What's up with this Gibson?

[mrmando]

Nothing matches on this Gibson A. Non-factory(?) finish, mid-teens serial number stamped on "open book" headstock, top & back binding, F-holes, '50s/'60s logo and Klusons, but script logo on TPC.

Maybe renecked/retopped at the factory, then refinished by a mad scientist later?

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Early-1900s-A-Style-Mandolin-Serial-No-34163-/222538309811?hash=item33d05120b3:g:eVoAAOSwPh5ZOEa e

[Timbofood]

Label looks odd to me too, it's in sideways, isn't it?
The strange refinish has not done it any favors either, though I do find the big runs on the back of the headstock interesting.
All I can really say is
"Poor, poor thing"

[mrmando]

I don't know what is up with that label.

[Tobin]

Could just be my imagination, but they state the S/N to be 34163, and to me it looks like it has another 1 in front of those numbers. I have no idea where that would put it in the year/make category, but one thing's for sure. This ain't no teens A model. Unless, as you say, it has been Frankensteined with new neck, top, bridge, etc.

[allenhopkins]

"34163" stamped on the back of the headstock could be from 1961; "early 1900's" serial numbers were written on the label inside. Stamping numbers into the headstock started in the '60's, I believe.

Looks to me like a perhaps '60's A-50 that's been (badly) refinished, and whose tailpiece cover has been replaced with either an old "The Gibson," or a replica. Gibson didn't make A-model, f-hole mandolins until the 1930's, so "early 1900's" is a priori inaccurate. Stamped serial number makes it even later.

Would I bid $400 for it? Maybe (if I wanted it), since wouldn't be a bad price for a player's A-50, even one as butt-ugly as this turned out. If it had a good back-story, might even be fun to have a "mutt" Gibson.

[mrmando]

Indeed it could be from 1961, according to this: http://archive.gibson.com/Files/downloads/bluebook/GibsonSERIALNUMBERS.pdf

That would account for a lot. Is that label correct for 1961, though?

[MikeZito]

Am I crazy, or does that label still look vividly white for an instrument that is at least 50 years old?

[T.D.Nydn]

That label can't be right,,I had a 63 A50 ,,and it had a classic orange label...

[Roger Adams]

Listing ended: "Error in the listing."

[Jeff Mando]

Hard to get excited about such an ugly duckling. I guess if it was $100 I'd probably buy it just to hear what it sounded like. At $400, it is pretty easy to pass on it, IMHO. At $400 about all you can say is it is a Gibson, or at least it once was a Gibson...

If you follow eBay weekly, you can find original finish 50's and 60's A-50's for $475-700 and even at that, nobody gets too excited about them, but are a good value, IMHO.