Another fake vintage Gibson F5

[mrmando]

Here's someone on the Pittsburgh Craig's List with a bad copy of a fern F5, claiming it's from 1935 and asking $30K. Not the infamous fake Loar we've been discussing, but another instrument entirely.

http://pittsburgh.craigslist.org/msg/4089522906.html

[mrmando]

[Jim Garber]

I love the way the Gibson is inlaid on the headstock.

This is an authentic 1935 Gibson f5 model mandolin its in great condition with minimal wear plays and sounds great you must see it in person serious inquiries only..maybe trade for a pre war d18 or 28 cf Martin guitar.

Ignorance with confidence!!

[William Smith]

Yeh that's a fake and it could be yours for 30G what a deal, I love the elongated headstock.

[Andrew B. Carlson]

Looks like a fine instrument. Just a fine fake. The scroll is a bit unsightly though.

[Mark Marino]

I'm a nobody and my work comes out better than that. Makes me feel good at minimum. Maybe I should sign mine "Floyd Loar" and claim it's his long lost brother?

[mrmando]

Seller gave me a serial number: 92800, which is an early '36 ship date according to Spann. I've asked for a FON and more photos. Curious to see how far the seller wants to go with this jive.

[f5loar]

I heard talk about this one while at IBMA. At first glance I see maybe a conversion from a 70's Gibson F5 and then looked a little closer and now can say "nope it's worse than that". Pretty bad attempt that would not even fool the late,great Doc Watson. Keep us posted on how this one plays out. oh and PS: The reason I am not calling this guy to discuss his frame of mind vs. actual reality is my father said best not to talk with crazy people. He says it's a 1935 authentic Gibson F5 and his price is not outrageous for a mid to late 30's F5 so not much I can add to his insanity other than recommend certified therapists in his area.

[fishtownmike]

Craigslist is becoming a scary website anymore. It's heaven for the criminal element. With so many crimes related to this site I'm afraid to answer an ad from this site anymore. There have been a few murders related to someone advertising a vehicle in my area and then robbing and shooting the person when they showed up with the money....Mike

[mrmando]

Yeah, the dude wants me to call him, but I don't particularly want to.

[f5loar]

Call him from a pay phone (if you can still find one!)

[rippeymandos]

I actually spoke to guy knowing it was a fake. I was kind of hoping it would have been, and would have been built by a builder I am particularly fond of........who had built others out their with the Gibson headstock. The scroll and back look very similar to one that I have. The Headstock was rough enough that I wasn't too sure it could be one of his, unless his earlier work was much rougher. I spoke to the seller who had the story of....
His dad's best friend, an old guy in his 80's, bought that one 20 or 30 years ago. Resold it, and just recently bought it back. He is selling it for the said older fella. I spoke to him when he was standing over it at the old fellas house. It does have a lable that in my amateur opinion is not correct. He did give the same serial number. But I asked him to put a mirror up under it and see if could find a signature. He said he looked and took it to a "local" music shop, can't remember the name, and they told him it was a 30's Gibson F-5 based on that number. I didn't care so much about this, I just wanted to know if there was a signature up under. So, I emailed him the link to this thread. He seemed computer savvy actually, so I am sure he is aware of this discussion.
I also repeatdly explained, that if it is a fake, and signed by a reputable builder that it still has significant value. Again, hoping he'd find a signature. He texted me some other instruments that were built by a guy in Johnstown.....really interesting take on a mandolin and an F5 style mandolin that actually looked pretty nice. I compared this guys F5 with the said fake, don't think they were built by the same guy. That big chunky scroll does look familer though!

[f5loar]

It's getting confusing after the above correspondence with owner. Does he still say it is a 1935 Gibson F5 or does he know for sure it is a copy? And what is the name of that "local" music shop? They need to get real too! I can believe it's a 20 to 30 year old copy. So a 50ish year old man buys a Gibson F5 thinking it's a real one and some 30 years later he is ready to pawn it off to another unsuspecting "fool". Sorry, won't happen here but you might find those out there seeking bargins on prewar Gibson F5s that don't have computers or access to the internet.

[rippeymandos]

Sorry f5loar,
Yes, he still thought it was a real 35 F5. I told him of this thread, even texted and emailed him the thread. I explained there are many experts on the subject of vintage Gibson mandolins(such as yourself) who frequent this forum and can "smell a lie like a fart in a car"(HHH from the movie Pump up the Volume)........
He did say the name of the store, but I assumed they simply researched the serial number, that is on a strange looking Gibson label, rather than question the authenticity of the said item.
But yes, the story definately added up to it being at least a 20-30 year old mandolin, that the first owner quite possibly could have purchased thinking it was genuine 20-30 years ago, sold, and thinking it was still real re-acquired. The young lad selling it did disclose what the old fella bought it back for, I think he got a little nervous and let that slip. I don't think the young lad and old fella believe that it is real, or was real.....I don't know if they visited this forum to know any differently. He did seem internet savvy and probably did visit the thread. Regardless, I know very little about anything built after the 70's so it only interested me if it was a >>>>>
Sorry for any confusion.
Seth
That scroll, backwood, and the way the seem is down the middle had my hopes up that it could be something I would want.

[pefjr]

Hmmm..... even I can see that one is not a Gibson. The back is too pretty. Logically, wouldn't a person that is gonna clunk down 30,000 for what someone on CL's is claiming, verify the claim by getting an appraisal? A player most likely would notice that swollen head stock. Duh..... Just a thought, certainly they could tell by the sound? One might conclude that anyone that buys that for real deserves to be separated from his money before he hurts someone. Interesting, I did a google search on a Gibson F5 and Brandon Farley's Mandolin picture came up.

[stevedenver]

my sentiments exactly.....

well between the back-indeed too pretty and never seen one like that from that era,
those f holes (which look odd sized and ill-proportioned to me, but could be camera distortion), and the long, 'streamliner' headstock and inlay, funky burst (on the upper treble bout), and scroll,
im not too concerned-I don't think there are too many folks looking at mandos in that price range who are completely ignorant-we're not talking clever or subtle details -"The" isn't even parallel to "Gibson"-never ever seen this , not ever, no matter how low end the mando with an inlaid name.

If I want a 30k 'fantasy', well.....I can think of other options........
anyone with 30K , or even half that, is likely to know reality from fantasy.

and, if they don't, well then,
its still misrepresented, possibly knowingly, and could result in some serious legal ramifications for the seller and the old guy, if in fact there is one.