STRADOLIN signed JOHNNY GIMBLE / Willie's mandolin/violin player

[your_diamond]

Bought this on ebay had no idea who Johnny Gimble was until I did a search. Is his signature worth anything?

John Paul Gimble (May 30, 1926 – May 9, 2015), better known as Johnny Gimble, was an American country musician associated with Western swing. Gimble was considered one of the most important fiddlers in the genre. He was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1999 in the early influences category as a member of Bob Wills and His Texas Playboys. He toured with Willie Nelson for several years. He has 80+ years of music history that is so diverse & successful it all would not fit on this page.

Any help or suggestions would be greatly appreciated

[Bill McCall]

Apparently nobody on eBay seems to think so.

[MikeEdgerton]

To be real serious here, I'm not sure I'd pay anything extra for a signature on any instrument unless of course it was Lloyd Loar's on a Gibson F5 label.

[Steve Ostrander]

Just last weekend a guy showed me his vintage Les Paul with Bobby Bare's autograph on the back, covered with a coat of brushed-on varnish with drips and runs. I thought to myself, "that surely did ruin a nice finish." But I guess meeting Bobby Bare meant a lot to him, and he wanted to preserve the memory. 'Course, memory's can be preserved on cocktail napkins, too....

[F-2 Dave]

Not much for autographed instruments, but if I was going to pay extra for one that had been scribbled on by a celebrity, Johnny Gimble's name would be at the top of my list.

[Ray(T)]

http://www.mandolinarchive.com/gibson/serial/23871


!!!!! ????? !!!!!

[your_diamond]

Apparently nobody on eBay seems to think so.

Stop sugar coating it & tell me what you really think. lol. Apparently you're right. Got calls back from 3 sellers of autographs. Range is from $15 make offer (no COA) up to $240 & NOTHING'S SELLING at those prices.

Was curious, THE SELLER never put Gimble's name in the listing, though.
The listing read... Stradolin Mandolin & Unsure what age this is, but my late husband played it all the time. I have a case that comes with. As is. Its Vintage..

Would have liked to get Willie's signature (that was stolen from her husband, it figures).
This will come off 90% with bleach & fade away with time but it seems like such a shame, This guy had HUGE accomplishments when most can't come up with even one hit. F-2Dave, I think I'll leave it on there.

I'll bet you if Bill Monroe (or Elvis, yeah, I said it) signed it, there would have been more interest.
Ray(T) nice work!

[MikeEdgerton]

I may start signing every instrument I own just in case I ever become famous. There was an infamous guitar on eBay for years with Little Roy Lewis written on it. It was a extremely cheap imported guitar. The seller thought Little Roy's signature was worth four grand. He just kept re-listing it. There are a few instruments that are signed that do have value. Willie's guitar Trigger and Marty Stuart's mandolin come to mind but their value is probably based more on who was playing it not who signed it.

[MikeEdgerton]

A previous thread on the subject is here:

https://www.mandolincafe.com/forum/s...aphed-Mandolin

[your_diamond]

I would have paid more for this Strad, $260 included shipping for this sweet thing with almost all the trimmings (painted on binding)... Things to look for indicative of better quality on a Strad... Treble Clef on headstock & pointed finger board. 1930's matching tailpiece cover & pickguard (has pickup cut out & held on by somewhat big screws, no bueno but I can live with it). Turned it over and bingo... there's the flamed maple that looks better than the pics (as I was hoping). Soooo Sweet & much better than that awful 1976 (Norlin era) Gibson F-5 that I tried out at Guitar Center. Ya get what ya pay for did not apply to that F-5. This Strad is a Gem. With free (removable) signature that I think I'll leave there.

Hard Rock Cafe (Texas) might be the only bidder & I hear they are cheap! For now I'll play it.

[MikeEdgerton]

That was a deal for that mandolin. Basically the same age as mine. Anytime you can get the matching pickguard and the tailpiece cover that's a plus in my book. So many are missing the cover. I didn't notice the cutout for the pickup in the pickguard until just now. Still a good price.

[CarlM]

Personally I would rather have Johny Gimble's signature than Willie's, nothing against Willie. Among Western Swing fans it is cool but outside that small group, people do not know his name. It would like signatures from Tiny Moore, Eldon Shamblin or Leon McCauliffe even Bob Wills. I have cd's signed by all kinds of people like Sam Bush, David Grismann, Tommy Emmanuel, etc. None will ever be worth anything extra to anyone but me.

You need to play Roly Poly, San Antonio Rose or Faded Love on it.

[your_diamond]

That was a deal for that mandolin. Basically the same age as mine. Anytime you can get the matching pickguard and the tailpiece cover that's a plus in my book. So many are missing the cover. I didn't notice the cutout for the pickup in the pickguard until just now. Still a good price.

Mike,
What's a fair market value (in your opinion) ballpark?
Can you see the date in yours (none on mine, but definitely 30's)?
I don't mind the cutout. I'm lookin' for my old DeArmond (it is the 21St century so I'm plugged
in sometimes) but you should see the size of the screws holding the pickguard on (not subtle)!
Thanks for getting me back on the path, you do it well,
Michael
P.S. Here's me getting off the path, again, I know you will never sell your Strad Artist, but if somebody walked up to you with $100 bills, what would it take for you to think, 'hey, for that price I can get this other mandolin I have always wanted' & please don't mention Loar's name, be realistic.
P.P.S. PM me if you think this is the wrong forum for this.

[Jeff Mando]

To me, the WHOLE point about the Strad-O-Lin thing is that they are really good FOR THE MONEY. In other words, if you have a mandolin you paid $200 bucks for and it sounds better than your buddy's $600 mandolin, that's fun and something you can feel good about. When people start talking about spending real money for a Strad ($3K, etc....) I get worried about it being a sound investment. (and stops being fun to collect, IMHO)

Years ago, in the vintage guitar world, I had a buddy who liked old Les Pauls. He couldn't afford them and convinced himself the Melody Makers were of the same quality, made in the same factory with the same woods, by the same workers, etc., and he set out to buy every Melody Maker he ran across. He would often speculate "how long" before the Melody Makers would start to command Les Paul prices? I told him they never would, they are Melody Makers, not Les Pauls..................

FWIW, I think the Gimble signed Strad is really cool. I don't think it makes it worth much more, but I don't have much faith in autographs. You probably have the right idea, a Texas museum or Hard Rock might be your best bet to cash out, but I agree my experience is that they are cheap, as a rule.

[allenhopkins]

Bargain if it sold for $260 including shipping. Gimble signature is just a little "extra," part of the provenance. And it's cool when cheap mandolins (nothing against Strad-O-Lins, I play mine all the time) can have provenance, just like the Gibsons et. al.

[darrylicshon]

I have had many guitars signed, but to me I enjoy them being signed by artists I like , I needed money years ago and had this $100 Dean guitar that I had gotten signed by Rick Nielsen and Robin Zander from cheap trick, since I work in the music business I sometimes get a chance to get some signed. I put it on eBay for $1500 or best offer didn't think it would sell, after a few months I got an offer of $1100 this lady wanted to buy it for a birthday gift for her boyfriend, so I sold it , but most of the time if I am selling a guitar that I had signed I just wipe off the signature cause usually it is signed to me which is a lot harder to sell unless there is another Darryl wanting the same instrument and signature. So the point is if you wait long enough you might get more for it being signed, but it probably will take a long time

[Spruce]

To me, the WHOLE point about the Strad-O-Lin thing is that they are really good FOR THE MONEY.

I dunno...
I've had 2-3 Strad-O-Lins in the past 20 years that were as good as any Gibson A out there...(well, maybe a few snakes excluded, but you get the point)...

I would have easily been happy with any of them as my #1 mando, and I didn't pay over 200 bucks for any of 'em...

[MikeEdgerton]

P.S. Here's me getting off the path, again, I know you will never sell your Strad Artist, but if somebody walked up to you with $100 bills, what would it take for you to think, 'hey, for that price I can get this other mandolin I have always wanted' & please don't mention Loar's name, be realistic.
P.P.S. PM me if you think this is the wrong forum for this.

I paid $50.00 for it. I'm pretty sure it will still be on the rack in the case when I shuffle off this veil of tears. I honestly don't have a price I'd take for it, then again, I have enough money to live on for the rest of my life as long as I die by about 6:00 AM tomorrow.

[your_diamond]

I honestly don't have a price I'd take for it, then again, I have enough money to live on for the rest of my life as long as I die by about 6:00 AM tomorrow.

hypothetical scenario... If that Artist model Strad was your only mandolin & you didn't own an F-5 (my guess is you have at least one)... Would you trade it for the 1973 Gibson F-5 Mandolin on ebay (it's priced at $2,750)?

Financially, it sounds like a great deal, but I have played some pretty bad Norlin Era F-5's & my guess is the one on ebay might not be one of the better ones. Still, I'd take the trade... but the F-5 would be back on ebay & I would be missing that Strad for the rest of my life.

...and Mike (it's after 6AM) I hope you're still with us & financially sound!

[MikeEdgerton]

If I was anyone else I'd probably make that trade. Still here, thanks for asking.

[Don Stiernberg]

Johnny Gimble was one of the greatest musicians in the history of American music, one of the greatest to pick up a mandolin. His mandolin style is entirely unique. His phenomenal sense of swing made you feel better with every solo. His signature is priceless.

Any chance he once owned or played this instrument?

If it plays ok(straight neck, et al)it could be, along with the DeArmond, a good candidate for stringing up C-G-D-A single string for pursuit of the Gimble electric mandolin sound.

Ask Paul Glasse, Asleep at the Wheel, Hot Club of Cowtown, Ray Benson, Jason Roberts, Willie Nelson, Merle Haggard, George Strait,Garrison Keillor, Peter Ostroushko, Chet Atkins...Gimble was a national treasure. PRICELESS.

[MikeEdgerton]

I wouldn't think he would have signed a mandolin he owned but who knows. That looks like something a fan would have brought to him and asked him to sign.

[Don Stiernberg]

Good point

allthough he did carry his EM 150 with pickup hand wound by Leo Fender...in a tennis racket bag!

[MikeEdgerton]

He may not have been able to get a real case for that thing

People are still using tennis racket covers for case covers and gig bags.

[your_diamond]

Any chance he (Johnny Gimble) once owned or played this instrument?

I bought this from the wife of a deceased Austin, Texas musician. His last name was Welch (see pic). I don't know his first name but I will find out. His wife is so sweet, she found a poster of Gimble & is mailing that to me (no charge, who does that). This was Mr. Welch's daily player & he got Johnny Gimble to sign this. No Idea if Gimbe played this but I will ask. I'll let you know what she says.