MAS bubble

[billkilpatrick]

After 8 or 9 years of trying to "get it," my prize fiddle is up for auction. "If god is good," as the Italians say, I'll have about €5,000 to play around with, minus commission. As soon as I handed the fiddle over to the agent, a little white bubble of mandolin MAS appeared over my head with the word "Gibson" in it. I'm not wild about its current CEO but my first guitar was a pre-war J45 and I've always wanted to own a Gibson mandolin - bon genre, bon nome.

I'll have to wait till the fiddle is sold and a subsequent trip back to the States to buy, but what's the consensus on the best-sounding model for that price? In my dreams, both "A" and "F" models are in the running.

Any advice gratefully accepted.

[pheffernan]

In the Gibson lineup, ~$5500 USD puts you between the F9 ($4800) and F5G ($5800) new https://themandolinstore.com/product-category/inventory/mandolins/?orderby=price-desc but smack dab in Fern territory used https://themandolinstore.com/product-category/inventory/pre-owned-instruments/?orderby=price-desc .

[T.D.Nydn]

Maybe a used fern,,

[Denny Gies]

Bill, sell some more stuff and call Randy Wood to have one made just for you.

[Mandobar]

There are plenty of used mandolins around to make the choices interesting. You might want to check the CITES restrictions before you get on a plane with an instrument. Things are getting a bit sticky entering or leaving the country.

[multidon]

If I had that much to spend, I can't think of any better choice than a Loar-era F-4 in as good shape as I could find. That money could be enough for a really good example, and they are some of the most beautiful mandolins ever made, in my opinion. Plus, you get a piece of the Loar legacy without spending $150,000!

[dhergert]

For recent Gibson I'd be looking at the MC Classifieds pretty carefully, some pretty amazing deals for nice recent, but used instruments there. There are always very pleasant recently made Gibson surprises there; any given week could have just what you're looking for.

But for a new instrument, I'd also think seriously about contacting a boutique builder. If you're concerned about CITES (which theoretically by weight and for a single personal instrument, shouldn't be an issue), just ask/look for an instrument with no rosewood.

And then from a vintage standpoint, there's always the nice teen or early '20s Gibson; I'm a sucker for the occasional F2 and F4 that come up in the MC Classifieds for them, but there are also very nice A styles out there in both Snakehead and Paddlehead pegheads.

Hmmm, what a horrible thread this is for any of us who are trying to stop our MAS, BAS, GAS habits...

I keep repeating in my mind, "My name is Don and it's been 8 months since I bought a mandolin..."

:cool:

[billkilpatrick]

… Hmmm, what a horrible thread this is for any of us who are trying to stop our MAS, BAS, GAS habits... I keep repeating in my mind, "My name is Don and it's been 8 months since I bought a mandolin…" :cool:

Understood - I'm really awfully terribly sorry …

The guy who's selling my fiddle said it might take years - so it ain't real yet.

[Ron McMillan]

Five thousand is high up in very lightly used Ellis A5 territory. Get one of those, and I doubt very much if you'd regret not getting a Gibson.

Edit: I just noticed you said 5,000 Euros. That's new Ellis A5 territory :)

[Tobin]

What kind of Gibson are you looking for? Obviously, there's a lot of different types of Gibson mandolins. From vintage oval-holes (A style to F2/F4 models) all the way to modern F5s, and a lot in between. For the type of music you play, are you looking for oval-hole or f-hole?

I wonder if the new CITES rules will be a problem for you, in terms of buying a Gibson in the USA and taking it back home?

[Bob A]

Best Gibson I ever played was a 1923 A2Z. While I prefer the F styles, the A2Z really sings.

Of course, every one is different, but people seem to agree that these are pretty much all top-notch.

I have limited experience with modern makers. That said, the old Gibsons pass the test of time.

[billkilpatrick]

Thanks guys - All this is "pie in the sky" at the moment and is likely to stay that way for a loooong time. I left the violin with a local luthier who said the Italian Government have an incentive scheme to promote the sale of new musical instruments with an offer to pay something like 60% (could be more, I don't remember) of the purchase price. He said they've sold several cellos under this scheme but not one single violin. I've looked through the classifieds and seen most of the Gibsons the cafe's sponsors have on offer but I'm afraid my MAS bubble is leaking ...

[brunello97]

... a local luthier who said the Italian Government have an incentive scheme to promote the sale of new musical instruments with an offer to pay something like 60% (could be more, I don't remember) of the purchase price....

Thanks, Bill. Can you clarify this in any way? The government is subsidizing the cost of buying new instruments from Italian luthiers? Is that right? Would be amazing. If so, maybe one of my MAS itches could get scratched by those good old boys in Napoli at La Bottega.

Mick

BTW viz your Gibsonifyin', you'd be going for a scroll, wouldn't you? :confused:

[billkilpatrick]

Thanks, Bill. Can you clarify this in any way? The government is subsidizing the cost of buying new instruments from Italian luthiers? Is that right? Would be amazing. If so, maybe one of my MAS itches could get scratched by those good old boys in Napoli at La Bottega.

Mick

BTW viz your Gibsonifyin', you'd be going for a scroll, wouldn't you? :confused:

Ciao Mick - I don't know the particulars but it would be safe to assume that one would have to be an Italian citizen to benefit, both as lutiao and musician. Can you imagine something similar happening in the good ol' USA? …

The F9 interests me but I hear Diptanshu's beautiful sounding
Gibson A - don't know which model - and think "that could be me up there …"

[Charlieshafer]

I'm with BobA. The snakehead A's are beautiful sounding. A3? A2z? Whatever fits in the budget. They're my favorites for the money, distinctive and beautiful and they don't grow on trees anymore. I guess the parts did, but.. well, you get my drift.

[Ivan Kelsall]

Hi Bill - Here's a recent Scottish arrival in the Classified ads. :- https://www.mandolincafe.com/ads/110914#110914 It tweaked my own interest,but as i have 3 mandolins already,a 4th isn't really a realistic proposal,
Ivan

[Mandobar]

I just bought a new fiddle, Bill (it was right in that price range). I wish I'd seen this before as we could have probably done a trade.

There are a lot of violin, viola, cello, etc. builders in Italy, especially in certain areas like Cremona. I suspect that the Italian government is trying to support these craftsmen.