Pricing of pre Loar A style Gibson

Hi mandolin hive mind,

One of my best friends is primarily an Irish bouzouki player (and an excellent all-around musician!) but seems to have acquired a classic case of MAS. After checking out a few different kinds of mandolin, I believe he has fallen in love with the classic pre Loar oval hole Gibson sound of the mid teens and early twenties. I think he’s got his heart set on a non trussrod A 3 that he played with a white top that’s clearly been played and loved. I’ve only seen pictures, but it looks structurally sound and the finish has worn in a very aesthetically pleasing way...

So my question to you is, what’s a decent ball park figure for this instrument? It’s been a while since I’ve looked at vintage prices, but the asking price seems a bit steep to me.

Thanks!

Davey

Was that a bee metaphor or auto correct?

What is the asking price?

I dislike the whole “ballpark” euphemism, a ballpark is an open sided triangle where there is no outside boundary.
Now, I’ll get off that soapbox.
There are several A-3’s being discussed here recently. I have a very soft spot for them. Seems to me the commentary has valued them from $900.00 to $1300.00?
With no pictures, it’s kind of hard to make any educated appraisal. If your friend likes it, figure out a fair price for both parties and let the fun begin!
And yes, what is the asking price?

"Ballpark" asking prices for a white face A-3 with all of the original hardware and case is probably closer to $1500 if it's beat up, $2500+ if it's nice and clean. That's assuming the seller is an established brick and mortar store with a good reputation. Ebay may be considerably lower.

What is the asking price? A more thorough description please?

I agree, a classic while A3 in good condition would fetch over 2k. I considered the $1600 I paid for my very good condition A1 top dollar at a first rate store. I've seen A3s advertised for $2400. I'm a sucker for the white A3s.

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Originally Posted by Timbofood

There are several A-3’s being discussed here recently. I have a very soft spot for them. Seems to me the commentary has valued them from $900.00 to $1300.00?

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Not for a white one. Possibly a teens pumpkin A3 would go in that range, but it would still be a good buy unless it was in terrible condition.

The white finish is definitely not everyone's cup of tea, but those who like it will pay a premium for it.

Hi folks,

Thanks for the replies. I believe it's from a brick and mortar shop and all told, it looks to be in the $1900-$2000 range. From what I can see in the photos he sent via text, the mandolin has a decent amount of surface wear, but is structurally quite pristine. The pick guard looks beautiful and the original case seems in great condition. I know that the white A3s have quite a brilliant reputation. I've got an old A that I've had for over 10 years that I love and used to have an A4 from 1919 that I loved, but I bought that for around $1200. Again, that was a decade ago and I didn't know if there was a surge in the pre Loar prices. When I compared this instrument to other examples on the internet, it seemed to fit better in the $1500 to $1600 camp. And yes, it was a bee metaphor... :)

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Originally Posted by HarrisonMandolin

When I compared this instrument to other examples on the internet, it seemed to fit better in the $1500 to $1600 camp. And yes, it was a bee metaphor... :)

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Ah, but comparing a price in a brick and mortar store to prices on the internet, where sellers may not have to pay for either bricks or mortar, is like comparing apples to oranges. And yes, that is a fruit metaphor.

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Originally Posted by mrmando

Ah, but comparing a price in a brick and mortar store to prices on the internet, where sellers may not have to pay for either bricks or mortar, is like comparing apples to oranges. And yes, that is a fruit metaphor.

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Almost spit my coffee at that one :)

Thanks for the help. Most of the prices at quoted were also from brick and mortar shops. I’ll relay this info to him and see what happens. Chances are he’ll fall in love with another 8 stringed beauty in another day or so...

I'm more than willing to go an extra 10-15% plus tax to hold and play an instrument, plus have it examined and set up by a good repair department. The shop is entitled to a larger profit.

I stand (sit or lay down) corrected regarding pricing, I still have a soft spot for them and remember two going through the store I worked at, and not fully understanding how cool they were! Should have gotten one!
The “added value” of helping a street address stay in business means so much to those businesses, I can’t stress enough.
You buy from a “store” you have a building you can walk into, speak with a human being, (hopefully educated in the products) give a kid a job, and if there is a problem, go back and hash it out!
There are many “real” stores with web access which are”virtually” like walking in their door, lauds and accolades to those decidedly honorable extensions of their brick and mortar offices! However, there are less and less honorable sellers out there who will just leave the customer twisting in the wind.
Leaving all the caliber of service aside, I know that I would prefer having a face to either share the joy with or go back to see and fix a problem.
I’m getting older by the hour!

I thought the hive comment was a Borg reference.

The buzz on those white A3s is that they'll take the sting out of a depleted bank account.

Didn't Gibson refer to that finish as "ivory?" Not everyone's cup of tea, and it can show wear quite significantly.

Friend of mine who bought one, found that it had "reverse" tuners, which you turned clockwise to tighten the strings, rather than the standard. Don't know if that was an anomaly or not; I have an Eastman DGM-2 Bacon copy that has the same type, as a salute to the '20's original, I guess. Requires some mental adjustment when I play that instrument.

Prices listed on-line range from an outlier low of $1.2K, up through the mid $2k's. I wouldn't go $3K for one, but I'd say you would end up around $2K+, probably. Bernunzio has one here for $3K, with a heel repair, which seems top-end to me. His description mentions a mahogany body; would that be right, rather than maple or birch? The red finish may look mahogany-esque, but I didn't think G was building mahogany-bodied mandolins...?

The mando at Bernunzio appears to be birch, normal for an A-3. Whoever wrote the description goofed.

Gibson did produce mahogany mandolins, but later. One example was model A-75.