Well at least the guy's honest about it...

[Paul Merlo]

http://annarbor.craigslist.org/msg/2588062805.html

F5 Gibson Mandolin Clone - $850 he says...

[JLeather]

I feel like maybe he should figure out a way to mark it "Copy" or "Clone" on the Gibson label. On another note, I'm pretty surprised they went to the trouble to stamp the number in the headstock and all. I'd love to see pics, what if it is a real Gibson?

[barney 59]

It would be nice if there were photos. Maybe it's a hand built clone and possibly a nice mandolin in it's own right or maybe it is a Gibson after all. I am so used to listings where people profess to have figured it all out and are in fact way off the mark. With photos this thing would be dissected by people on MC who would probably nail it. What if it's a Sargent or something?

[Mandolin Mick]

I don't think it's wrong if he is completely upfront about it. The crime is in selling a counterfeit.

[allenhopkins]

Lotsa Gibson copies out there; banjos are even worse, since you get all these "mongrels" with part-Gibson, part-non-Gibson components. I think the seller's being refreshingly honest: he's got a good-quality Japanese mandolin that's been altered to look like a Gibson. Rare that someone would go to all the trouble of phonying up the label -- usually the "forger" would re-do the headstock and fingerboard, but not scare up a '70's label.

Someone will get a decent instrument, and an excellent conversation piece, for that price.

[Mandolin Mick]

Why would people go through that trouble?

In my pre-Bluegrasser days I was a Beatles Head and had the same situations with Hofner basses. Whenever people saw my 1961 Hofner they'd ask, "Is that a real Hofner?" The reason being ... all the fake Hofners on the market.

I can spot a fake Hofner in 2 seconds flat, even the copies with real Hofner gear installed to fool people. I can even tell by the weight and the feel of the instrument ... blindfolded ... really!!!

People would rather spend $300 on a Hofner copy and then spend $200 on Hofner parts and paint and do the whole thing for $500 instead of spending $3500 on the real deal.

My workhorse mandolin is my Rattlesnake which was made from blueprints that were made from a Gibson F-5 Loar (#75941). But I wouldn't try to alter it to fool anybody. It's got a great sound and feel and stands on it's own merits.