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Thread: Levon Helm’s Gibson F-4 what year is it ?

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    Registered User GreenMTBoy's Avatar
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    Default Levon Helm’s Gibson F-4 what year is it ?

    Does anyone know?
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    Default Re: Levon Helm’s Gibson F-4 what year is it ?

    I love these sleuthing exercises!

    Based on the headstock binding, the trussrod cover and the dark tuner buttons an educated guess would be 1923-24. Assuming the tuners weren’t changed I don’t believe the dark buttons were used after this period.

    Mark
    Mark Lynch

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    Registered User Glassweb's Avatar
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    Default Re: Levon Helm’s Gibson F-4 what year is it ?

    Quote Originally Posted by MarkELynch View Post
    I love these sleuthing exercises!

    Based on the headstock binding, the trussrod cover and the dark tuner buttons an educated guess would be 1923-24. Assuming the tuners weren’t changed I don’t believe the dark buttons were used after this period.

    Mark
    sounds right to me...

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    Registered User Hendrik Ahrend's Avatar
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    Default Re: Levon Helm’s Gibson F-4 what year is it ?

    Yep, what Mark said.

    All the best for 2022 y'all!

    Hendrik

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    Mandolingerer Bazz Jass's Avatar
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    Default Re: Levon Helm’s Gibson F-4 what year is it ?

    Also, this has cog under worm tuners. They changed to cog over worm in 24 sometime, so 24 at the latest.


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    Default Re: Levon Helm’s Gibson F-4 what year is it ?


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    Default Re: Levon Helm’s Gibson F-4 what year is it ?

    Thanks for posting the You Tube video of Levon Helm. What a fine musician and human being! Always to be remembered.

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    Professional Dreamer journeybear's Avatar
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    Default Re: Levon Helm’s Gibson F-4 what year is it ?

    I've seen that clip before. It shows Levon at his most charming, all shy and self-effacing. He really undersells the story about his truck fire, which is too bad - must have been a harrowing experience. Also, it's bewildering that Dave never mentions or even acknowledges the existence of the mandolin, right in front of his nose for eight minutes of screen time, likely twice as much in real time. Baffling. Doesn't do us much good here, as far as answering the question goes. Just a simple, "Whatcha got there?" would have been nice.
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    Registered User f5loar's Avatar
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    Default Re: Levon Helm’s Gibson F-4 what year is it ?

    The photo is from the RRHF. Levon donated it to them and then they ruin the display by showing him playing another mandolin (his EM200 electric Gibson). Seriously, these professional museum curators couldn't find an old photo of Levon with his mid 20's Loar era F4? Without the serial no. it would hard to narrow it down from that photo other than Loar era F4. Tuners may not be original!

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    Mandolingerer Bazz Jass's Avatar
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    Default Re: Levon Helm’s Gibson F-4 what year is it ?

    Quote Originally Posted by f5loar View Post
    Tuners may not be original!
    True, but the original tuners would have been worm under cog - the headstock is drilled for such.

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    By the end of 24 they were using worm over cog tuners like this, and the post holes were drilled lower down the peghead:


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    Registered User Hendrik Ahrend's Avatar
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    Default Re: Levon Helm’s Gibson F-4 what year is it ?

    Quote Originally Posted by f5loar View Post
    Tuners may not be original!
    Why do you think so, Tom? Such coffee brown knobs are on my 1923 F4 (# 76599) and seem to appear on several late '23 F4s.

    Greetings,
    Hendrik

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