View Full Version : Strange old gibson f5
Rick Crenshaw
Aug-12-2007, 10:24pm
I saw Jason Thomas (fiddler/mandolinist for Claire Lynch band) yesterday. I showed him my latest Red Spruce Daley Classic. He made it sound fantastic. It's a great sounding new mandolin. But...
He had an old Gibson. I don't recall the year, but I'm thinking it was post Loar but pre-40's. Maybe I'm wrong on that. Here's the thing. It had "The Gibson". A genuine Gibson label. The flowerpot. A BLONDE spruce top. And get this. A ROSEWOOD back!!! Jason thinks it was some prototype/experimental model. Not sure.
Anyone ever see such a thing?
BTW, it sounded great. More overtone, but still very dry and woody sounding.
Steven Stone
Aug-12-2007, 10:29pm
It's late 60's or early 70's I believe.
Yes, it has unusual wood sides and back. and a well-used blond top.
Jason's a fine player and in his hands any mando would sound good.
bradeinhorn
Aug-12-2007, 10:42pm
let's see your daley!
Bernie Daniel
Aug-12-2007, 11:14pm
Steven Stone: It's late 60's or early 70's I believe.
Yes, it has unusual wood sides and back. and a well-used blond top.
Anyone have a pic of this mandolin? It would have to be a '70's not 60's right?
From 1951 to 1969 the they had block-lettered "Gibson" (no "The") and they also had the wideer profile headstock.
At least some of the Gibson F12's of the early 1970's had rosewood veneer on the headstock -- but they had a kind an over-ornate fleur-di-lis not a flowerpot as inlay.
I do not recall ever seeing a Gibson F-model with rosewood backs and sides. #
I wonder if this mandolin is not a very well done copy of that period? #In the 70's Randy Wood made some copies didn't he? #There were others.
Rick Crenshaw
Aug-13-2007, 5:45am
let's see your daley!
I have pics, but I'll have to resize them and we have new software, so it's gonna take me a while to get to that task. I'll post with a full report within the week.
The mandolin could have been a 70's or so. I can't recall, actually. Maybe Jason didn't know or I didn't hear. It does have fancy inlay in the fretboard which makes me think maybe it was a later year model. Regardless, it was a shock to see the rosewood back on that mandolin!