less repairable? It's a pretty fresh chip. I wouldn't be surprised if some customer did it after it was already in their possession.
The instrument plays very well and sounds really sweet to my ears. I'm not totally hung up on it, but I wouldn't mind owning it.
I've read around the net about the A-00 over the last couple of days and it appears that their price is probably ridiculous. I also know that pawnshops pay a small fraction of their asking price, so there might be room for a super low offer. I couldn't pay more than $700 even if it was worth that, but I've read a lot of postings where people got theirs for $600 to $650 and they probably didn't have a chipped top.
This is a 1936 flat backed A-00. I've read that they converted to carved backs in 1937.
What would you offer, given the few photos and brief description I've given?
Thanks, --Brian