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RB250
Oct-25-2010, 1:19pm
I'll be looking at a 1971 A5 Gibson. Was 1971 a year included in the dark bad years for Gibson mandolins for quality, sound, etc. Of course, I'll be playing it soon and can make the sound evaluation myself, but wanted to hear from you'all out there. Thanks,

RB250

lenf12
Oct-25-2010, 3:49pm
Yes, the dark years for Gibson. Is it one of those lump scroll Mickey Mouse A-5's? If yes, run away very fast. Sorry!!

Len B.
Clearwater, FL

MikeEdgerton
Oct-25-2010, 6:08pm
This should be a lump scroll.

F-2 Dave
Oct-25-2010, 8:36pm
Even if it is a lump scroll, it may have some appeal just being one of the stranger things that Gibson did. I wouldn't mind owning one if the price was right. What's the right price? You'll have to judge, but I'd say 'cheap'. Don't buy it expecting it to be a great bluegrass mandolin. Although, set up right it could be a nice player and a fun conversation piece.

DerTiefster
Oct-25-2010, 8:59pm
A Question From The Peanut Gallery:

If the general structure is OK, and
if re-graduation is fiscally and technically possible, and
since the lump scroll is only a cosmetic issue because the curly F5 scroll is full of wood anyway and not a resonant cavity for the body, then ---

couldn't a body end up with a nice-sounding '71 A5 if he bought it appropriately cheaply and had it fixed? Maybe that would only appeal to folks who aren't into it for an investment and who like novelties (ever hear of a "sleeper" car fixed up just waiting to shame the hot rodders at the stoplight follies). Sounds like fun if a body weren't concerned about the last few hundreds of $ being immediately available if he wanted to sell at short notice. A lumpy A5 that puts many F5s to shame could be entertaining. Kind of like the Ford Falcon that ate big-block Chevelles' lunches just for fun.

Vernon Hughes
Oct-25-2010, 9:10pm
I've seen a couple that were regraduated,but you couldn't cure thick wood and finish with that-they still lacked any volume and tone..I agree with the other poster,run away, unless they are giving it away and you want it for the strange factor..

DerTiefster
Oct-25-2010, 10:22pm
There was a craigslist item I found a couple of days ago for a Gibson 2-pointer (possibly 1969) like Jethro's 2-point. I think that style was called A-5, also. One could do worse than getting one of those. A few months ago one was up on the cafe classifieds, too. Thats my favorite kind of A-5 (yeah, but there's only one of those, so it doesn't count).

Mike Bromley
Oct-26-2010, 1:14am
The other rub with the seventies f-shape was that the rims weren't 1 3/8" wide to give the 'correct' body depth. My '75 F5 is only 1 1/4', which I think contibutes to its lack of 'woodyness', despite having a serious regrad done. Dark years indeed.

f5loar
Oct-26-2010, 8:49pm
Run Forest, Run and don't ever look behind you. The only good thing about it being a 1971 is that was the begining of the dark ages at Gibson. It set the tone for the downward spiral that would make mandolin pickers everywhere seek out anything but a Gibson mandolin. These don't even make good wall hangers because they don't look right.

Fretbear
Oct-27-2010, 3:35am
Not only should you not buy it, it makes one wonder if there isn't a statute of limitations on crimes against luthiery that could still be pursued against Gibson coming up with the idea of the "Lumpy"........

DerTiefster
Oct-27-2010, 7:09am
There was a craigslist item I found a couple of days ago for a Gibson 2-pointer (possibly 1969) like Jethro's 2-point...A few months ago one was up on the cafe classifieds, too. Ah! Finally found it. Yup: 1969. Is that too close to the black hole years of which folks speak? http://cleveland.craigslist.org/msg/2019622332.html If nothing else, it's an A-5. I really like the Japanese Epiphone 2-pointer I have that's patterned after this. Didn't cost anywhere near as much, either.

allenhopkins
Oct-27-2010, 7:14pm
Intriguing 2-point; not sure I'd go $2.8K for it, though.

DerTiefster
Oct-27-2010, 7:24pm
Intriguing 2-point; not sure I'd go $2.8K for it, though.Yes, the one on the cafe was (as I recall) priced somewhat less, but not terribly much so. It looked better, too, but that might have been a photography issue. It was an earlier production item, IIRC.

f5loar
Oct-28-2010, 2:32pm
Is '69 too close to the begining of the dark era? Sometimes! Those A-5s of the 50's and 60's with the two pointers were not tap tuned tops. That being the case they just made them to a pattern on graduation and some sounded great and some not so great.
I think the good ones were made by one guy left in '69 that knew what he was doing and the bad ones were made by the other 2 guys left that could build a mandolin but not as good as the first guy. It should be less then $2500. PS: That is the '69 case so in likelyhood it has one of those double '66 or '69 serial nos. it's likely a '69 going by the case.

Vernon Hughes
Oct-28-2010, 3:58pm
I have my grandads late 50's A-5 gibson..It sounds great,nice fat round hole sound,clear bell like high notes..I don't know how the late 60's ones sound-could they be that different?

DerTiefster
Oct-28-2010, 4:37pm
Here's the pic I preserved for posterity from the classified ad (with permission). Look at post #18 here:
http://www.mandolincafe.com/forum/showthread.php?57276-Question-for-luthiers...&p=742526&viewfull=1#post742526
It was billed as a 1964 example, but I don't remember the asking price. Someday I may sell my Epiphone BG-440 and buy one of its big brothers...

RB250
Dec-30-2010, 10:37am
Well gang, this 1971 A5 wound up on Ebay for $1100 or $1250 min but no bidders bought it. I'm looking at a 1906 A1 (and still am) so I thought I'd check the A5 out again before I made any decisions (first time forgot my tuner and tuned by ear so couldn't eval properly). Was still for sale and I bought it for $900. This mando has a nice sounding beefy DArmond pickup purchased in 1997 by the previous own. My first thought was to remove the pickup but after hearing how it sounds with one, it's staying on. The original bridge was removed probably to facilitate install of the pickup and is in the case. I figured the mando sound would be better with the oriiginal bridge and w/o the pickup but for now I'll use my Eastman for true acoustic sound. This mando sounds good... not great (and again probably would sound better w/o the pickup and the original bridge) but I'm very pleased as it's the beefy gibson constuction (vs my Eastman 615) and it's essentially very similar to an F5 except for the round hole and solid body scroll. It's a beautiful instrument to my eyes and sounds great with the pickup through an amp. If you want more sound, you turn up the amp!! I stopped by Sam Asch music on my way home and the rock / blues guys wanted to buy it. I still may buy a more bluegrass oriented mando (F9 or better) but I'm pleased with this one for now. May want to rework the top thinner down the road if it's not too costly though. Check it out below (hope I insert correctly). Any comments?
Gibson A5 Mandolin
RB250

RB250
Dec-30-2010, 11:23am
See a picture of A5 in "Post a Picture" Forum.