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I saw the "Nouveau by Gibson" posted in the classified section for $2400. Isn't the Nouveau simply an oriental import from the 70s; essentially like an Epiphone or Sigma? Is there something about these mandolins, other than that they were imported by Gibson, that would make them desirable? i.e., $2400 worth of desirable?
Brent
They were imported by Gibson and were advertised as being of laminate construction. The Nouveau line included guitars as well as mandos. It's possible that the tops were solid but I don't know for sure. The fact that they were introduced as economy models would hardly justify that price IMO. Even American made Gibson Melody Maker guitars are priced less than other models of the same vintage as they were econo guitars. It should all be relative.
It was short lived.. a Marketing disaster..basically in one word it Sucked.
Hello! Thanks for all the feedback. I had no idea this would be such a controversy. This mandolin does have a solid spruce top, is in great shape, looks beautiful, has the Gibson name on it, and has good volume. I thought it was worth the asking price. My understanding is that it is a Gibson design manufactured in Japan.
I will look into getting a more official appraisal and can then edit my ad. I did not include my photos because they required more memory then is allowed. I will need to make them smaller and then can include them.
I had a Gibson A40 which had a 'laminated in the arch form',ply back, played it for decades, Was from the 50's I think.
>the Djangolins are laminated back and sides, by the way< http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/...icons/cool.gif
Julie,
I hope we didn't come off as slamming the instrument that you are selling. I think it's a plus that it has a solid carved top. I really like Gibsons and currently own an F5-G. I was able to buy it used for $2900 and believe it is worth every penny. If I were going to spend $2500, I would want all solid wood. An instrument is worth what one is willing to pay for it of course and you may find someone willing to pay that much for it. I notice the pricing for the Shenandoah guitars by Martin bring a decent dollar but a lot lower than comparable Martin models. The Shenandoah had solid tops with laminate sides and back. Ebay would probable be a good barometer for what you could get.
Good luck!
Jim
Thanks Jim for the advice. I was not under the impression that the maple on the back and sides are laminate, but I will look into it and find out.
I'm sure they were and they were not a highly desired instrument. They did not make too many so there may not be many available. I have not seen one in several years. It is possible the scarcity could drive the price up a bit for a collector but they are not generally considered a collectible instrument. Hope you do well, but the price in the ads is much more than I would expect to see one sell for.