Own a piece of Jethro

[Christian McKee]

One of his mandos for sale on ebay...

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws....43&rd=1 (http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=10179&item=3748074943&rd=1)

I can't decide whether to say "is this a beautiful country or what?" or "is nothing sacred?" Happy bidding...

Taboot, Taboot,

Christian

[John Rosett]

it is a beautiful country, and no, nothing is sacred.
i've been a big jethro fan for many years. i've never seen or heard about this mando. does anyone know anything about it?
john

[mikeomando]

Hi everybody, #
I own an ASR emando very similar to the one pictured. #They were made by a Chicagoland luthier named John Montgomery. #The one I own has a hollow or semi-hollow body, and a very solid neck. #Low action, and a great player. #You can see a photo of mine at emando.com. #Jethro's looks a little fancier. #Some emandos play more like an electric guitar (The Gibson EM-200, for example), but this one plays more like a nice acoustic, in terms of feel. #If I didn't own one, I would bid on Jethro's, but I don't know how much of a premium I would be willing to pay for one of his former instruments. #God rest his talented soul.

[Christian McKee]

Reading the text of the letter from his son, it seems pretty reasonable that veeeery few people outside the realm of his family would know about this mandolin, FWIW

Christian

[Ted Eschliman]

I had the privilege of owning one of Jethro's instruments, his Epiphone MM70. With it came some convincing documentation his estate had drawn up, including a letter from his brother-in-law, Chet Atkins, a photograph of him playing the instrument, a George Gruhn appraisal letter, and a Sale Flier of other of "The Master's" instruments that held a much higher profile than the one I owned.
Since I wasn't playing it, I felt it needed to be placed somewhere where it could be appreciated (and played). It was acquired by Acoustic Art Productions as a kind of "museum" piece.
I don't recall this electric one being listed on the sale, so it's not unlikely it might have been acquired prior, directly by this family member.

[mrmando]

Wow. ASRs are very hard to find. I didn't know about this axe but it makes sense that Jethro would have something like this. If I were rich instead of so good-looking...

The reason I have a National Silvo is that Mark Heard, one of my favorite musicians of all time, played one. Of course, the one I have isn't his. I think his widow still owns it. I bought a Flatiron mandola from Gruhn's that had belonged to Mike Compton, but I honestly didn't like the tone, so I sent it back. I do have a National Triolian tenor guitar similar to Mike's...

[Sellars]

I had the privilege of owning one of Jethro's instruments, his Epiphone MM70.
Ted, what do you mean with "had"? you haven't sold it have you?