Results 1 to 15 of 15

Thread: Old Gibson A mandolin copy?

  1. #1
    Registered User Mement0o's Avatar
    Join Date
    Aug 2017
    Location
    Paris, France
    Posts
    50

    Default Old Gibson A mandolin copy?

    Hi everyone!

    https://www.gumtree.com/p/mandolins/mandolin/1350243805

    Click image for larger version. 

Name:	mando.png 
Views:	205 
Size:	401.2 KB 
ID:	179902

    No label. The owner says it's about 50 years old.

    Looks like a Gibson A mandolin copy to me.

    What do you think? For £30.00 ($37.22) is it worth taking a chance?

    Guilhem

  2. #2
    Registered User John Rosett's Avatar
    Join Date
    Mar 2003
    Location
    Missoula, MT
    Posts
    2,092

    Default Re: Old Gibson A mandolin copy?

    It looks like a Japanese-built mandolin from the early 70's to me. If it's playable, it seems like a good deal.
    "it's not in bad taste, if it's funny" - john waters

  3. #3
    ===========
    Join Date
    Feb 2017
    Location
    Connecticut
    Posts
    1,628

    Default Re: Old Gibson A mandolin copy?

    Quote Originally Posted by John Rosett View Post
    It looks like a Japanese-built mandolin from the early 70's to me. If it's playable, it seems like a good deal.
    Oh good grief - the early 70's were nearly 50 years ago. Damn, I'm getting old!

    Anyhow, Japanese copy from 50 years ago might not have a truss rod (hard to tell in the picture) - so, I would be very worried about neck warp and high action.

  4. #4
    Barn Cat Mandolins Bob Clark's Avatar
    Join Date
    Mar 2011
    Location
    Beautiful Salem County, NJ
    Posts
    2,004

    Default Re: Old Gibson A mandolin copy?

    Quote Originally Posted by MikeZito View Post
    Oh good grief - the early 70's were nearly 50 years ago. Damn, I'm getting old!
    Gee, Mike, did you really have to point that out? Now I am really feeling old. I still think of the 70's as just yesterday!

    We may be getting older, but it sure beats the alternative (or so I tell myself).
    Purr more, hiss less. Barn Cat Mandolins Photo Album

  5. #5

    Default Re: Old Gibson A mandolin copy?

    Looks like Terada or similar 1970s made in Japan. New strings takes it to £37 plus postage no doubt so £45. Buying unseen could be a waste of £45 but may well be fine and no great risk.

    These mandolins were very acceptable. may just need a little TLC.

  6. #6
    ===========
    Join Date
    Feb 2017
    Location
    Connecticut
    Posts
    1,628

    Default Re: Old Gibson A mandolin copy?

    Quote Originally Posted by Bob Clark View Post
    Gee, Mike, did you really have to point that out? Now I am really feeling old. I still think of the 70's as just yesterday!
    Sorry about the rude awakening - but my kids seem to like to point out my lack of youth at every possible opportunity.

    The other day my son spent well upwards of $200 for a concert ticket to see 3 of his favorite bands at a baseball stadium. I told him that back in the 70's I went to see 3 big name bands at a football stadium, and paid $22.50. He just looked at me and said; 'That's because you're old.'

  7. The Following 2 Users Say Thank You to MikeZito For This Useful Post:


  8. #7
    Registered User
    Join Date
    Mar 2019
    Location
    Ohio
    Posts
    51

    Default Re: Old Gibson A mandolin copy?

    I got curious and ran that ticket price through two different inflation calculators. $22.50 spent in 1975 (just to pick a year) is equal in value to $108-110 US dollars today

  9. #8
    Registered User
    Join Date
    Jan 2009
    Location
    S.W. Wisconsin
    Posts
    7,507

    Default Re: Old Gibson A mandolin copy?

    In 1971 I saw several great bands at the Crater fest for free. I had just gotten out of the service. Much bigger than a stadium, 5 stages going at once. How does that relate to $200 today, doesn't really, just couldn't resist.
    THE WORLD IS A BETTER PLACE JUST FOR YOUR SMILE!

  10. #9

    Default Re: Old Gibson A mandolin copy?

    In 1972 I paid 4 dollars at the university fieldhouse to see Commander Cody followed by Earl Scruggs Revue followed by the Byrds with Clarence White playing lead and an acoustic set in the middle. It was the best 4 dollars I have spent in my life.

    Don't know what it figures out to today. A huge bargain even then.

  11. The Following 2 Users Say Thank You to CarlM For This Useful Post:


  12. #10

    Default Re: Old Gibson A mandolin copy?

    You can go to Hardly Strictly Bluegrass and see 80 bands for free 1st weekend in October. Yah I remember 5 cent candy bars and 15 cent hamburgers, 27 cent gasoline. A little while back with my son at the pool, he sees me in my bathing suit and says " Did you pick those up in the 80's?" To which I replied , "Well yah, they're my new swimmers!"

  13. The following members say thank you to barney 59 for this post:


  14. #11

    Default Re: Old Gibson A mandolin copy?

    Barney, when I started driving gas was 26 cents -- but wait, it gets better......two gas stations were across the street from each other and had "gas wars" so the price kept going DOWN to get each others business -- it ended up being 19 cents a gallon for a brief time...

    Even in the early 70's McDonalds "regular" hamburgers were indeed 15 cents.............if you can call them a hamburger -- certainly nothing like Mother made....

    Tickets prices remind me of how Tom Petty (rip) tried to put a ceiling of $20 on his concert tickets when the trend was approaching double that.....

    There was also a brief punk rock movement in the 90's where all ticket prices were to be no more than $5 led by the band Fugazi....

  15. #12

    Default Re: Old Gibson A mandolin copy?

    I should add that even when gas was 26 cents a gallon, certain people hated paying that MUCH for it. My uncle drove an early 60's VW beetle that he bought new, other "college professor types" championed other tiny imports in quest of better gas mileage -- long before the fashion demanded it!

    One of my first used cars was a 20-year old Cadillac and people would ask "what does it get about 8 miles to the gallon?" I would answer, well it probably did when it was new, but with 200,000 miles on it, I doubt if it gets half that......it didn't matter to me, it was cool and fun to drive and I only put $5 at a time in it anyway....

  16. #13
    ===========
    Join Date
    Feb 2017
    Location
    Connecticut
    Posts
    1,628

    Default Re: Old Gibson A mandolin copy?

    In 1978 one of my friends bought a used 1968 Mustang . . . for $125.

    At about the same time I got my first job at a gas station where the off-brand cigarettes were 69-cents per pack - but two, get one free. THREE packs of smokes for $1.38. (The brand name cigarettes were 79-cents per pack - no multi-pack discount.) If I remember correctly, I made $2.38 an hour.

    Tickets to my first major league baseball game (1971) were $3.00. Right around then I remember my dad having an absolute fit because the price of gas went up to 29-cents.

    etc., etc. . . .

  17. #14
    Registered User j. condino's Avatar
    Join Date
    Nov 2005
    Location
    Asheville, NC
    Posts
    2,758

    Default Re: Old Gibson A mandolin copy?

    "You kids get off my lawn..."
    www.condino.com

    Crafted by hand in a workshop powered by the sun.

  18. #15
    Mando accumulator allenhopkins's Avatar
    Join Date
    Mar 2006
    Location
    Rochester NY 14610
    Posts
    17,378

    Default Re: Old Gibson A mandolin copy?

    Quote Originally Posted by CarlM View Post
    In 1972 I paid 4 dollars at the university fieldhouse to see Commander Cody followed by Earl Scruggs Revue followed by the Byrds with Clarence White playing lead and an acoustic set in the middle. It was the best 4 dollars I have spent in my life. Don't know what it figures out to today. A huge bargain even then.
    When I was in Cambridge MA 1961-65, I was a "member" of Club 47 (due to some strange quirk in MA law, you bought a membership card the first time you went there, and after that got in for the standard fee, which was one dollar). Went to see Mike Seeger perform there one night, when Joan Baez was playing a concert in Boston. During the second set she showed up at Club 47, went on stage with Mike, and they were also joined by Buffy Sainte-Marie, Eric Anderson, and the Charles River Valley Boys. Tom Rush was there, but said he was too wasted to go on stage. There were rumors Bob Dylan was there too, but I didn't see him; he and Joan were an "item" at the time.

    So, got my $1 worth, I guess.
    Allen Hopkins
    Gibsn: '54 F5 3pt F2 A-N Custm K1 m'cello
    Natl Triolian Dobro mando
    Victoria b-back Merrill alumnm b-back
    H-O mandolinetto
    Stradolin Vega banjolin
    Sobell'dola Washburn b-back'dola
    Eastmn: 615'dola 805 m'cello
    Flatiron 3K OM

  19. The following members say thank you to allenhopkins for this post:


Bookmarks

Bookmarks

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •