Roland White's Randy Wood #2 on eBay

[wellvis@well.com]

I'm just forwarding this message as it came to me.

From: Roland White <rolandw@JUNO.COM>
Date: October 12, 2005 9:54:37 AM PDT
To: BGRASS-L@LSV.UKY.EDU
Subject: Roland White's Randy Wood #2 on E-Bay


Greetings, I am going to be posting my Randy Wood #2 mandolin on Ebay for auction soon. I wanted to give you all a heads up and to make sure that nobody thinks I'm dead or retired because I'm selling it!!# I'm not retiring and I'm in great health, and I haven't lost my mind either!

I've decided to part with this beloved mandolin simply because Gibson has made me a custom master model that I just love and I have found that I am only playing it and not the Randy Wood anymore, though I still think it's a great mandolin.# The new Gibson, I specified to have a slightly narrower neck, but with some other features from the Randy Wood,# and it came out just great and I can't keep my hands off it.# Gibson says they're going to make this a Roland White signature model next year, and I hope they do.# Meanwhile, I guess the end of an era has come for me with the arrival of the new Gibson, and I just feel like I'll be better off with the money in the bank than keeping the Randy Wood for nostalgia's sake. I just wanted to put out this explanation in advance of the auction so nobody would think I'd retired or died.# When I left the NBB to start my own band the rumors started that I'd retired and it was not helpful.# In fact I still run into people who say "I heard you'd retired."# I AM NOT RETIRING!!!! P.S.# I want to thank Randy Wood for the many years of solid service and enjoyment# from his #2 Gibson copy.# I still have another lovely Randy Wood mandolin that# I really enjoy, and Randy is still making fine instruments!

Best to everyone, Roland

visit my site: http://www.rolandwhite.com the doors are always open!

[Jonathan James]

I'll be curious to see what this baby goes for! The few times I've heard Roland playing it, it sounded amazing (not sure how much of that is attributable to Roland OR the mando)....

[AlanN]

I've picked on it, the thing has mojo, for sure.

[Doug Edwards]

I think Roland White, as well as many of the great players, can make most anything sound amazing.

[mandoryan]

Is there an ad for it yet? I'm curious to see what it fetches also.

[Kevin K]

The mandolin does have some mojo for sure. Will always remember the sound.

[sunburst]

That's a piece of bluegrass history for sale! Kentucky Colonels, Alan Mundy, NBB, and everything in between!
I'll be waiting to see how much that brings. (If I were a collector I'd be bidding.)

I've looked that mandolin over, and, honestly, it's not a great instrument. Randy Wood was still learning his craft in those days, and there are some structural issues. A lot of work has gone into keeping it up and running, and it's hanging in there. The sound and the mojo are there for sure, though.

I can understand why Roland would sell it. He's a working musician, not rich, needs a tool to perform with, and he has a mandolin with, what, 40 or 50 years of bluegrass history and mojo in it. Like he said; "I just feel like I'll be better off with the money in the bank than keeping the Randy Wood for nostalgia's sake."

[Kevin K]

I believe it was at Cotten Music for awhile. A piece of history for sure.

[jim simpson]

I've had the pleasure of playing it a couple of times over a span of 10 years. The last time (2 yrs. ago) impressed me as much as the first time. It certainly has taken a beating but the sound, wow!
Roland is such a great guy; I hope he does well with the sale.

[f5loar]

Does anybody remember the price asked when it was at Cotton Music? I'm surprised Red Henry is not jumping on this one before it goes to ebay. How cool to have Randy Wood No.1, No.2 and No.3!

[Tom C]

His mando looks really worn in but at one work shop he told a story of when he got it. Randy still had finishing work to do on it. What ever finsish that was on there at the time did not yet cure. Roland did not want to give back the mando and kept it as is.

[futrconslr]

[QUOTE]I believe it was at Cotten Music for awhile.

I believe you are thinking of a Sumi that was his that Kim had for awhile. It has been gone long ago. I dont think his Randy Wood was for sale there. I played that Sumi. It was a good sounding mandolin

[Kevin K]

Your correct, sorry 'bout that, it was the Sumi that was at Cotten not the Randy Wood.

[Christopher Howard-Williams]

Having been in a workshop with Roland just this last weekend, I got to try his Gibson. It has a lovely sound and plays real nice. Indeed, the neck was narrower than my own (Gibson A5L) and slightly V-shaped. No sing of the Randy Wood though, but we got plenty of Bluegrass history over the two days. What a great guy Roland is!!

[Dan Adams]

That Randy Wood is a cannon! Nice action, great tone and volume. I've heard it, touched, and played a few notes. Sheepishly I might add. A Roland White signature. Uhm? Dan

[f5loar]

Several things that will keep this mandolin from selling on ebay. First: No feedback yet a member since 2001.
Second: Private ID auction usually spells out scammers.
Now we know Roland would never scam and is as honest as they come but real scammers use that private ID to keep others from getting involved after the scam went down.To the average bidder Roland is just another seller and Third: While having a reserve is no big deal(Roland I am sure has his price)starting out at $35,000 is going to pretty much kill any serious offers for reasons stated above. A person with that kind of cash and wanting this type mandolin is going to contact Roland direct thereby avoiding the heafty ebay fees for such a high end auction.
While it would not be expected that Roland's Wood No. 2 F5 would not bring the amount of Monroe's No. 3 Wood, it sure deserves to be in 2nd place amoung those most famous mandolins of all time.

[Scotti Adams]

I concur Tom....and Im thinking even tho it has mojo if the price is too steep......I guess it depends on wether you want to pay 36+G's for a little slice of "history"...or as some has mentioned, a mando with structual issues.

[wellvis@well.com]

<a href="http://cgi.ebay.com/Roland-Whites-Randy-Wood-2-F-5-mandolin-built-1968_W0QQitemZ7356112906QQcategoryZ10179QQss
PageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem" target="_blank">Here's the eBay auction</a> for those who are interested.

[AlanN]

Kind of reminds me of a well-known picker telling me someone offered him 40k for his Hutto, and he turned it down. I told him "You a dang fool!"

[sunburst]

A friend of mine used to be a vintage instrument dealer many years ago.
Every dealer or trader has run into the people who have a misguided notion of what their instrument is worth, and heard the stories about how "Gibson keeps trying to buy it from me to use as a prototype, but I won't sell it to 'em!", or, "John Doe from Matrin/Gibson/whoever said it's the best one he's ever heard and wants to buy it, but...".

Well, anyway, when someone would say "So-and-so offered me $XXX000 for it, but I wouldn't take it!", my friend would look him right in the face and say; "That's a case of two fools meeting, and parting none the wiser.".

I think this one comes down to whether someone wants to buy a piece of history. You can certainly get a lot of mandolin(s) for $35,000+, but where else can you get this mandolin?

[kudzugypsy]

well, i hope he gets a good price for it. its tough being a professional bg mandolin player these days.

i would have put in there that clarence played it - that would get the japanese investors in the bidding.

[Links]

About once a year I will spend a little time watching the antique/classic auto auction in Speed Channel. Last year Don Johnson's (the actor) "fake" hemi 'Cuda convertible brought something like $125K - probably worth half that if it wasn't his. My only question was, what happens to the value in twenty years when the next generation has no idea who Don Johnson is/was?

We all know who Roland is, and for his sake I hope he gets a fortune, but I question the long-term value of that mandolin. For someone that money is not an issue, maybe it would be a bargin!

[Tatoosh]

So, f5loar, are you hypothesizing that Roland is hoping that his mando doesn't sell and/or his reserve is way above what anyone is likely to bid? Perhaps his auction is just to get high roller attention.

Links, there is much wisdom in what you said. A few years ago I mentioned the Beatles in a conversation with some kids. They said, "Who are the Beatles?" To them "vintage" is Korn when Brian Head Welch was with the group.

[Links]

Tatoosh - you are right. How much are the Beatles original album covers going to be worth when there is no one left who know who they were?

[sunburst]

Around here, anything that Thomas Jefferson touched is worth a lot, and I don't know anyone who remembers him.

The history of rock-n-roll will always include the Beetles, and the history of bluegrass will always include Roland White.