new "vintage" Gibsons

[chasray]

Looks like Gibson is reviving a Fern and F10 from the 1934 catalog (happy 75th anniversary).

http://www.gibson.com/en-us/Lifestyle/Features/3-new-oai-instruments-416/

I'd take a black F10 for Christmas :grin:

[mandomania7923]

I played the prototype at SPGMA. What a hoss

[f5loar]

Didn't the '34 catalog F5 have a pickguard and full length fingerboard?
Maybe they should just call it "Hoss II" and let it go at that.

[mandomania7923]

Oops i just saw the blacktop. I didn't play that one. Only bush fern

[Dave Hanson]

1934 prices perhaps ?

Dave H

[Capt. E]

I saw the inlay work being done last time I visited Tom Ellis. He does all of Gibson's acoustic instrument inlay. Very fancy inlaid fretboards. Not everybody's style.

[Ken Waltham]

You know, I think that's absolutely great, and, I can understand making the F10 join at the 15th fret, but, for crying out loud, why not make that 34 Fern like a 34 Fern? This is not Rocket Science.
People lust after these vintage Gibson instruments, and here's the chance to recreate them, probably even make them sound better than the orignals if a little effort was put into it, and yet, every time, short of the mark.
And, I'm a huge Gibson fan, a major part of my adult life has been dedicated to these orignal F5's from the 20's and 30's, and if there was a faithful copy of an original by the Original Company, I believe I'd have to have one.
Dave, are you listening??? Your old pal, Ken

[sgarrity]

Is the bracing and graduation of the plates any different on the '34 Fern? Or is this just another F5 with a few cosmetic differences?? The F10 looks cool.

[woodwizard]

I kinda agree with Ken about why? not making an exact vintage replica? I'm not saying that these new ones don't look sharp ... THEY DO! and probably sound and play awesome. I'm also an old Gibson fan and have been for a long time. Probably in their thinking about the extension they felt most people don't like the pick click (Sam doesn't use one) so they decided to modernize it a bit. The no pickguard probably went back to Sam not having one as well. I'm glad that Gibson is doing new things tho. I bet they are pricey?? any one know $?

[Chuck Naill]

Each Inspired By ’34 Fern Mandolin has been personally inspected, played and autographed by Bush to ensure his individual approval of every instrument. His signature also graces the back of each peghead, and each instrument is accompanied by a special certificate of authenticity.

I can just imagine SB rejecting a half dozen and telling the builders to try again.

chuck:grin:

[woodwizard]

Who knows? It could happen :grin:

[Mark Seale]

What's a "special certificate of authenticity"? Is that different than a regular certificate of authenticity?

[woodwizard]

Good question! ~o)

Maybe that's when a famous picker signs for it instead of a Gibson employee :confused:

[Gary Hedrick]

Well Dave ole buddy....I'm going to pile on too with Ken and Tom......make the darn thing a true replica.....better built than the original with all the knowledge that you have about the "correct" graduations etc. and then sell the heck out of them. All of us "old #####" that bleed Gibson would be interesed in them etc.

ps and yes I'd love to see the "tight wads" Tom and Ken part with their money.....just kidding guys.....just kidding.....

[Ken Waltham]

And besides, Gary, Ice tea sunburst is totally off the mark. That's one of my beefs with the Master Models. I've never seen one with close to the right colour.
Just look at the Elderly Fern from the 30's to see the right colour.
ps... Canadian spelling intentional...:)

[Gary Hedrick]

I'd like to see Gibson come out with a Crusher limited edition....along with a Reishman model....recreated the really "special" Loars and Ferns etc....how about a Haney graduation?... Make them dead, spot on and with a few minor improvements where it makes sense....

As soon as I get these kids through college I will be looking.....I'd love a Ricky, an F10 to go along with my Kimbles and perhaps a Dude someday..........just got to rob a couple of banks.....

[f5loar]

Well I edited my full response with "changed my mind" in that I didn't want to really say what I thought about making a '34 Fern not looking like a '34 Fern. Glad to see others thinking the same thing as me. If Gibson has let loose of the noose to allow such oddities in limited numbers there is a lot to pick from. The thing about that
'34 catalog oddity is they were still using the old Loar advertisements drawings and using a pen to change them up a bit to reflect some changes of the day. Never saw a catalog sans the fingerboard extension or pickguard so at least let the new owner make that judgement call on removing those tradition Gibson F5 appointments. They did the same mistake on the Sam Bush '37 model. Give the public a '37 and if they want to "Hoss" it up so be it but at least it would have started as being right to begin with which is what Sam got to do. While I agree with Ken and others that the MM and DMM has not been dead on with the original shading and sunburst I have seen some better than others and what they do have now is so much better then previous attempts at exact Loar replicas. Hard to say you are so close yet so far away.

[Gary Hedrick]

Some of the mandolins have been dead on though Tom.....the Skaggs that Dave had at the picking session I hosted was indeed dead on to the Loar I used to own ....an early 23......I had to look twice to see which one he was playing.....so some of them are good.....of course as all the experts will note there is variance to what the shading is on a Loar....
I just wish they would do what Tom indicates.....make is a true 34 etc and let the customer change is if they desire.......Hoss in all honesty has been butchered, hacked and whacked etc..it's a wonder that it is still together....kind of like Wakefield and all the abuse he gave that one he owned.....and frankly Bill wasn't exactly gentle with his Loar......pocket knife and all.....

[Mark Seale]

I just saw on my buddy's Facebook page that the Special Certificate of Authenticity is a signed copy of CaseNotes. Too cool, I'm happy for him.

[Chris Biorkman]

Well, I think it's kind of cool that they are doing new things.

[allenhopkins]

Well, I think it's kind of cool that they are doing new things.

By copying old things. Inexactly.

[Chris Biorkman]

Yup.

[San Rafael]

So two different Bush models now?

[Ken Sager]

One Bush model. One Inspired by Bush model. Not same.

[dhmando]

Sam Bush approached me about building this mandolin, thus
the " inspired by" qualification. It appeared as an artist representation in the 1934 Gibson catalog but, to my knowledge NEVER built. The combination of the Fern inlay pattern, block inlay on the board starting at the third fret, and especially, only Gibson in script, not THE Gibson, on the peghead made the 1934 Fern a very different and unique mandolin.
This project was started because Sam and I are like you fellas, we saw the pictures in the catalog and we dreamed. Sam's dream was a '34 Fern with big frets, a radius fingerboard, short extension, and no pickguard. My dream was to build a mandolin that was drawn for the catalog but, again, to our knowledge, was NEVER built.
How and why we did this model is to fulfill dreams. If your dream is to own a Fern F-5 Gibson Mandolin the way it is pictured in the 1934 catalog, pickguard, long extension, please contact one of our dealers, or me.
Thanks!

[Timbofood]

Thanks Dave, very clearly stated.

[mandolirius]

<This project was started because Sam and I are like you fellas, we saw the pictures in the catalog and we dreamed.>

Hi David. Just wondering (out of curiousity) could you post a pic of the original drawing?

[Scotti Adams]

More on the subject http://www.thebluegrassblog.com/updated-sam-bush-model-mandolin-unveiled/#more-5746