Looking for advice

[Steve Ostrander]

I wasn't really looking for one, but a friend's dad has a 1921 Gibson A4 that he wants to sell. I've inspected it and played it and here are my impressions: the finish (brown/red sunburst)is checked and has some nicks and play wear but no serious cracks in top, back or sides. Top does not seem to be sunken, only slightly if at all. Original pick guard intact, as well as tuners, tailpiece, and case. Some fret wear. Strap button installed on inside peghead but no cracks from the hole. The instrument has playability issues; the strings are high and the bridge is of course non-adjustable. It won't stay in tune because the tuners suck. Intonation seems to be off but the bridge may be out of position. It has a lot of volume, but I'm frankly not knocked out by the tone. Maybe I'm just not used to oval holes.

Here's my questions: Is it OK to replace the bridge, tuners and even tailpiece, assuming it can be done without drilling any new holes or making any non-reversible alterations? And what would be a reasonable offer for it?

Thanks.

[johnwalser]

Why buy ANYTHING that doesn't have a tone that is pleasant to your ear? Find an instrument that makes your ears dance.
John

[mrmando]

I *might* vote for having someone fit a new bridge (and including the original in the case), but discounting the instrument and leaving the other issues for the buyer to correct. If I were to buy the instrument I'd rather have the existing tuners restored (assuming they're original) or replace them with a working set of period tuners than put brand-new ones on it.

Too-high action at the bridge might be a sign of neck issues, though, so it needs to be looked over by a repair person experienced in working with vintage Gibsons. Neck resets can run into some big bucks.

Given that, it's hard to put a price on it. I'd want it checked over for neck issues first. I don't think it's worth replacing all the hardware before you sell it, because what you're adding in terms of playability you're taking away in terms of original condition, so the repairs will not raise the value of the instrument. They may even decrease it!

I might give $700-800 if I suspected neck problems; $1200 if I knew the neck and top were OK but it still might need a little work, $1800+ for an instrument in really good shape with no issues. But then, that's just me.

[Steve Ostrander]

Thanks Mrmando. I suspect that the tone issues may be related to the tuning and playability issues. I'm not saying it has a bad tone; I'm just saying that after all the hype and worshipping people lavish on vintage Gibsons, I was kind of underwhelmed. Also, it's possible that the mando may be sleeping, since it has not been played much for a number of years.

I'm also interested in it as a historical piece, since I am a historian and live in Michigan about 60 miles from Kalamazoo.

I was fortunate to be able to tour the old Gibson factory about 25 yeargs ago before the move to Nashville, and again after Heritage took over. I'm also fortunate to live near Elderly Instruments, so I can take the mando there for an evaluation.

[Tighthead]

My brief experience with vintage Gibsons and my reading tell me that these old Gibsons are like people: most are good, some are great, and a few are no good at all. And then there's everything in between.

The first thing one guy did when he checked out my mandolin was he reached a finger into the oval hole to check the brace, and discovered that one side had popped a little. If you haven't done that it's another thing to look at.

[mrmando]

If your friend's dad will let you, take the A4 to Elderly and have it checked out. You can get professional repair recommendations and an appraisal, both of which will take into account the importance of keeping things as original as possible.