1905 3-point F4 with a shave and a haircut

[mrmando]

I sort of like the spiffy refinish, but would have preferred the original color, all things being equal.

Looks like an overzealous Canadian got hold of the headstock.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/181772204852

[Theo W.]

I love the pickguards on those old Gibsons. I'd take that refinished F4 for the current bid price!

[F-2 Dave]

Sure is red. Guess I'd rather see a funky refinish than a more traditional refinish poorly done. Yeah, I'd take it for the current bid price too.

[Charles E.]

Hmmmm.....if one were to play that mandolin while wearing one of the new Mandolin Cafe hats you would have an outfit.

[G7MOF]

That's just sacrilidge!

[Eddie Sheehy]

Never judge a book by it's cover... too many players place emphasis on finish and cosmetics, yet will drool over a 'Distressed' model...

[Jeff Mando]

Never judge a book by it's cover... too many players place emphasis on finish and cosmetics, yet will drool over a 'Distressed' model...

great point, Eddie!

[mandobassman]

Are my eyes deceiving me or are those some nylon strings on that mando?

[JeffD]

I like that headstock. Broke and fixed.

[allenhopkins]

F-4 or F-2? Back looks like birch.

[mrmando]

Good point, Allen. With no headstock decoration it might well be an F2, although I'm not sure what one can definitively say about specs for 1905 instruments.

[Jeff Mando]

Currently at $1125 with 8 days to go.

[Miko]

Hideous!!!!

[allenhopkins]

Good point, Allen. With no headstock decoration it might well be an F2, although I'm not sure what one can definitively say about specs for 1905 instruments.

No headstock inlay, which I would expect on an F-4, not on an F-2. Of course, the headstock's been "improved" so drastically you can't really tell, but the Gibson logo's survived, and I'd expect that a headstock inlay would have as well.

[barney 59]

In the June 1975 "Pickin' " magazine Gibson article. Roger Siminoff shows a c.1905 F2 headstock with just a logo and no other ornamentation. Just guessing but I would think that someone simply smoothed out the area where the volutes broke off and called it a day. I kind of like the result, it has a certain honesty to it. As if to say "Oops! Well just keep playing!" To have gone beyond that you would think that they would then have restored it to the original shape. Staining and refinishing can be tricky business,especially with limited experience. Thinking your going to end up with one thing and actually ending up with a carrot probably being one of the most common "mistakes". I've done that myself!

[Jeff Mando]

Besides being refinished, the finish seems rather thickly applied, especially seen in the scroll detail picture.

[allenhopkins]

In the June 1975 "Pickin' " magazine Gibson article. Roger Siminoff shows a c.1905 F2 headstock with just a logo and no other ornamentation...

Yeah, my c. 1906 three-point F-2 has only "The Gibson" inlaid on its unbound headstock. Which leads me to believe the one we're discussing started as an F-2 -- well, actually still is an F-2, subsequent "improvements" aside.

[OldGus]

Ooooh Black Walnut! That could tempt me... Red and brown though, terrible colors, it needs the top re-refinished. I want to hear what the mando on the label sounds like...

[barney 59]

Why do we think it's black walnut?

[Eddie Sheehy]

We don't...

[OldGus]

Why do we think it's black walnut?

Because of the coloring, the grain and because I've heard that some of the Orville's were made of Black Walnut. http://i.ebayimg.com/00/s/MTYwMFgxMj...Ved-A/$_57.JPG http://i.ebayimg.com/00/s/MTYwMFgxMj...Ved~r/$_57.JPG...Looking again I see that Orville had similar taste for mandolins in preferring walnut http://www.vintageguitar.com/12902/1905-gibson-f-2/.

[Jeff Mando]

Went for $1832......!!!!!!! I know I'm a cheapskate and only looking for bargains, BUT, that is several times what my top bid would have been. Broken off peghead, ugly refinish, bad color, thick refinish, etc.

Note to self: buy any beater Gibsons--they seem to be selling!

[Timbofood]

I'm with you there Jeff! Way beyond what I would have thought "reasonable" but, that's how things go.
Gus, I have seen a few examples of Orville's handiwork in Black Walnut for sure but, this isn't one of them. A friend of mine had an Orville guitar that was massive, something like "Super 400" size! It was pretty cool. I believe Stan Werbin (spell check tried to make that satan webbing! Sorry Stan) is the current owner of that particular piece of history.