Rover RM-75 serial number

[rowka]

My RM-75 serial number
0401021 ?(is that a "y"?)

It's a dark chocolate brown. No red in there.

[Folkmusician.com]

I remember this finish, I just can't place the date. 2004 sounds about right.

[William Smith]

Are those solid wood mandolins?

[rowka]

Yes

[Bob the potter]

I think I have on of those first batch ones

I believe I still have the detailed write up somewhere on another older computer: I'll try to dig it up when I get a chance. As I recall, the RM75 was originally intended to be a Lloyd Loar style released as a high end Kentucky (700 series) but quality control thought the flame in the flame maple wasn’t up to their standard. So, they more or less hid it with dark stain and nitrocellulose finish and sold them as a “limited run” under the Rover name as an RM–75s. This only applied to the “first batch” but I don't know what determines what the “first batch” is: all that had this finish, only a certain range of serial numbers or specific time period.

The RM–75 seems to’ve become popular enough to cause them to extend the “limited run” for several years but as a significantly different Sunburst finish model.

I don't know whether the model the RM–75 was originally supposed to be was ever realized.



Does anyone know when the earliest “first run” RM–75 came out or for how long those with the original finish were produced? So far, the lowest/earliest serial number I've seen was 04010131 (January 1, 2004) right here in MandolinCafe forums.

[Bob Visentin]

There is a RM-75 now on e-bay for $1282.99 plus $80 shipping. Yikes. Also a new one for $259.99.

[skripka]

I've got two: One purchased new in 2007-08 from then Centsible Sounds, and another found Aug. 2023 at my friendly local pawnshop; ser. nos. are: 1106288 (07-08) and 1106180 (date of orig. purchase UNK). I like 'em both, also think they're highly undervalued - at least for the production runs I have. They keep up with instruments costing much more (which I also have). I paid about $400 for each, 15 years apart and am very happy with that. I added an abbreviated pickguard to the 07-08 instrument and like those, too.