What kind of a deal is this on an F-12 from 1965? NFI nor am I an interested buyer. Curiosity.
https://reverb.com/item/5755008-gibs...d-tea-sunburst
What kind of a deal is this on an F-12 from 1965? NFI nor am I an interested buyer. Curiosity.
https://reverb.com/item/5755008-gibs...d-tea-sunburst
Ray Dearstone #009 D1A (1999)
Skip Kelley #063 Offset Two Point (2017)
Arches #9 A Style (2005)
Bourgeois M5A (2022)
Hohner and Seydel Harmonicas (various keys)
"Heck, Jimmy Martin don't even believe in Santy Claus!"
F-12 is an odd bird, IMHO. On first glance, it looks like an F-5, but less well-appointed. F-5's from that period are not that well-regarded, so the only reason to buy an F-12 from the 60's would be price, IMHO. $3K is about triple my interest level, but YMMV.
I'd let that one pass by.
For that price, you can buy a Northfield "satin" series that is not only better-built, but probably sounds better as well...
$2K maybe, $3K no way.
Allen Hopkins
Gibsn: '54 F5 3pt F2 A-N Custm K1 m'cello
Natl Triolian Dobro mando
Victoria b-back Merrill alumnm b-back
H-O mandolinetto
Stradolin Vega banjolin
Sobell'dola Washburn b-back'dola
Eastmn: 615'dola 805 m'cello
Flatiron 3K OM
I agree others --more than I would want to pay. Hard to say what this one sounds like but there is a pretty good chance it would not compare well with a new mandolin that you could buy for less -- e.g., new Kentucky KM-1000. I bought one nearly identical to that one in 2004 for $2600 and ended up having a re-graduation performed on it. FWIIW, there are at least two other '50s era F-12s currently being offered by very respected sellers for about $3500 also. Perhaps for some reason the perceived value of these vintage Gibsons from this questionable era has gone up?
Bernie
____
Due to current budgetary restrictions the light at the end of the tunnel has been turned off -- sorry about the inconvenience.
If one could get one F-12 from the 50's-60's for cheap I'd say go for it and pop the back off and have a top and back re-graduation done, maybe even tone bar spacing/shape, neck angle altered and you'd have a fine mandolin! Some 12's have pretty decent old wood. I'm a fan of conversions. If you could have around 4G in the finished product "just a reconditioned interior vintage instrument" they usually sound better than mandolins costing way more in my opinion, I've had Gils,Pags,Collings,new Gibsons that didn't come close to converts I've had done.
Funk factor, pretty high.
If you want to “rework” something, it might be worth it,
Bgrasser, has very warm spot for them, me? Not so much.
Timothy F. Lewis
"If brains was lard, that boy couldn't grease a very big skillet" J.D. Clampett
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