Joe,
Congrats!
My Model 20 serial number is on the neck block, easily visible through the soundhole.
Here is a lousy photo and a couple of pages from the Martin technical book. Most were...
Joe,
Congrats!
My Model 20 serial number is on the neck block, easily visible through the soundhole.
Here is a lousy photo and a couple of pages from the Martin technical book. Most were...
Strumsilly, congratulations on your Gibson DY! They are sweet sounding and easy playing instruments and great for playing at home, they are a bit quiet compared to the carved top models. I have two...
Glad you fixed your clamp, Sue.
Paul Hostetter posted this Gibson pickguard clamp repair tutorial some years ago. It has all the information that you re-discovered!
...
David, thanks for the information and links about Bandurrias.
No one has yet taken up the challenge to identify the F5’s in the Vitaphone films but we know the fate of at least one of his...
Here are a few fuzzy screen captures for those that don’t want to sit through the hour long movie. What do you call those 16-string instruments?
198676
198677
198678
198679
Congratulations on your new Gibson A-1. Here is a catalog page from the mid-teens that describes your instrument.
The top would have originally had a golden orange finish and the back and sides a...
Here is a fun exercise:
How many different F5’s and other stringed instruments can you identify in these seven Vitaphone film shorts?
https://youtu.be/epcEd3qeHAQ
Vitaphone films have the...
Here is Gibson F5-L case with the maroon lining from about 1991, inside is 2002 Derrington MM.
These are robust cases and have a nice stitched leather handle grip.
Lo-Fi, send me a PM if you want...
I love these sleuthing exercises!
Based on the headstock binding, the trussrod cover and the dark tuner buttons an educated guess would be 1923-24. Assuming the tuners weren’t changed I don’t...
All
Good news! I soon hope to have some more leather replica case handles like the ones I posted about in reply #5 above!
I know some of you were looking for some earlier in the year.
I’ll...
JB,
I’m glad your A3 arrived safely and thanks for the update about its condition.
I’m sorry that I cannot agree with your speculation that it started life as a ‘golden orange’ topped...
Since the original ivory finish was lost how about going all the way?
This refinished A3 appeared a few years ago at a Skinner auction.
197210
The Virzi device continues to be a topic of great interest and endless discussion and speculation. The 1920 patent has been mentioned before but I post it here for convenience.
The remarkable...
I rechecked the case this morning and it is lined with purple velvet, not felt.
It matches the listing in the 1923 Gibson handbook as Faultless case 438 for F2, F4. The handbook notes that stock...
Bazz,
I have an F2 listed in the archives, it came to me in a rectangular Faultless case with purple felt lining.
I’d be happy to help you with case dimensions. It is indeed smaller than the F5...
Nice photo and explanation!
Here is the tailpiece patent assigned to Gibson. Notice the use of the term “snubbing post” when describing how the plain strings are routed under the first set of...
About three years ago I found a leather craftsman that could make very nice replica leather handles for the old Gibson and other cases. I was able to help out quite a few collectors and everyone...
The original tailpiece would have been engraved and gold plated (or silver) to match the engraved tuner cover on the back of the peghead. Finding a suitable old replacement tailpiece shouldn’t be too...
Jeff has some great suggestions! I looked for about a year on EBay and finally found a case for my Vega X which has an 10-15/16” pot. More cases were made for the more common Vega MB’s with the...
Mr Peabody,
Yes, this is why I recommended Bob Smakula in posting #3, he is The Expert on anything banjo related, Bob is expecting to hear from you.
Did you notice the Vega Style X currently...
To my knowledge there are no modern mandolin banjo cases. I’ve been fortunate to buy some original orphaned cases. MB’s are ripe fodder for conversions into the more popular Regular or 5-String...
Mr Peabody,
You have a very desirable Vega Style X Mandolin Banjo, the serial number indicates manufacture in 1918 according to the latest serial number research. It was Vega’s top-of-the-line...
Sherry,
Here is a collection of about 700 fiddle tunes transcribed and hosted by mechanical engineer and bow-maker John Lamancusa.
You’ll find standard notation PDF, MIDI file and a recording...
Thanks Nick, I posted a link in the other thread.
BTW these are not the common hardware store #4-40 screws, they are #4 screws with a special machine thread.
Mark
Coincidentally I just started a thread about locating the cog mounting screws for these old Waverly and Handel tuners. They DO NOT use the common 4-40 thread size. It is a #4 screw but has a special...