Is this a Normal curl? for a F5 Gibson? 1993 era.

[slimt]

Ive been on the hunt for another F5 , came accross this , but it does not look right.. what are your Thoughts.. to me it looks either broken off, and repaired , or a new neck made by some one..

Thanks..

[Don Grieser]

Looks wrong to me.

[G. Fisher]

Do they have any pictures of the label or if the rest of the mandolin?

[Timbofood]

Something is “off” to be sure!
Bad repair? Maybe.
Bogus? Possible.

[Hendrik Ahrend]

Slimt, that head stock (overall shape, binding, inlays) looks just like a '93 Montana Gibson, except for the scroll towards the mitre. On yours pics I can see no crack in the lacquer front or back. The head stock shape seems okay, if it weren't for the scroll binding. The back picture does show a little notch at the top edge right where the scroll usually cracks. A close-up picture of the end grain might reveal a repair.
Other than that, this may be a unique Monday morning scroll binding.

[slimt]

Thanks Guys.. No picture of the label... Phil Brug would of been the label signer..

Ill pass on this one.. that headstock Scroll ruins it for me.. it looks not well thought out on a fairly big money mandolin..

[Todd Bowman]

Comparing "The Gibson" to others, It looks crooked, too big, and the hooks and curls aren't quite right. The fern looks "fat" too.

[dscullin]

On closer inspection, there does appear to be a slight dent or indentation at the typical spot where scrolls tend to break off when dropped. It may have been a poor repair that set this scroll apart from the usual Gibson peghead...

[slimt]

On closer inspection, there does appear to be a slight dent or indentation at the typical spot where scrolls tend to break off when dropped. It may have been a poor repair that set this scroll apart from the usual Gibson peghead...

Ya.. Im Not to sure.. it just seemed kind of hokey .. I can buy alot of poorly carved scrolled mandolins that look like that , but not what Im after either way.. .. I just didnt think Gibson would let something like this slip through the cracks if it was there doings..

[JFDilmando]

NOT a Gibson peghead scroll... that is all one can say

[Hendrik Ahrend]

I checked other pics of the offering. I have no doubt it is an original Gibson '93 F5. Here are two other Montana F5 pics for comparison:
1995
1988

Here the OP's '93 again:


It's still possible that everything is original, as claimed in the offering - albeit not very nicely executed in the case of the scroll.

[multidon]

I disagree. Henry’s pictures of known examples only increases my doubts. And it’s not just the shape of the scroll. Notice in the known examples how clean and precise the binding looks in that area. Now compare that to the binding job on the OP’s example. The black and white layers look poorly laminated, with the black bleeding into the white. Also, there is a lot of variability in the thickness of the binding. Reminds me of binding I’ve seen in poor quality Pac Rim instruments. That said, the inlays look good and right. I’m wondering if it’s a botched up repair of some kind?

[Hendrik Ahrend]

You may be right, Don. It's obvious that the scroll isn't right. But it remains a head scratcher, as both sides of the head stock surfaces are in such good condition (either factory mint or very well repaired), whereas the binding appears to be a "botched up repair", as you suggest.

[jimmy powells]

You may be right, Don. It's obvious that the scroll isn't right. But it remains a head scratcher, as both sides of the head stock surfaces are in such good condition (either factory mint or very well repaired), whereas the binding appears to be a "botched up repair", as you suggest.

Looks like a Chinese made Savannah scroll and lets it down for sure. If there really are Gibson F5 copies out there then this could well be one.

[colorado_al]

Looks like a poor repair job to me.
You could just snap the scroll off at the repair point and leave it that way to add some Monroe authenticity.

[Jeff Mando]

You could just snap the scroll off at the repair point and leave it that way to add some Monroe authenticity.

Good point! Then nobody would question that it is a real Gibson........

[J.Albert]

Original Gibson or not (and I think not), I'd let that one "pass by" ...

[mandroid]

But how does it sound? or is looks your prime concern ?

[MikeEdgerton]

Seeing the rest of the instrument might be enlightening as well.

[slimt]

Seeing the rest of the instrument might be enlightening as well.

okee dokee..

[HoGo]

okee dokee..

That looks like real Gibson. So, likely, the headstock scroll got broken and lost in the past and someone fixed it with no best result in the shape of scroll.

[Timbofood]

Maybe that happened when the replacement FB was done (no frets in Florida)

[MikeEdgerton]

I think it was just a less than optimal repair. I agree with Adrian, it looks like a Gibson.