Em-150

[beegee]

95523
Is there any way to determine the year of an EM-150? No labels, stamps, tags, just a pencilled-in EM-150 in the bass side F-hole. The owner got this as a birthday gift in the early 50's. Someone sat on it many years ago and cracked the neck. It has been left strung up for 15 or more years The fingerboard had a 3/64" gap where it had been "repaired." The neck has a severe bow. the Klusons have been replaced with cheap import tuners. The tailpiece cover seems to be a newer replacement. The truss rod is broken at the washer in the peghead. The neck joint is slightly separated. i will have to remove the FB, repair the truss rod, re-set the neck, straighten and refinish the neck damage, fix a few cracks in the body, touch up some scratches and chips in the finish. I have no idea yet if the pickup works. The rib is cracked at the cord jack. I figure a minimum of $400 in repair and I'm guessing this mandolin in a playable state, in "good" condition would be worth what, $600-700?

[journeybear]

Try this site: http://www.provide.net/~cfh/gibson8.html Not 100% accurate and hasn't been updated in a while but might get you in the ballpark.

[mrmando]

Yeah, once patched up, this will probably be worth no more than $700. EM150s in better condition can be worth up to twice that much.

With good photos we might be able to give you a ballpark figure on the date, although that can be tough if it doesn't have original hardware.

[f5loar]

Some of the early late 40's did not get a FON usually always stamped through the lower F hole. So if they bought it in early 50's it could be a '48 or '49 maybe a '50 but by then they were pretty good about at least the FON on these models. It would have had the open back Kluson tuners and the clamshell tailpiece.