Any Ideas On The Value Of A Mid-Late 60's Fender Mandocaster?

[Sam Bush Fan!]

A friend of mine's brother has a Red, 1967 (I do believe) 4-String Fender Mandocaster, in mint condition (he said) with original case, do any of you all know on what the value of this thing would be?
The guy bought it new because he played in the church band, and a regular Mandolin wasn't loud enough. But he didn't like the sound of it, so he pretty much quit playing it, and put it in back in the case, and now-a days he doesn't even play Mandolin hardly any more.

Any help would be appreciated,

Thanks,
Isaac.

[mrmando]

It's basically worthless but I'll take it off his hands if he gives me $25.

Just kidding! If it's red, either it's a custom job or somebody refinished it. Sunburst was the only available production color in '67. I have seen a few red vintage Mandocasters. If he has paperwork/receipts to prove that the finish is original, it should be worth $1200-1500. If it's a refin, then probably $900-1000. You could say those estimates are low end ... it's conceivable that someone would pay more for a '67 in true mint condition, although it's really the '50s instruments that are the most collectible.

There was a red production-model Fender 4-string: the SB-4, which was made in Korea and sold only in the UK about 10 years ago.

The part of the story I'm having trouble with is that an acoustic mandolin wasn't loud enough for a church band in 1967. That must've been one happening church! Outside of black churches (think sacred steel and Sister Rosetta), it would be VERY unusual to see an electric instrument (other than an organ) used in an American church until the middle of the "Jesus Movement" (which didn't really get going until 1971). But hey, I guess if evangelist Richard Miller (http://www.emando.com/players/Miller.htm) could record with a Mandocaster in 1966, or Eschol Cosby could play a Bigsby e-mando while fronting the Christian Cowboys clear back in the '50s, anything's possible.

I'd like to see some photos of this Mandocaster, and the Cafe Classifieds would be an excellent place for your friend's brother to sell it.

[Sam Bush Fan!]

Thanks Martin! I'm not sure that it's a "67" it may be a bit-earlier or a bit-later, I will ask my friend and see if I can get a little more on it and I'll let you know. Would that be the aprox. value for the mid-60's to the early-70's models?

[mrmando]

They were available until 1976, but I would imagine that from a collector's point of view, 1965 is the last dividing line. That's the year Fender was sold to CBS, after which the quality of the instruments suffered (you often hear vintage Fenders proudly described as "pre-CBS"). I'm not aware of huge price differentials within the 1965-76 range of post-CBS instruments, i.e., a '67 and a '76 are probably worth roughly equal amounts of money.

The most collectible Mandocasters are the '57-'58s, followed closely by the '56s, then '59-'64, then post-CBS. AFAIK, YMMV, TAHNBRBAA.

[Sam Bush Fan!]

So when when you say,
That's the year Fender was sold to CBS, Do you mean "Columbia Broadcasting System"?

[EdHanrahan]

Yeah, that CBS.

But while many fixate on the date, not all equipment was "improved" immediately. And, uhmm, not all improvements were as terrible as their grand overall reputation, so there are bargains in the CBS years if you know what you're looking at.

Why do I suspect that the Mandocaster was maybe not real high on the "to be improved" list?

(Long story short, the employees bought it back somewhere in the 80s).

[mrmando]

Well, you can track the changes to the instrument here (http://home.provide.net/~cfh/mando.html). The biggest CBS-era change listed would be from celluloid to plastic pickguards in 1965 (which is actually a good thing, at least in terms of durability), the other changes being entirely cosmetic. The major structural changes (slab body to contour body, ash to alder, maple fretboard to rosewood) occurred in the pre-CBS era.

Note that the collector who maintains the page I linked to isn't even interested in post-CBS Mandocasters...

[Sam Bush Fan!]

Well, so exactly what year did Fender sell out to CBS?

[mrmando]

Well, so exactly what year did Fender sell out to CBS?
Exactly 1965, as I stated above.

[mrmando]

Hey Isaac ... any progress on photos of this Mandocaster? It has definitely piqued my interest. Red ones always do.

[Sam Bush Fan!]

Not yet.... I'll see my friend tomorrow, and I'll see what I can do :)

[Michael Lewis]

If you get close enough to take a pic , look for the serial number for dating purposes.

[Sam Bush Fan!]

Hello, my friend is going to get me some pictures of it, and I'll get them up here as soon as he get's them to me.