Just Curious

[Uncle Levi]

Just wondering......What constitutes vintage? I have a 1977 Ibanez 524 F-style that looks brand new. I don't really care if it's vintage, just wondering if it will ever be so.

[lenf12]

From the Miriam Webster online dictionary, definition 3:

"3a : a period of origin or manufacture <a piano of 1845 vintage>"

So a 1977 Ibanez 524 mandolin is a vintage mandolin. The term "vintage" is only very loosely related to the term "value". I once owned a 1976 "vintage" Ibanez model 524 mandolin. It was very nice for what it is but I paid $900 for it and sold it for the same, about its true "value".

Len B.
Clearwater, FL

[Uncle Levi]

Thanks for the reply, Len. I paid $400 for this 524. Guess I'll keep it.

[Michael Bridges]

Just keep in mind that "vintage" is strictly a function of time. Doesn't always translate to "collectable". That is determined by general opinion on the "urge to own". The market dictates. You may have an excellent vintage mando that plays well, and sounds great. unless it's a name that people have determined they have to have, that's what it's gonna stay. (absolutely nuthin' wrong with that!)

[allenhopkins]

I'd differ slightly. As used in instrument descriptions, "vintage" ≠ "old." There's an additional implication of "valuable." A 1950's Harmony mandolin could be described as "vintage" in terms of its age, but you don't see it consistently described that way, as you would, say, a '50's Gibson A-50.

So I'd have a bit of reticence, in applying "vintage" to a 35-year-old Asian mandolin. Not that it doesn't qualify in terms of age, and of course it's worth several hundred dollars, but IMHO it's not clearly on that side of the line between "used" and "vintage."

No insult intended, of course...

[f5loar]

If I recall from my vintage car show entries your car had to be 25 years or older to qualify as "vintage" for the prizes! I would think the same could apply to instruments.

[barney 59]

We are confusing "vintage" with "antique. "Vintage" is a very abused term. Used in the wine industry, which is where the term comes from, it describes the year of harvest. So 2012 is a "vintage". So then everything is "vintage" strictly speaking. Someone figured out that vintage also implies (in peoples minds at least) quality and "old". But doesn't really on either count. You can't call somethings "antique" because the thing might be older but not that old. Machinery such as a car gets a special pass of only 25 years to use the term "antique" but most things aren't considered antique until they are at least 50 yrs old. The term "Vintage" is a marketing term that's all--- to give the value of things a little bump. Sounds so much better than "used"! Something shouldn't be just "vintage" it should be "1977 vintage" or "1925 vintage" to use the term correctly. Since ebay is the end all and deciding factor in all things they define the term "vintage" to describe anything made before 1980. They have been using that for at least 10 years and it hasn't changed --so go figure.

[Capt. E]

Ebay, the great source of all wisdom, says vintage is 1980 and prior.

[Ray(T)]

The term "Vintage" has come to mean different things to different people and is applied differently in the mandolin world to, say, the world of wine or cars. f5loar gives the definition from the American car world but, in the UK, the definition is completely different where a vintage car is, if I remember correctly, one made before 1927.

For a true definition I would suggest we look at wine (according to Barney59). The word "Vintage" clearly has its origins in the French for wine - "Vin" with the suffix "age" and that is where its true definition lies. If we wrongly apply the term to mandolins, that's our problem!

The UK old car world has come up with a solution; although I can't be sure of the exact dates (that would involve me asking a banjo player who is also into old cars) but they start with "Veteran", move on to "Vintage" and finish with "Post Vintage Thoroughbred". Then I suppose you have "Classic" but I don't think we need to go there.

[Jim]

Vintage, to have any meaning at all needs a date attached. Otherwise it is just another bit of advertizing jargon.