Cool old F2, but ouch!

[mrmando]

http://www.ebay.com/itm/GIBSON-MANDO...item43c818a365

[Jim Garber]

I see nothing wrong with this one... esp for the bargain price of $1200 starting bid.

[Joey McKenzie]

I think that may be an F-3.

[Timbofood]

In that condition more like an F1 1/2

[mrmando]

I think that may be an F-3.

Well, the last recorded F3 is SN #4841, with a 1905 ship date. So this one's a bit of a puzzle: the rope binding and tripped-out fretboard inlays do indeed suggest an F3, but it has a Guaranteed label and a post-1909 tailpiece cover, which are too late for an F3. So maybe it went back to the factory at some point. Perhaps the seller can find the FON for us. I won't be surprised if it sells for more money than I'd devote to a project instrument.

[goaty76]

I have a 1905 Gibson guitar that also has a Guaranteed label that I believe was added later. I discussed it here http://theunofficialmartinguitarforu...Gibson-LArtist.

Phil

[RichM]

"If you buy one more of those damn things, I'm going to break it over your head!"

"Oh yeah? I'd like to see you try!"

[jim simpson]

I think this one might have gone over Niagara Falls!

[MANDOLINMYSTER]

I think this one might have gone over Niagara Falls!

Now that's funny...I get it ;-)

[allenhopkins]

Fixed up, 'twill be a real collector's prize.

[mrmando]

Fixed up, 'twill be a real collector's prize.

Well ... an ersatz collector maybe.

[Timbofood]

What makes you say ersatz, mr mando?
I have always had a soft out for these, they were pretty much the acme of their day, nothing ersatz about them.

[Bertram Henze]

Looks like something the undead pirates on board the Black Pearl would play...

[Jim Garber]

What makes you say ersatz, mr mando?
I have always had a soft out for these, they were pretty much the acme of their day, nothing ersatz about them.

Nothing ersatz about the mandolin but if a person collects these he most likely would want an example that would not need such serious work. This one would need to be taken apart and re-assembled. I would figure you would have to pay quite a bit to restore such a mandolin to playability -- at least to double the starting bid. Instruments that have had that much work on them rarely recoup their value on the collector's market. In addition, tho this would be a cool one to me, it is not exactly the most desirable of Gibsons.

I figure it will not sell at this price but eventually would lower the price so someone might actually buy it to restore. These are the kind of mandolins that make me wish I either had lots of money to save this orphan or had the repair chops to do it myself.

Of course, you could make up a romantic story about how this damage occurred... hmmmm.... maybe something about a famous musician and a firepoker...

[Timbofood]

Exactly, I am with you Jim. It is pretty far down the disintegration trail, sad. I might see five hundred but, there would a LOT of time in the restoration.
It's much like the old Patek-Phillppe motto
"We don't own these, we are just caretakers for the next generation"
I hope someone with the wherewithal does buy this and do the restoration, 'Cause they ain't makin' 'em like that anymore!
That should have read soft spot, blasted auto correct!

[barney 59]

Someone will buy it,maybe even at that price. If your looking for a challenging hobby project with the potential of it being a really nice thing when completed, well here it is! Endless hours in the basement messing with this vs endless hours sitting watching T.V. with your wife--priceless!

[Timbofood]

Endless hours is right, this will be someone's labour of love!

[F-2 Dave]

Definitely not interested at that price. Amazing to me that the scroll on the head stock seems to still be whole. I've always wanted one of these, but I really don't need another project. I suck at projects.

[RayMan7]

Man I would so love a project like that! Maybe if I can sell all my mandos, and then get a donation

[barney 59]

What do you pay for entertainment? $1200 and every evenings entertainment fixing that thing up--possibly for months! My son was working at a very fancy 1%er resort hotel --parking Ferrari's and such. He got this great discount if he ate at the restaurant(which he had never done) so he thought it would be nice when my in laws were coming that maybe we would eat there. So my wife and me, my son and my wife's sister and husband AND with the terrific generous employee discount we get the bill ---$700 and change! That's about $350 an hour!
From the look of that mandolin it might only cost you $1.00 an hour having the fun of restoring it!

[allenhopkins]

Had I the money, I'd buy it and send it to a really good restorer. I'd have $2.5-3K into it, and who knows how it would sound, but it is just so damn cool -- an early early example of the Gibson F-model.

Wouldn't have the nerve to restore it myself. A rarity like this deserves work from someone who really knows how to do it.

This is the kind of mandolin that, when you pull it out at a jam or a festival, other mandolinists will want to try it, will ask questions about it, will tell you they've never seen anything like it. I guess you might call it "mojo" or some such, a quality of uniqueness, the patina that an instrument gets from surviving, the stature of a pioneering prototype.

Darn, I'm almost talking myself into bidding on it. Instrument like this comes along once in a blue moon, IMHO.

[Timbofood]

I agree Alan, if it were half the price ad had its case, maybe. Those old over the top uber decorated three points are just cool!

[Ivyguitar]

I nominate this one for Son of Mandolin Cafe Restoration Project 2014!

[Scott Tichenor]

I'd like to see this one restored but for me personally it seems awful pricey for its condition. Dan Beimborn and I went in on a 1904 F-2 that was in parts and was collecting dust on a bench at Mass Street Music for years but it was in better condition and the body was pretty solid. We paid $900 cash for the parts and we were able to recoup costs in the end but certainly not a project to take on looking for a profit. Even if you're the individual doing the restoration it's probably still a labor of love but it's a great reward to see and hear one of these post-repair. This one sounded surprisingly good. Documented with a lot of extra images here at the Mandolin Archive.

Before:



After:

[danb]

A very big tip of the hat to Jack Cowardin who did all the work of restoring that F2. No small job, and he got a fantastic result