vintage Washburn bowlback mandolin

[nk70]

hi,
I live in Greece and I've found this old Washburn from a friend.He is not musician and wants to sell it.I'm interested to know which is the age and the value of this instrument.There is a Washburn label inside writing A-9590.As u can see it is very well decorated and i suppose it was an expensive model of washburn.The mandolin needs some fretwork..but it's in a good condition..
there are also missing some pieces of decoration inlay around the top(sorry for my english).Searching in this forum i guess it is a model 1125 but the back is over 50 ribs as u can see in the pics.At this time the mandolin needs restoration so i cannot have a specific idea about the sound.Does it worth restoration or it's most a piece for collectors?

[DerTiefster]

You can check with a local luthier (one who makes and/or repairs stringed instruments) for the cost of re-work. You can ask him about the instrument's value, too. You can check for similar-looking mandolins on ebay or other marketplace, or maybe check out your local music stores. An old bowl-back mandolin? It might be worth 1000 Euros or 50. Maybe someone else will know what the label numbers mean. I don't.

Adding a close-up photo of the label might be helpful.

[Eddie Sheehy]

Definitely a top-of-the-line Washburn. No real market for these though - Martin Bowls command the top prices and a very similar-styled Martin (a Style 6 with the fluted ribs) went on Ebay a few weeks ago for a little over $700 - no repairs needed.

[Bob A]

Looks like the biggest problem is the cracked neck. The world economy being what it is, even repaired this is not going to be highly sought-after. The neck repair, even if well done, will remove the mandolin from the interest of specialist collectors, and the very fancy fretboard and inlays, while attractive in their own way, do not enhance the appeal to players, who worry about having to maintain the ornaments. If a chunk falls off, you have to pay to replace it.

If you can get the work done both well and inexpensively, you will end up with an attractive and probably pleasant-sounding and -playing mandolin. But in Europe, nobody wants American bowlbacks. And in America, sad to say, not many people want them either.

So it depends on what the total cost will be, and how much you're willing to pay to have a pretty, and useful, and old, mandolin.

If it were me, I would definitely look into cost of repair. A hungry luthier might do a good job in these tough times, but he'd better know what he's doing. Then I'd hang onto it until the world economy picked up to consider selling it; as to keeping it for myself, I already have too many. But you may need or want a mandolin yourself; if so, this might be worth your consideration.

[Jake Wildwood]

I think the "cracked neck" in the photo is actually a string end creeping over the edge of the neck.

Looks like it's already in decent shape... needs a nut and some strings, and maybe a little bridge work, probably. Very cool.

[nk70]

thank you Bob
The guy asks 3500 euros.... but i have to check with my luthier how much will be the repairment cost...i think it's very expensive accordingly the world economy situation...
this mandolin was supposed to be bought from the "greek traditional instruments museum" in Athens 10 years ago ,but the owner regretted it.Is there any Washburn list number so that i could know the year it was made...?
sorry for my English one more time...

[DerTiefster]

Read the above discussion carefully and consider whether you are buying a decoration or a musical instrument.

[nk70]

I am not a collector...i am musician from the age of 7,i live playing,recording and teaching music.i
So, i don't collect istruments just because they are highly decorated,even i'd like to own some of them....
1 R.Calace(1916) mandolin,1 Mourtzinos(1900-1910)mandolin,2 Zozef greek bouzoukis
These are my "treasures" ,with great sound and history but a quite poor decoration.
The only reason i'd buy this Washburn is if it was playable and good sounded.......

[Martin Jonas]

High-end Washburns are likely to sound very nice, if structurally in good condition. However, there is nowhere in the world where this instrument, whatever the condition, would be worth 3500 Euros. For that sort of money, you can buy quite an upmarket Embergher. Whether justified or not, Washburns simply don't have that sort of market appeal and therefore don't command that sort of price.

Market values for vintage instruments are always somewhat arbitrary and very very dependent on condition, but assuming the neck is OK (I can't tell from the photo whether that is a string or a crack), I would think that a price of around 500 Euro is more realistic, or maybe slightly more given the rarity value of Washburns in Europe.

Martin

[vkioulaphides]

Hello, nk70.

Quite inversely from you, I am a Greek living in New York. ;) Χαίρω πολύ.

It is not quite clear to me what the "status of negotiations" is: when you first wrote that you "got this from a friend", I got the impression that the instrument is already in your possession; later, however, you speak of someone "asking for 3500 euro", which sounds like the transaction has yet to happen. I am not quite clear on this...

In any case, I would advise that you heed Martin's candid advice. In good condition, and without any repairs needed, perhaps 500 euros... This is not to say that the instrument is not beautiful, but that its value is unremarkable. Add to this Bob's grim (but truthful) mention of the worldwide economic crisis, and you will see the full picture.

Καλή τύχη και καλές πεννιές! :)

Cheers,

Victor

[nk70]

I don't think it is a crack... i'll check it with my luthier...
anyway i think i shouldn't go over 1300 (repairment included)
thank you

[vkioulaphides]

1300 is still AWFULLY generous of you, nk70. But, hey... it's your money, not mine. Best of luck!

Cheers,

Victor

[nk70]

hi vkioulaphides
i am Greek (that's why my English are not so good)... when i used the word "friend" i used in the way u say "guy" in English...he is not my friend...i just met him some days ago and he told me he wanna sell an old mandolin...
βασικά δεν είμαι συλλέκτης... ειμαι μπουζουξής που πάντα είχα κόλλημα με τα παλιά καλά όργανα...και για όλα φταίει το πρώτο μου Ζοζεφ..!!!!!
thank u
Nikos

[vkioulaphides]

Fair enough. I understand.

Γεια-χαρά.

Βίκτωρ

[Bob A]

Good luck to your acquaintance with his optimism and his mandolin. You can do MUCH better for a fraction of the asking price.

[DerTiefster]

I did a little google search and came up with some comparison items....

http://www.hobgoblin.com/local/secondhand.php?Location=London#mandolins

This has some pretty pictures on it:

http://www.mandolinluthier.com/neapolitan-makers-alphabetic-1.htm

I hope you remain happy with your decision.

[nk70]

Thank you for the links above...especially the second one...
No doubt Italians have been the most gifted luthiers of the past........

[1980gms]

hi vkioulaphides
i am Greek (that's why my English are not so good)... when i used the word "friend" i used in the way u say "guy" in English...he is not my friend...i just met him some days ago and he told me he wanna sell an old mandolin...
βασικά δεν είμαι συλλέκτης... ειμαι μπουζουξής που πάντα είχα κόλλημα με τα παλιά καλά όργανα...και για όλα φταίει το πρώτο μου Ζοζεφ..!!!!!
thank u
Nikos

Dear nk70
you seem to have quite a collection! I am from Greece too and i have a huge ''kolima'' with Mourtzinos, the most gifted Greek luthier (personal opinion off course...). I also own a mandolin made by Mourtzinos and i was wondering if you could possibly post some pictures of your mandolin so i could compare it with mine....
Ευχαριστώ φίλε μου...
Γιάννης

[nk70]

hi
at this moment my "mourtzinos" mandolin is for a small service in my luthier...as soon i get it back i"ll send you some pics of it.
καλό τριήμερο
nikos

[barney 59]

A while back a Washburn bowl back that had been in the movie "Meet Me In St. Louis" came up on e-bay. When the movie came on on my dish I watched it and it was there. It looked clean and had all the provinance intact & supplied from the studio and I don't believe it went for more than than $250. Embergers still bring in pretty big bucks but most bowl back mandolins are as sought after as real tatterbugs. They do look good hanging on walls in Italian restaurants.