# General Mandolin Topics > General Mandolin Discussions >  1957 Duane Eddy owned Gibson mandolin

## Fretbear

Check out the shape of the smaller scroll on the peghead; it predates Corrado Giacomel's designs by half a century, but not on purpose! I know another rock and roll song; "Dream on, dream on......."

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## Scott Tichenor

Link in question: http://bit.ly/YFG48k

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## f5loar

They only made 21 F-5s in 1957.  They only made one Duane Eddy in 1938.  So let's break it down.  If Gruhn Guitars in Nashville had one of the other 20 1957 F5s in this minty condition his asking price would be around $8,000.00 give or take $500.  The fact that Duane Eddy was only known as an electric guitar picker should not take away the fact he did own a mandolin.  Now you must ask yourself is the fingerprints of Duane Eddy on this mandolin worth $52,000.00?  Now open for comments and public mandocafe opinions.

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## almeriastrings

Not to take anything away from his accomplishments as a popular guitar player, but if you'd owned an F-5 for that long, you'd think you could manage to pick at least one tune on it by now? Never mind. Roland White "might" have played it.. once or twice... and if that does not make it seem worth nearly 60K, there are couple of original Black Diamond strings in the case. What a deal.

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## Austin Bob

> They only made 21 F-5s in 1957.  They only made one Duane Eddy in 1938.  So let's break it down.  If Gruhn Guitars in Nashville had one of the other 20 1957 F5s in this minty condition his asking price would be around $8,000.00 give or take $500.  The fact that Duane Eddy was only known as an electric guitar picker should not take away the fact he did own a mandolin.  Now you must ask yourself is the fingerprints of Duane Eddy on this mandolin worth $52,000.00?  Now open for comments and public mandocafe opinions.



That was pretty much my exact thoughts when I read this. I look at it this way: When Eric Clapton auctioned off his guitars, they were extremely valuable due to the history and recordings made with them. Now let's assume that Eric has a Vox organ in his basement for when his jamming buddies come over. Seems to me it would be worth more or less the same amount as any other Vox organ of the same age/condition. The fact that Eric once owned it would not make it extremely valuable because you don't associate him with a Vox.

But hey, I could be wrong. Ask me about my ex wife.  :Smile:

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## jaycat

Is it just me, or does it sound kind of tinny?

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## mtucker

Peter Gunn was probably one of the first things I plunked on electric guitar, there wasn't much to it, but it was indeed a hit!

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## f5loar

The 50's F5 have a sound unto their own and not like a Loar sound.  Roland,Dean,Ralph,Jesse,Donna and countless others had no problem pulling a good tone from their 50's F5s.  But tinny would not be a right sound for these.  Was he even holding a pick or was he using his fingernail?  Anyway I doubt it has been set up since it left the factory in 1957. Didn't he say it had only been out of the case  a few times for only a few minutes each time?  I mean Roland may have only "looked" at it, hit one G chop, a fast Monroe lick and put it back in the case telling him "it's a goodin' alright".  Likely it's only had 2 or 3 sets if that put on it in the last 56 years and if it's got those original Black Diamond 60's strings on it that would account to a rather "thinny" sound.  This reminds me of the Pawn Stars TV show a month ago in which a guy came in with Hank,Sr. original guitar amp.  He wanted $498,000 for it.  Rick brought in the expert guy from CowTown Guitars and gave it a $400 value in the poor condition it was in.  He also made a mention to the owner that you do know Hank,Sr. never played an electric guitar only acoustics.  There has never been a photo found of Hank, Sr. with an electric guitar in his hand.  We pretty much know from Duane's live testimony you will not find him playing this mandolin on stage at anytime during his lifetime ever.  In fact likely the only photograph ever made of him holding it is the one you see when he got it out to give it to the dealer.

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## Stephen Cagle

f5loar you are so right. Not taking anything away at all from Mr Eddy but seriously. No way worth it.. I was thinking 6,000 but if you say 8,000 that also sounds right to me. One of his personal guitars maybe and I don't even know that. Certainly not the mandolin.  :Coffee:

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## mandolinstew

some of the binding looks like a $200 Johnson  and funny scratches on the top

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## Pete Summers

:Frown:  My my. For $60,000 you'd think they could at least offer free shipping. 65 bucks shipping? Are they sending it on the back of a camel?

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## AlanN

People (sellers) see the Loar sales and say "Hey, I have a vintage Gibson F-5, let's see what it brings". 

I would bet Duane Eddy sits on that mandolin for a while longer yet.

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## shortymack

Greed comes in all shapes and sizes.

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Timbofood

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## allenhopkins

Well, at least they're not asking $60K for it!  Just $59,999.99…

Some collector will probably bargain them down into the mid-$20K's for it, after it sits for awhile.  It has _some_ collector value as Eddy's instrument, but my guess is it's going into someone's glass case, and won't be played any more than it has been, while Eddy owned it.

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## Gary Hedrick

Hmmm  Tom says "The 50's F5 have a sound unto their own and not like a Loar sound. Roland,Dean,Ralph,Jesse,Donna and countless others had no problem pulling a good tone from their 50's F5s. But tinny would not be a right sound for these. "

I've played a number of these through the years and really if you don't like the term tinny then how about thin....non robust....metallic....and just plain not very good. I still cringe when I hear Jesse's crosspicking on that mandolin when it could have been so much more with a better mandolin. 

So in terms of an open forum....I respectfully disagree with you....there are plenty of Kentucky, The Loar and other cheaper mandolins that sound better than most of those F5's from that era.

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Michael Weaver

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## AlanN

Yeah, but they're not worth $59,999.99  :Laughing:

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almeriastrings

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## f5loar

Those mandolin makers were not around in the 50's.  Gibson was the only game in town and it served it's purpose for those pros. Didn't say they were better than Loars or others that try to sound like Loars.  And there were some that were duds.  But the good ones were just fine for what they were.  Those 50's F5s didn't harm Dave Apollon's sound on his Coral recordings. It is what it is and they are part of history of Bluegrass.  Monroe owned a pretty nice '64 F5. Even recorded with it.

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## Dave Gumbart

Are folks familiar with Duane Eddy's tune Route # 1?  First time I heard it, I immediately thought "dawg music."  Probably in large part to the flute in the tune, I suppose.  I imagine Dawg, Matt Eakle and the rest of the Quintet could give that one a good work out.

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## stevedenver

yes i too just saw this, and regardless of the provenance, 

i thought, "who in their right mind would pay 60K for a 6500-7500 tops 50s gibby"
not likely a mando player, because they might like a truly great instrument for a fraction of the price
not likely a collector, as Duane, is no mando mensch, as duly noted

i doubt jethros double point A would fetch that amount.....


in terms of re-sale recouping the price-not a chance imho
in a decade or more, no less three, 
the pedigree will, imho, likely be meaningless 
not the genre, not the player, no likely connection to the next generation
heck its a reach for me, and i know his music pretty well


agree route 1 sounds kinda like jazzin with jazzbo or the like


as perspective, while willis allen ramsey is not anywhere near as famous, to most, 
nor known for his mando playing 
 his early gilchrist is only 14K

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## mrmando

Wow, Ziggie's Music in Phoenix ... I remember Ziggie's -- bought my Hohner accordion there when I was a kid. Since it's from the same store where Duane Eddy bought his mandolin, I figure that accordion is worth at least 20 grand now...

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## shortymack

I think its pretty funny how this guy can barley play one lick and wants that much because 'he' owns it. Pft. Next.

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## Larry Simonson

It seems the opinion expressed on the home page is valid but if some collector pays that much, that is what its worth.

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## mrmando

> if some collector pays that much, that is what its worth.


Perhaps in an individual sense, but not necessarily in a general sense. If it went up for auction, started at $2K and went up to $60K with several bidders involved, I'd be a lot more comfortable saying it was "worth" $60K.

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## chip

I would like to own one of those, not at that price of course, but I bet if it was set up correctly it would be pretty nice to have.

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## barney 59

> My my. For $60,000 you'd think they could at least offer free shipping. 65 bucks shipping? Are they sending it on the back of a camel?


Apparently not, they won't ship anywhere that there is a camel. Won't ship to Vatican City or Greece? I guess if the Pope wants it he can stroll across the square and pick it up in Italy>

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## re simmers

This is difficult to reply to with a straight face.    Duane Eddy?     I should refer to him as Mr. Eddy, but it makes me think of Mr. Ed, the horse......his colt would be Mr. Eddy.    Or maybe Mr. Eddy would be a grown up Eddy Munster?

The price tag makes it difficult to take this serious.    Did some cafe member put him up to this?   Just to start a discussion?

Anyhow, Mr. Eddie's mandolin would be worth about $4,000 to me, if it's structurally sound and HAS a good sound.   I don't know that yet.      

Didin't Larry Rice play a '50's Gibson?     That one would be worth 2 or 3 times as much to me.

Bob

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## AlanN

Dorsey Harvey and Nate Bray also used 50's, I think.

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## Fretbear

> This is difficult to reply to with a straight face. Duane Eddy? I should refer to him as Mr. Eddy, but it makes me think of Mr. Ed, the horse......his colt would be Mr. Eddy. Or maybe Mr. Eddy would be a grown up Eddy Munster?


Eddy _Money_......that was too easy.......

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## Kevin Stevens

At least there is now free shipping in US.

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## BluesVintageGuitars

My name is Gabriel Hernandez and I am the owner of Blues Vintage Guitars, Inc. in Nashville, and the consignor of Duane Eddy's 1957 Gibson F-5 Mandolin.
After reading all of the posts in this thread I felt compelled to address some of the information posted here, as well as clarify some of the points made by both Mr. Eddy and myself regarding this beautiful mandolin.
First, I don't believe there's any need to disrespect Mr. Eddy. After all, his legacy as an innovative guitarist is unquestioned, and he is a member of both the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and the Musicians Hall of Fame. His contribution to music and guitar playing in general is unmatched and very similar in scope and significance to that of players like Jimi Hendrix, Michael Bloomfield, and others that have developed innovative styles that have transformed their respective genre of music. For those of you not schooled in Mr. Eddy's style and legacy, his unique style of guitar playing in the 1950s predated - and heavily influenced - the guitar sound of much of the early- and mid-1960s, including the sound of such notables as Dick Dale, the Beach Boys, The Beatles, etc.  He also managed to sell more than 12 million records by 1963, which is quite an accomplishment in itself. 
Because of his popularity during this time, Mr. Eddy was always entertaining other musicians and friends at his home. As such, he always wanted to have all types of instruments available for the many impromptu jam sessions that took place at his homes - one of which being this 1957 Gibson F-5 mandolin. 
Now, having had the pleasure of both meeting and befriending Mr. Eddy here in Nashville where he now lives, I can tell you this – he is truly one of the most humble human beings I have ever met in my entire life. That said, he was very reserved about the use of anyone's name for the sale of this mandolin. However, rest assured that this mandolin was played by the likes of Roland White, Clarence White, Albert Lee, among MANY, MANY others that he either didn't want to mention specifically, or simply couldn't recall because of the vast number of musicians and jam sessions he hosted throughout the years at his various homes. 
Additionally, for those who questioned whether or not this mandolin had been maintained or was in need of any type of setup or repair, let me clarify that Mr. Eddy's longtime luthier is none other than Mr. Joe Glaser of Glaser Instruments here in Nashville. For those of you not familiar with Mr. Glaser, I urge you to Google his name. What you'll find is that Mr. Glaser is widely regarded as one of the world's best luthiers, and the personal luthier of choice to other prominent artists such as Vince Gill, Keith Urban, Buddy Miller, Brad Paisley, Joe Bonamassa, Clint Black, Alan Jackson, Willie Weeks, Eric Clapton (he was just here in Nashville last week), Howard Bradley, Scotty Moore, T-bone Burnett, and a host of other well-known players all around the world. His reputation is second to known, and he can personally vouch for both the playability and condition of this magnificent mandolin. 
Now, as for its asking price, all I can tell you is this: someone earlier in this thread compared this mandolin to Eric Clapton's guitars and the prices his guitars realized at auction. Frankly, I don’t believe you can compare the two. First, most of Clapton's guitars sold for upwards of $150,000-plus and almost as high as $1 million for his infamous "Blackie" Fender Stratocaster. Granted, Mr. Eddy's mandolin is no "Blackie", nor is it a $150,000 Clapton-used guitar, but it definitely holds significant value having been both owned AND played by Mr. Eddy AND the many musicians that played it over its 54-year history.
Second, for those that think he can't play a tune on it, think again. I know, that's what he said in the video, but please remember what I said earlier … Mr. Eddy is a very, very humble man. He considers being able to "play a tune" on it as being able to play the mandolin like he can play the guitar. Let me assure you that he can definitely play a few tunes on it (I heard them myself), and I can personally attest to the fact that he can play it probably a lot better than most. Additionally, he himself has played this mandolin many times over the years trying to teach himself how to play it. He simply never mastered it like he mastered his infamous Gretsch 6120. 
And last, I’d like to say this … while many of you consider $59,999 a high price for this mandolin I can tell you that we are considering EVERY serious offer made for it. We have already been contacted by several interested parties (thank you very much) and we are realistic about its eventual selling price. So, if you don’t like the $59,999 asking price yet have serious interest in it, then please feel free to make us a reasonable offer. Heck, the mandolin alone – in its magnificent condition – is worth somewhere in the neighborhood of $8,000-$10,000 by itself. Add the fact that it has been owned by Mr. Eddy since he purchased it new, and the people that have used it over the years, and you’ve got what many would definitely consider the centerpiece of any serious instrument collection.
I hope this helps people understand and appreciate the value we feel this instrument truly carries. If you don’t agree with us, that’s fine … this is America, and the ability to express your opinion is as celebrated as Mr. Eddy himself. But there’s no need to be rude and/or disrespect Mr. Eddy about it. That’s the reason for this response, and I thank you for taking the time to read it. 
Please don’t hesitate to contact me directly with any questions or concerns. I am happy to answer or address anything. 
Regards,
Gabriel J. Hernandez
Blues Vintage Guitars, Inc.

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40bpm, 

BradKlein

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## pefjr

> My name is Gabriel Hernandez and I am the owner of Blues Vintage Guitars, Inc. in Nashville, and the consignor of Duane Eddy's 1957 Gibson F-5 Mandolin.


Good post G Hernandez. This is gonna be interesting, the value that a genuine buyer places on that nice looking Mandolin. I had two guys bidding against each other over a Garcia Fishing reel like one they had owned as kids. What I thought was at the most worth about $25 or $30, was bid up to $435, before one of them said 'no mas'!

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## chip

Interesting response from Mr. Hernandez that the mandolin is worth $8,000-$10,000, with a $49,000 premium for current ownership. I guess I'd pay that for a 27 Fern and not care who owned it previously rather than sit around explaining to the youngsters who Duane Eddy is. I have a couple of pieces in my Antique store that belonged to Nelson Eddy and hardly no one knows who he was nor really gives a hoot, which is unfortunate...I'd still like to have the mandolin though!

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## shortymack

Im sorry but I dont get it, if 'the mandolin itself is worth 8-10k' then whys it listed at 60? I dont think one that  Chris Thile owned is worth 50k more because he owned it and hes arguably one, if not the best player alive today. As far as Mr Eddy being able to play better than most, you couldve fooled me and the old saying put your money where your mouth is comes to mind. Sorry Eddy, sorry Mr H, I think, like many others, its way over priced and we are entitled to our opinions. We are debating its worth here with NFI but Mr Hernandez obviously has FI involved.

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## BluesVintageGuitars

> Im sorry but I dont get it, if 'the mandolin itself is worth 8-10k' then whys it listed at 60? I dont think one that  Chris Thile owned is worth 50k more because he owned it and hes arguably one, if not the best player alive today. As far as Mr Eddy being able to play better than most, you couldve fooled me and the old saying put your money where your mouth is comes to mind. Sorry Eddy, sorry Mr H, I think, like many others, its way over priced and we are entitled to our opinions. We are debating its worth here with NFI but Mr Hernandez obviously has FI involved.


Mr. Shortymack,

You obviously underestimate the mindset or approach of collecting and/or collectors. Additionally, several current price guides (there's a reason they call them "guides") put the HIGH value of a 1957 Gibson F-5 Mandolin at approximately $8000-$8500, depending on which guide you're reading ... none, of course, taking anything into consideration other than condition (of which this one is off the charts). And you're absolutely correct, everybody is entitled to his or her opinion, as you are to yours and I am to mine. But while I do have obvious "FI" involvement here (very little, in fact), to me it's more about giving credit where credit is due. Mr. Eddy is a genuine American icon, and many collectors (myself included) believe that his ownership of this instrument - and the many other great players that played it - adds value to the instrument from a collector's perspective. How much value it adds, we shall all see very soon. 
As I said in my previous statement, we are giving serious consideration to ALL offers. Our price of $59,999 is simply our BIN price, which is intended for the person who sees it and absolutely has to have it. It is not, however, our absolute minimum price. And I, as a responsible and respectable dealer of vintage instruments, must do everything I can fulfill my fiduciary duty to my customers and maximize the sale price of any instrument I sell on consignment. I am simply doing my job, and trying to earn a respectable living doing it. 
And one last thought (and something that many people are forgetting) ... if this mandolin sells for anything near its asking price, it will benefit ALL owners of similar instruments, and not just Mr. Eddy (not to forget the current mandolin market as well). Whether or not anyone thinks it's overpriced is somewhat irrelevant ... the ultimate validation here will be the price it eventually sells for. 
Again, thanks to all for your thoughts and opinions. I sincerely appreciate them all. And please don't hesitate to contact me directly with any questions or concerns. 
Regards,
Gabriel J. Hernandez
Blues Vintage Guitars, Inc.

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## Vincent Capostagno

Perhaps the next time I go to a bluegrass concert I'll ask Adam Steffey or Sam Bush to stroke a few chords on my Breedlove and see if I can double its value.

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## FLATROCK HILL

I know that the mandolin and its asking price are the issue here. 
Putting that aside for just a moment though, I would like to say that I have fond memories of cruising 'Main Street' in my '58 Pontiac blastin' Reber Rouser on my 8 track. I'm glad to hear he's a humble dude and a nice guy! 

Ok...back to the real issue.

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## chip

Well...at least it's getting a lot of free publicity!  :Mandosmiley:

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## houseworker

I'm surprised that Mr Hernandez doesn't back his judgement on the value of this instrument by offering Duane Eddy $30,000 for the mandolin.  Or perhaps he has, and been turned down?

Thanks Mr Hernandez, your posts have considerably brightened a dull holiday weekend.  Seeing you're in Nashville, why not pop along to George Gruhn and ask him for a valuation at some point?  George will know what it's worth, that's for sure.

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## mtucker

I really can't imagine an astute 'collector' paying nearly that price for said instrument given all the facts ...even if said collector was a complete Duane Eddy addict/ night stalker...but hey, stranger things happen all the time i guess. What.. $10-12k, maybe?

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## houseworker

Although Gabriel Hernandez has been trading on eBay for some while (as *pearlbaileyblue*), the rather grandly named Blues Vintage Guitars, Inc was only registered as a company this year.  They haven't yet acquired any business premises, the company being registered to Mr Hernandez' home address.  Mr Hernandez has not yet informed eBay that he is now a business seller, an oversight I'm sure he'll be keen to correct.

Given the number of well known and long established instrument dealers in Nashville, I find myself wondering how Duane Eddy settled on Mr Hernandez as the best person to sell his mandolin.

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## pefjr

> I know that the mandolin and its asking price are the issue here. 
> Putting that aside for just a moment though, I would like to say that I have fond memories of cruising 'Main Street' in my '58 Pontiac blastin' Reber Rouser on my 8 track. I'm glad to hear he's a humble dude and a nice guy! 
> 
> Ok...back to the real issue.


I had a '57' Pontiac(4 sp. auto. transmission), in 65, but don't remember 8 track that early though, but do have some pretty girl memories .....and radio blasting these numbers.  

 It will probably be someone with these type memories and unlimited funds that step up to the plate.

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FLATROCK HILL, 

Fred G, 

Pete Summers

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## woodwizard

> They only made 21 F-5s in 1957.  They only made one Duane Eddy in 1938.  So let's break it down.  If Gruhn Guitars in Nashville had one of the other 20 1957 F5s in this minty condition his asking price would be around $8,000.00 give or take $500.  The fact that Duane Eddy was only known as an electric guitar picker should not take away the fact he did own a mandolin.  Now you must ask yourself is the fingerprints of Duane Eddy on this mandolin worth $52,000.00?  Now open for comments and public mandocafe opinions.


Very simply ... No it is not ...IMHO

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## Timbofood

People used to come into the jewelry store and ask how I could not be worried about the value of all the items around me, I simply said "It's only worth that much when somebody buys it or it gets stolen and the insurance has to pony up". I kind of see a premium for any instrument owned by the rich and famous, a reasonable premium to be sure, this just seems a bit dear.  But then again, I am not buying much of anything at that price these days. I say good luck and good night on this one though.

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## shortymack

> Mr. Shortymack, <snip>
>  And I, as a responsible and respectable dealer of vintage instruments, must do everything I can fulfill my fiduciary duty to my customers and maximize the sale price of any instrument I sell on consignment. I am simply doing my job, and trying to earn a respectable living doing it. 
> And one last thought (and something that many people are forgetting) ... if this mandolin sells for anything near its asking price, it will benefit ALL owners of similar instruments, and not just Mr. Eddy (not to forget the current mandolin market as well). Whether or not anyone thinks it's overpriced is somewhat irrelevant <snip>


MR Hernandez, You have every right to ask for whatever you want for anything and to earn a respectable living doing it....but, a couple of things I see that arent right here IMO is you directly using the forum with financial interest involved. Im no mod but maybe it would be best to refrain from asking for any offers or promoting a product and instead post an ad in the classifieds where it belongs. 

Also how this will benefit anyone except for the seller(s) is something I can not grasp. 

Heres an idea, Ive only been playing for 8 months but for grins n giggles I'll challenge Mr Eddy to a play-off so we can really see if your assertion of him being 'better than most' is correct.  What do ya say? Got my entry level Eastman all tuned up n ready. Maybe afterwards it will be worth 5k as the noobs that beat Duane Eddy on mando.  :Laughing:

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## re simmers

As Mr. H said, we are all entitled to our own opinions.    I do not think the sale of this mando, no matter what the selling price, will impact any future prices of any instrument, no matter who they belonged to.    I don't know Mr Eddy.   He seems like a nice man.   Nothing personal, but I have a hard time reading this thread without making a joke.     $8,000 value, but a $60,000 asking price because Mr Eddy owned it.    Humbleness and humility are not 2 words that come to mind.   :Confused: 

Bob

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## f5loar

Now if Eddy had bought a signed Loar or 20's Fern but he didn't, he bought this '57 F5.  I have to admit it's hard to attach a "premium" onto an instrument belonging to anyone famous in the music world.  A few months back I recall reading about Andy Griffith's banjo and it was dicussed here or over at the banjohangout.  Pretty much the same thing in that Andy was not known as a banjo picker nor could anyone find a photo of him even holding said banjo.  The price I forget because it was so out of the ball park.  There is someone on ebay that has been trying to sell Dan Fogerberg's 70's D41 at 4 times it's market value.  It was not even his main D41 but rather his backup that he seldom used.  As far as this mandolin, even if you had Roland come join Eddy in a video for a romp stomping bluegrass classic with Roland on said F5 and Eddy on his trail blazzing Gretsch would it make the F5 any more desireable to a collector or bluegrass fanatic. It is what it is.  I would consider making a reasonable over market value for the F5 but because of the grossly inflated "asking price" I feel my offer would be insulting.  Contray to what some think of these 50's F5s there are some good ones out there. If you ever got a bad one you tend to insist they are all bad.  Hard to tell in that video if this is one of those good ones or not.  There just are not that many collector or pickers seeking these 50's F5s in today's saturated market with far better F5 styles for the same or less money.  So when you tack on such an inflated premium you really do open yourself up for open forum comments such as is taking place here. In case Eddy forgot that '57 F5 in 1958 set him back a retail price of $485 plus the cheaper shape case (about $35).  If he knew the dealer he likely got a heavy discount up to 50% off that retail price.

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jim simpson

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## BluesVintageGuitars

> Although Gabriel Hernandez has been trading on eBay for some while (as *pearlbaileyblue*), the rather grandly named Blues Vintage Guitars, Inc was only registered as a company this year.  They haven't yet acquired any business premises, the company being registered to Mr Hernandez' home address.  Mr Hernandez has not yet informed eBay that he is now a business seller, an oversight I'm sure he'll be keen to correct.
> 
> Given the number of well known and long established instrument dealers in Nashville, I find myself wondering how Duane Eddy settled on Mr Hernandez as the best person to sell his mandolin.



Mr. Houseworker,

While you are correct that I've been successfully trading on eBay since 2004, and yes my company, *Blues Vintage Guitars, Inc.* (I find the name rather grand myself, thank you), is a new company as of this month, I'm afraid your investigative skills are a bit lacking. Please allow me to fill in the blanks regarding my background:

First, I was the co-founder and (still am) co-owner of Music City Pickers, LLC, an established business in Nashville since 2011 as buyers and sellers of vintage instruments. Unfortunately, as successful as we were in such a short time, my partner and I decided to go our separate ways this past February and are still in the process of negotiating our split. In the meantime, I've gone ahead and incorporated my new company (named after my Blue Weimaraner, who is appropriately named "Blue"). I am 50 years old, born in NYC but raised in south Florida, and have played guitar since the age of six. I've pretty much been playing, buying and selling guitars most of my adult life, though I did manage to earn a degree in Journalism from the University of Florida and have worked in come capacity as a Journalist and/or Web Editor ever since. In 2006, my wife and I moved to Nashville after I accepted a job as Web Editor for the Gibson Guitar Corporation. I was laid off, however, in 2009 along with 220 other fellow Gibson employees in the wake of the country's economic woes. I sent out resumes left and right for several months, but soon had to somehow make ends meet and decided to turn my full attention to the buying and selling of vintage and newer, high-quality musical instruments, which I have been doing quite successfully ever since.  

Additionally, as for your (wrongful) assumption that I've not yet informed eBay that I am a business seller, let me assure you that they've had an FEIN (Federal Employer Identification Number) on file under my user ID Pearlbaileyblue ever since 2006 when I incorporated my first company. I've since updated my FEIN with eBay (and PayPal as well) immediately upon incorporating every other business I've used to sell anything under my eBay user name, including my new corporation earlier this month. Suffice to say I am more in compliance with ALL eBay (and PayPal) rules, policies and procedures more so (I'm sure) than the majority of others that do business on eBay. That's one of the many reasons I've managed to attain eBay's acclaimed Top Rated Sellers status, a level quite hard to reach in today's eBay world. So if I were you I wouldn't be so quick to jump to such unjust conclusions. 

As for how Mr. Eddy managed to "settle" on me as the best person to sell his mandolin, let me simply say this: you said yourself there are a "number of well known and long established instrument dealers in Nashville". Well, there are also many longtime professional musicians and industry people here that are tired of doing business with those same "well known and long established instrument dealers in Nashville." I don't mean to toot my own horn, because I don't consider myself anywhere near the status of, say, someone by the name of Gruhn. However, I also don't necessarily strive to achieve anyone else's reputation either. I've been fortunate enough to grow my own venerable reputation here in Nashville through my own dealings, using the friends and contacts I made while at Gibson as well as the retail location of my last company which was two blocks from Nashville's famed Music Row. As such, I am just now beginning to fully enjoy my good standing as a decent and (more importantly) honest buyer and seller of musical instruments in Nashville, all of which has occurred as a direct result of my own sweat equity and hard work. In a short time, I've had the good fortune and opportunity to have sold instruments for several major artists (including Rodney Crowell) and have also sold instruments to the likes of Chris Young, Chas Sanford, David Haywood (Lady Antebellum), John Prine, and quite a few others who would rather I not mention their names. I can assure you that I didn't "find" Mr. Eddy, rather he found me. He could have picked any one of those other "well known and long established instrument dealers in Nashville" to sell his mandolin, but he didn't ... he picked up the phone and called me. That tells me I must be doing something right!

And by the way, I move into my new office space on May 1 (actually April 15). I sign my lease on Monday, and my new address will be 2605 Elm Hill Pike, Suite C, Nashville, TN 37214. My toll-free number is 1-888-407-2717, and my cell phone number is 615-613-1389. You can be sure I'll be updating all of this information with the State of Tennessee and eBay/PayPal as soon as everything is official ... probably within the next week or so as to avoid any problems. My new web site - www.bluesvintageguitars.com - is also currently under construction, though I do hope to have it up and running by the time I move into my new office space. 

Any other questions or concerns? Please don't hesitate to ask. Also, please don't make any other false assumptions, because you know what they say about people that "ass-u-me" things!

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## allenhopkins

> ...I don't know Mr Eddy.   He seems like a nice man...Humbleness and humility are not 2 words that come to mind...


Don't think the (inflated) asking price is based on Duane Eddy's ego.  It's the "value by celebrity association" syndrome, the reason that a guitar owned by Elvis Presley is worth more than one owned by, say, me.  Duane Eddy is one of the iconic figures in rock guitar, and his '50's instrumentals like _Rebel Rouser, Forty Miles of Bad Road, Because They're Young,_ and _Peter Gunn_ are classics.  One of his *guitars* -- especially one played on one of those songs -- might bring this asking price, and more.  (I believe Eddy played a Gretsch; correct me if I'm wrong.)

Problem with the mandolin in question is that Eddy never recorded anything with it, and apparently just bought it to keep around the house for other musicians to jam on.  So the ten-fold, or higher, price premium that's being asked for it seems unrealistic.

Can't blame Eddy, if he's the one selling it,* for trying to get whatever the market will bear, and there may be some affluent Eddy devotee who'd pay $60K to hang this one on his/her wall.  But since it's not an inherently "super" mandolin, as defined by its vintage and acoustic reputation, the only thing going for it is provenance.  We'll see how far that takes it.

*Oops, just reviewed the post above, as to the person listing the mandolin on eBay.  My bad.

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## Kevin Stevens

Big Duane Eddy fan from the time I was 7 years old listening to my Dad's old albums. No one can dispute Mr. Eddy's talent and  special place in music history. So if one of the advantages of selling this particular instrument is to raise the prices of all mandolins as Mr. Hernandez suggests, I am sure he will have no problem disclosing the final price. After all he did publicly post that point on this forum, implied that we all had a financial interest, if that is so I for one would like to know the final sale price as we were implicitly told we all had something to gain by his success at selling it for what seems like an unexpected asking price.

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## f5loar

I was hoping the same thing.  The final price paid should be noted here for all to see.  When someone makes an offer through ebay (which ebay insist is their policy) it shows up in the price area as to how many offers have been made to date.  As of 10 minutes ago no offers have been made through ebay.

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## BluesVintageGuitars

> I was hoping the same thing.  The final price paid should be noted here for all to see.  When someone makes an offer through ebay (which ebay insist is their policy) it shows up in the price area as to how many offers have been made to date.  As of 10 minutes ago no offers have been made through ebay.


The interest expressed by several potential buyers for this mandolin have come through both phone calls (my numbers are listed in the auction copy) and eBay messages. And there has been one offer through eBay itself, but it was automatically declined as it was below our reserve price.

Additionally, I would be more than happy to share the final selling price on this forum once it sells. Mr. Eddy will be paid via my company check, so there will be nothing to hide. I'll also be more than happy to post something if it doesn't sell. As I said before, I'm trying to do best by my customer ... If it doesn't get our asking price, I'll be the first to admit it. Just remember ... It doesn't hurt to shoot for the stars. After all, in my opinion life isn't worth living if you don't at least try.

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## jim simpson

Imagined value is a humorous thing to me. A recent Treasure Detective episode featured a white Les Paul guitar from the Les Paul auction. The owner responded like an upset child when he was told that the guitar was worth what he paid not the inflated value he thought it would have. His response sure seemed staged to me like most all of the other reality shows, too bad as the show seems interesting. 

Here's a thread discussing the episode:

http://www.thegearpage.net/board/sho....php?t=1239205

I see where the owner has listed it on Ebay with it selling.

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## Kevin Stevens

Fair enough, thanks for the reply. This will be a fun story to follow, with 2 great ingredients, Duane Eddy and a Gibson F5.

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## shortymack

:Cow:   :Chicken:

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## almeriastrings

I am thinking that Roland will be very tickled by the concept that the fact he "might" have picked on this mandolin once or twice is worth tens of thousands of bucks....when you consider how many different mandolins he's touched over the years, the legend of King Midas springs to mind..... must have created more wealth than the GDP of some fair-sized countries by now.

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## Fretbear

Sheriff Andy's banjo, now that's something to get excited about! 
Especially if the original drool-cup that Goober fashioned for it can be located.......

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Pete Summers

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## P.D. Kirby

Well you can forget buying Mr.Eddy's Guitar, there's a guy on you tube who claims to own said Guitar and he claims to have bought it at a charity auction 15 years ago. He won't disclose the selling price but I'm thinking less than 60k. When I emailed him to ask what he paid for the Guitar and also to ask if it was the Gretch Mr. Eddy used for most if not all of his recordings or just some other Guitar that Mr. Eddy owned, he didn't answer the question So if you want an Eddy owned instrument this could be your last chance.

I find it interesting that Mandolins that have belonged to David "Dawg" Grisman come and go in the cafe classifieds from time to time and usually sell for fair market value or maybe a little more if he recorded with it. Not to belittle Mr. Eddy's Star Power but I for one would rather have a Dawg owned Mandolin in my collection any day but then I buy them to play not to look at and brag about who owned it. Based on the logic behind the asking price Thiele's old Dude should be worth about the same as a July 9th 1923 Loar. Can't wait to see how this one plays out (no pun intended).

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## f5loar

Maybe not related but certainly something to consider.  I bought Dean Webb's of Dillards/Darlin Boys fame 1956 F5 which went through Gruhn Guitars for less than the current market price at that time. It is a great sounding/playing 50's F5.  Webb said he never found a better mandolin including the '27 Fern he owned.  This is the only F5 he used exclusively for all the original Dillards recordings and all the Andy Griffith show backing tracks.  He used it for every show they did for 34 years. If ever you could tack on a "premium" for a 50's Gibson this was it and they didn't.  Now I'm in no way saying Webb has near the fame and fortunes of Eddy but for mandolin fans Dean Webb is an icon.  Webb is known as a mandolin picker of the highest regards.  And like the always fair and balnced PD Kirby says above even David "The Dawg"Grisman's used mandolins have seldom if ever brought more than the current market value.  I would compare the fame and fortunes of the Dawg for the mandolin as it is to Eddy's for the electric guitar.  I look at this sale like if Eddy had say a vintage '57 Chevy for sale.  Would it also tack on a premium price since he owned it?  I say not.

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jim simpson, 

P.D. Kirby

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## Scott Tichenor

This thread is a master class in how one individual has managed to drum up a lot of attention for a single instrument that otherwise is of pretty limited interest and certainly limited demand and value. Of course we contributed to the cause with the link on the home page. Watch carefully. A master is at work.

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Austin Bob, 

Jim Adwell, 

jim simpson, 

John McCoy, 

Pete Summers, 

Timbofood

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## f5loar

And we thank the cafe for bringing this historical mandolin to our attention that likely would otherwise have been lost in the millions of weekly items for sale on ebay.  As I stated I am a collector of all things Gibson mandolins and have a sincere interest in owning this one but due to the outragous starting bid I know I will never own it for my fair market price plus a modest preimun for iconic status.  It's an auction that I do believe will never get that first starting bid.  There are however those few collectors at which money does not matter if they want it.

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## shortymack

Breaking news: Jimi Page's kazoo sells for 250 thousand, Bill Monores mouth harp fetches 100K. Jews harp and kazoo owners worldwide cheer on the ground breaking news.
"I couldnt believe my eyes" says Stan the man Humphries, owner of Kazoo's r Us. "The phones been ringing off the hook, I dont have enough sales people to re-label all of our kazoos with higher prices and answer the phones at the same time."

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Jim

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## rico mando

The guitar playing in "Peter Gunn" does not inspire any desire in me personally to own an instrument played by Duane Eddy .

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## Jim

Learned Duane Eddy riffs on guitar before I could even play guitar. All due respect to a Rock icon, I don't get it. I don't even understand why vintage solid body electric guitars bring the insane prices they do let alone if they were owned by a famous player. To me they are worth at most what a good new one costs and that's about it. Guess I'll never be that kind of collector. The only good reason to buy a musical instrument is because it sounds good/plays well.

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## Scott Tichenor

> And we thank the cafe for bringing this historical mandolin to our attention that likely would otherwise have been lost in the millions of weekly items for sale on ebay.  As I stated I am a collector of all things Gibson mandolins and have a sincere interest in owning this one but due to the outragous starting bid I know I will never own it for my fair market price plus a modest preimun for iconic status.  It's an auction that I do believe will never get that first starting bid.  There are however those few collectors at which money does not matter if they want it.


Wasn't talking about you, Tom, but you're welcome to continue thinking as such since it seems to be so important to you.

 :Smile:

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## f5loar

Not me but I'm thinking of those really into the vintage instrument thing, rich "hollywood" celebrities like Steven Stegal, Steve Martin, Richard Gere, etc. that seem to "always get what they want" especially in auctions.  These guys have left me in the dust on bidding to get what they wanted. They may feel the "mojo" connection between Eddy and this F5.  Not me, I got better sense.  It's just another 50's F5 to me. There is only one postwar F5 that IMO would bring way more than market value today but it is socked away at the CHMF in Nashville never to be in private hands again.  The 1964 F5 that Monroe cut "My Last Days on Earth" with and then donated to the museum. It was one of the great sounding 60's F5s.  He also used it as a back up in the "Get Up John" tuning for many years before he got his 2nd Loar.  Not counting the '23 July 9th Loar , all of the other mandolins up for auction at the Monroe Estate sale went way above market value but nothing like this Eddy F5.  I doubt seriously if they found the stolen late 30's D28 that Monroe owned and was used by many of the BGBoys up until 1966 that it would bring much more than market value even with that Monroe connection.  The reason? Monroe was not known to be a great guitar player.  Okay enough of this F5. 3 pages and it's time to move on. Nothing else to be said really.

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## FLATROCK HILL

> I bought Dean Webb's of Dillards/Darlin Boys fame. Webb said he never found a better mandolin including the '27 Fern he owned.  This is the only F5 he used exclusively for all the original Dillards recordings and all the Andy Griffith show backing tracks. He used it for every show they did for 34 years. .


In at least one episode, early on in the 'Darling' family's appearance on the Andy Griffith show, the mandolin player is playing a scroll mandolin with an oval hole. I ain't smart enough to know much about it, but always figured it was a Gibson F4.

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## f5loar

Dean Webb held an F2 and a 3 pointer F2 , as well as his '27 Fern and the '56 F5 in various eposides but what you heard was the backing track they recorded for the TV show and he only used the '56 F5 for those recordings as that was his main mandolin.  In other words the Darlin' Boys were fakin' it in all those shows that you heard actual songs.  I asked Dean why he was holding a different mandolin in the various eposides and his reply was "I don't know, just thought it would be cool to see if anyone caught that I didn't always have the same mandolin".   Sorta one of those TAGS trival questions "how many different mandolins did the mandolin player have?"  The same is true for Doug.  He used different banjos.  I think Rodney told he only used his one D28 the whole time which he still plays today.  Don't know about Briscoe's jug!  All of Doug's banjos are for sale from his widow if anyone is interested in owning one.

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FLATROCK HILL, 

Jim

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## John McCoy

> ...All of Doug's banjos are for sale from his widow if anyone is interested in owning one.


Shouldn't they be on consignment at Weaver's Department Store?

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FLATROCK HILL, 

Timbofood

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## Timbofood

In the episode where Charlene sings "There is a time( for us to wander)" I thought Dean played an F-2? I know in at least one show he is playing an F-2 or F-4, I would bet a quart on that!
Said before, I am not buying the "Eddy F-5" anyway and I hope whoever does sleeps well enriching as many folks as will reap benefit from it.
Moving on...
Shouldn't  Ben Weaver get a commission?

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## jaycat

> His contribution to music and guitar playing in general is unmatched and very similar in scope and significance to that of players like Jimi Hendrix . . .
> .


Excuse me?

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## f5loar

He was only pretending to play his F2.  The sound you heard was from his '56 F5.  Listen closely you can tell it's not a round hole sound.  Pretty obvious they are playing to a pre-recorded soundtrack.  Remember their "live almost" LP?  It's not really live.  They recorded the songs in the club when no one was there and then added in the talking and clapping.

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## re simmers

Tom, 
I'm crushed.   That's my favorite live LP.   Next you'll tell me there's no Easter bunny.

Bob

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## John McCoy

> In the episode where Charlene sings "There is a time( for us to wander)" I thought Dean played an F-2? I know in at least one show he is playing an F-2 or F-4, I would bet a quart on that!


Actually, there are two episodes where Charlene sings it, and I believe (relying on memory here), Dean uses different on-screen mandos in those episodes.  FWIW, there's also an episode where Andy sings it.




> Shouldn't  Ben Weaver get a commission?


Ole Ben gets a cut on everything that passes through his store.  *Everything*, I tell ya'.

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## Timbofood

I guess Duane didn't stop in Mayberry!
Now that it's been mentioned, it is certainly a different mandolin, the Easter bunny made me eat one of those rum filled eggs, and Santa offered a nice cup of Irish coffee so, my memory may be as over valued as some instruments...under appraised?
Thanks for keeping us all clear on the the comings and goings of the "Darling's instrumental provenance" Tom. 
I am happy to see someone with a good grasp on the fun things in this life!
I lost my glasses last time I saw Ben, didn't have to sign anything thank goodness!

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## f5loar

Well I thought I was through with this F5 and then I ran across this similar situation at Gruhns tonight.  He says this about a 1924 H5 Mandola "VG++, signed by Lloyd Loar on Mar. 31, 1924, refretted with guitar-size frets, owned and used by Bernie Leadon for over 30 years, with letter from Leadon, a superb sounding example, 1 of only 19 Loar-signed H-5s located and listed in the Mandolin Archive, OHC"  The asking price is $100,000.  Signed Loar H5s are quite rare and the price over the past 10 years for the extreme few that have come to market have been from $65,000 to $125,000 so if Gruhn is asking $100,000 for Bernie's personal H5 that he did play and own for a long time is not much of a premium if it's any at all.  Now Bernie is not known as much of a mandolin picker let alone a mandola picker. I remember back when Bernie sold his '28 Fern to Alan Bibey and it was right at the then market price. He picked mandolin on a few songs with the Eagles.  I would say his part of the Eagles in Album sales alone would far exceed Mr. Eddy.  Bernie is also in the R&R Hall of Fame.  I guess what I am saying here is that adding  a well known person's name to an instrument does not always get you a premium price.

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## mrmando

Tom, if you read between the lines here ... Blues Vintage Guitars does not expect to get the $60K asking price. It's simple: A mandolin with an outrageous price tag and a celebrity name attached will be noticed and talked about more than one at market price with no famous name. More talking about it equals more publicity, equals more eyes on it and a greater chance it will be sold. Not at $60K or anywhere near it, but sold nonetheless. If one of those Hollywood celebrities buys it for $12K, he will pat himself on the back for getting an 80% discount on the asking price, and everyone else will figure he spent twice what it was worth.

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## f5loar

So that's how it works! I guess the other dealers haven't caught on yet.

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## re simmers

Is this all another April fool's joke?   Does Hernandez really exist?   

Bob

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Pete Summers

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## stevedenver

> Tom, if you read between the lines here ... Blues Vintage Guitars does not expect to get the $60K asking price. It's simple: A mandolin with an outrageous price tag and a celebrity name attached will be noticed and talked about more than one at market price with no famous name. More talking about it equals more publicity, equals more eyes on it and a greater chance it will be sold. Not at $60K or anywhere near it, but sold nonetheless. If one of those Hollywood celebrities buys it for $12K, he will pat himself on the back for getting an 80% discount on the asking price, and everyone else will figure he spent twice what it was worth.



let face it, we have all speculated on value
and like a good real estate person , one tests the market, and then adjusts the price 

there is always some aspect that makes something potentially or truly unique
and one needs to see what the market will bear
i am reminded of the recent thread on the Loar era bridge......again, unique, perhaps, but whats the actual demand, and 
how long does one keep something on the market, etc

i only hope we might know, eventually, how close our estimates are to reality, for fun 

i have no issue at all with someone selling for top dollar-that's biz

i dig the mando, i like aspects of it, independent of the ownership, 
i like the deeply yellow laquer, the color etc, and its uncommon as Gibby F's  go, to some extent

at 8-10K, thats an Eills, Duff, etc
and obviously other tiers of makers as well should the price be a 2 or 3x multiple

but to others, that WONT be the issue, but as noted, a unique combination of Mando and provenance

certainly got a bit of limelight among a great number of mando dudes and 'dudettes' here

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## shortymack

Wonder why he done disappeared and never addressed my challenge.

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## f5loar

Just won't let this one die.  Okay I plead guilty to keeping it going but with a lot of help from my fellow cafe lurkers.  Tonight while shopping at the mall with the family I spent my time at the book store.  They had the newest copy of Vintage Guitar Price Guide for 2012 (don't think the 2013 is out yet).  To my surprise they had a full section on the prices of many if not most all of the mandolins with a big section on Gibson mandolins broken down into models and years.  They listed the 1957 F5 at a low of $6300 and a high end of $8000 (just as I had already estimated on my own without the guide).  Also I noticed the guide listed a 1969 F5(not quite as sought after as those famous 50's F5) at low of $4700 and high end of $5300. The reason I looked at the guide price for the '69 F5 was to compare it to one they have today at Gruhns (item no. MF8175) listed in EXF (Exceptionally Fine Condition) for only $4000.  So I must now ponder............ is Gruhn too low on his price (I seriously doubt it) or is Vintage Guitar a bit high(very likely).  If you view the photos of the '69 F5 at Gruhn's it's every bit as clean as the Eddy F5.  Shines like new money. One should also ponder on why these very vintage Gibson F5s are in such minty condition.  You would think if they were really great they would be showing some signs of normal wear.  These price guides generally are a good indicator of what the market should bare but it's not always correct in putting prices on not so desireable models because it's hard to get one since not many change hands due to their undesireablity.  Sometimes I think they just throw out a price to make the book complete without really pricing what the market did bring.  I think we all agree the 50's F5 is not the most desireable vintage mandolin.  At the $8000 price mark as noted above you pretty much got a hugh pick of really great, fine sounding F5 style mandolins including a brand new Gibson F5 Fern model for only $7500 from Musician's Friend.  That ought to put things in prespective here for comparison.  Ebay as of 10 minutes ago posted no offers and 75 watching.  I suspect the 75 watching it are all from the mandolincafe and not one of them a serious buyer waiting for the last minute to spike this one at $60,000.00.   I know seller expects offers of close too or much less as stated but finding those offers are going to be few and far between IMO (well maybe not just IMO but many others too).   I am going to suggest to Mr. Eddy and his family that he donate this rare gem to the RRHF or even the CMHF compelete with the above video to authenticate it along with the certified letter to receive a much better tax deduction than can made off ebay and very quickly before the current government powers that be eliminate such tax deductions to charity which they are now considering in order raise more tax revenue.

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## brunello97

_<content removed>

- Topics started for or end up being used to discuss religion, politics or sex as well as other hot button issues meant to create discord are prohibited. Posts or threads deemed inappropriate or unrelated to our subject matter are subject to immediate removal at the discretion of the forum owner and/or lead moderator._

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## f5loar

At the moment mandolins can be deductable.  Remember the elderly gentleman from North Carolina that has already donated his 1924 Lloyd Loar F5 to the IBMA Museum in Owensboro, KY?  He drew up the deduction papers while living and has the right to continue to pick on his mandolin until his death at which time it will go directly to IBMA tax free with his Estate taking a pretty heafty deduction.  As for one who does give to charities throughout the year this "circleling of the buzzards in DC" does concern me directly.

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## pefjr

It now has 2 offers. Same buyer.

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## f5loar

Where are you seeing that?  I know ebay changed their format but I don't anywhere that they show number of offers made.

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## mrmando

> So that's how it works! I guess the other dealers haven't caught on yet.


Well, yeah, one potential reason it's not listed with Gruhn's is that George won't engage in this kind of tomfoolery. I don't think George is above including a "celebrity premium" in the price of an instrument, but if he does, it's a realistic one. Bernie Leadon isn't widely celebrated for his mandola playing, so any celebrity cachet attached to his H5 would be negligible compared to the cachet associated with being a Loar-signed Gibson.

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## P.D. Kirby

> Well, yeah, one potential reason it's not listed with Gruhn's is that George won't engage in this kind of tomfoolery. I don't think George is above including a "celebrity premium" in the price of an instrument, but if he does, it's a realistic one. Bernie Leadon isn't widely celebrated for his mandola playing, so any celebrity cachet attached to his H5 would be negligible compared to the cachet associated with being a Loar-signed Gibson.


Tomfoolery. Love It! I haven't heard that one since my Father passed in 1981 and quite apropos...

 :Popcorn:  :Popcorn:  :Popcorn:

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## FLATROCK HILL

_<content removed>

- Topics started for or end up being used to discuss religion, politics or sex as well as other hot button issues meant to create discord are prohibited. Posts or threads deemed inappropriate or unrelated to our subject matter are subject to immediate removal at the discretion of the forum owner and/or lead moderator._

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## stevedenver

could do without politics in this thread, thanks 




i do think from my watching gruhn, that he indeed does include celebrity factors into pricing
i say this because, as a guy that watches and buys guitars and mandos from tiem to time, 
i have found that gruhns price is higher -generally, and if celebrity owned, a bit higher still than other retailers of used instruments-
i know condition and sound also enter into his pricing, as i see things-as well as his reputation and willingness to stand behind or allow return of instruments

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Tom Sanderson

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## Tom Sanderson

[QUOTE=stevedenver;1151256]could do without politics in this thread, thanks 

Same with me, I come here to escape all that crap. Ain't nothin Democrat, Republican, etc. about mandolins.

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Drew Egerton

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## Bill Foss

[QUOTE=Tom Sanderson;1151267]


> could do without politics in this thread, thanks 
> 
> Same with me, I come here to escape all that crap. Ain't nothin Democrat, Republican, etc. about mandolins.


Well said!

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## Jim Garber

> They had the newest copy of Vintage Guitar Price Guide for 2012 (don't think the 2013 is out yet).


I have the 2013 edition and buy it every year for some baseline for pricing. Over the last few years quite a few vintage instruments have actually gone down in value. I can take a look and see how the prices for Tom's quotes above have changed. The mandolin section is prob the least accurate in terms of models and descriptions.

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## Pete Summers

I'm gonna go back and read each post on this thread for fun when the coffee finishes brewing here. But before I do, I'll like say that this amusing controversy over the value of a mandolin has inadvertantly taken me back over 50 years to a charmed time of life (as I know it also has for other members here). It has motivated me to listen again to Duane Eddy and the great rock 'n roll music he recorded during my high school years. 

He delivered some great joyous sounds to us greasers and bobby sockers of the era, and you could always dance to it. Thanks, Mr. Eddy and keep on playin'. 
 :Cool:

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FLATROCK HILL

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## mrmando

> i do think from my watching gruhn, that he indeed does include celebrity factors into pricing
> i say this because, as a guy that watches and buys guitars and mandos from tiem to time, 
> i have found that gruhns price is higher -generally,


That's because Gruhn himself is a celebrity!



> and if celebrity owned, a bit higher still than other retailers of used instruments-


Sure, but not a 900% markup on something the celebrity admits he never played.

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## pefjr

> Where are you seeing that?  I know ebay changed their format but I don't anywhere that they show number of offers made.


right above the price of 59,000    
http://www.ebay.com/itm/RARE-1957-GI...item19da8d1175

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## f5loar

I see nothing there.  Blank.  I know where they use to put it in that area but nothing I can see on this one.
  Up to 80 watchers so it is gaining in ring side seats.

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## Jim Garber

I see it  and it links to *this page*.

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## f5loar

I got it. Seems I was not signed in when I do the link from the cafe.  Anyway so far 2 offers from 1 person and both declined so I made my maximum offer and it was declined so fast it made my head spin in front of the computer screen.  So now they have 2 people making declined offers.

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## Kevin Stevens

Any offers under the reserve price are automatically declined. So if you get a fast decline, you are not at or above the reserve. If it takes a bit to get a response you are most likely above the reserve price.

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## mtucker

> and heavily influenced - the guitar sound of much of the early- and mid-1960s, including the sound of such notables as Dick Dale


....Since this thread is pretty beat and you referenced Dick, this is worth a quick listen about his start with Leo, commercial paid but still worth a looky. Dick is still a fixture in SoCal and going strong at 75! I saw him a few years back at our annual woody show in San Pedro and he looks remarkably well for his age.

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John Eischen

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## stevedenver

ya get that tutorial on tremello from Dick?

he emphasizes the 1 -just like us mando dudes are taught in speed drills for trem

must be those greek or mediterranian musical roots.....those greeks played mandos too, (oouds) or the like!
small world LOL

i dig dick BUT
not sure im down with his 'molecular theories' on sound travel however
sort of 'celebrity license' versus reality i guess

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## f5loar

Looks like the Eddy F5 failed to sell on ebay and it's on again for another round at same price.  It was up to over 85 watchers and 2 made 3 offers all declined.  
http://www.ebay.com/itm/RARE-1957-GI...item1c319c3bd7

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## Kevin Stevens

This time nobody watch it.

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Timbofood

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## John McCoy

I wonder whether there might be a market for Miles Davis's contrabassoon??

 :Popcorn:

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## mrmando

Sure, man! I used to blow on that thing when I'd go over to Miles' house and jam with him and other musicians. But the last time I went over he'd made a coat rack out of it.

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John McCoy

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## John McCoy

> Sure, man! I used to blow on that thing when I'd go over to Miles' house and jam with him and other musicians. But the last time I went over he'd made a coat rack out of it.


 :Laughing:   :Laughing:   :Laughing:   :Laughing:   :Laughing:

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## pefjr



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## mrmando

Did Vince ever get to play Duane's mandolin?

What's Chet playing -- looks like a Rick Turner Renaissance?

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## Jim

What ever Chet was playing it sure wasn't in the mix, too bad. I'd forgotten about Steve Wariner, Good Picker. I too wonder if that was Duanes Mandolin. Doubt it.

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## AlanN

Leon....

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## mtucker

> I too wonder if that was Duanes Mandolin. Doubt it.


believe that's his '23 gibson, but i may be wrong. Leon's got great hahrrr!

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## Jim

The 23 gibby would be my choice.

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## f5loar

Nope,  it's a Fern model.   No date given but judging by Vince's weight, the length of Leon's beard, Earl and Chet sitting down, Randy's Fro haircut I'd say it's mid to late 90's.  Chet died in 2001 so before then.  Vince got a '24 but this is before he got it and Bill's Monroe model.  You can see the Fern inlay and judging by the sunburst it's his older F5L from Bozeman, MT.  Randy Scruggs is so well respected in Nashville he could likely get anyone he wants to do a show.  I always like Reuben no matter who picks it.

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## AlanN

Not the Bobby Clark '29?

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## f5loar

Not worn enough to be that one.  And Bobby's Fern has the dot at 3rd fret.  No dot there here. Pretty much standard 90's F5L is all I see.

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## mtucker

> Not worn enough to be that one.  And Bobby's Fern has the dot at 3rd fret.  No dot there here. Pretty much standard 90's F5L is all I see.


Solid sleuthing f5! Chet's been gone that long...wow.  Let's try this one...I don't believe that's a Turner he's playing.

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## f5loar

Chet still lives in my house everyday!  I have his full size wax figure sitting down on a stool tapping his foot playing his Country Gentleman Gretsch wearing the tux suit he performed in with the Boston Pops circa 1968.

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## John McCoy

> Chet still lives in my house everyday!  I have his full size wax figure sitting down on a stool tapping his foot playing his Country Gentleman Gretsch wearing the tux suit he performed in with the Boston Pops circa 1968.


A wax figure tapping his (its?) foot.  Hmmm.  The next time I go to Charlotte I'm gonna have to come find you--and Chet, of course.

 :Mandosmiley:

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## f5loar

Great.  I'll have him play you "Yankee Doodle and Dixie" at the same time!  I wonder if anyone has worked up his version of that on a mandolin?

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## Timbofood

I agree, solid sleuthing indeed!  Would love to meet Chet too!

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## ourgang

Larry Rice, Tony's brother, played a 50's Gibson mandolin and I thought it had great tone.

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## houseworker

Well, it may have found a buyer, the listing ended early because it's "no longer available"

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## f5loar

Or not!  An offer away from ebay avoids the fees to the seller which would be pretty steep on $60K.  It also keeps us from talking about it anymore.  I do know who didn't get it!   Larry Rice's '58 F5 was indeed a good one.  Pretty sure he did a lot of work over the years to beef it up a bit including a refinsh.   Those Rice boys sure know how to pull some tone out of an instrument.

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## Timbofood

I seem to remember a bit of conversation regarding Larry Rice's F-5 as being " less than optimum" and how he was able to get more out of it than most anyone else.  Is my addled mind playing tricks or has that come up before?

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## Scott Tichenor

It's b-a-a-a-a-c-c-k, discounted to $49,999.99, down from $59,999.99.

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## shortymack

:Laughing:

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## Fatthand

What if Duane Eddy's Reverb Unit came up for sale? There is Rock and Roll History.

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## f5loar

It's about time someone in the Eddy camp woke up and realized it was wayyyyyyyyy too over priced at $60,000.00.  It might sell now with the reduced price.   :Wink:

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## P.D. Kirby

50k OBO this morning with only 8 hours to go, better get those bids in  :Whistling: . Nice video of Mr. Eddy on the Ad. Still no takers...

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## John McCoy

Different attempt, same result.

It seems that as the length of time it's owned by DE increases, the asking price decreases.  Perhaps eventually they will meet.

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## f5loar

Another round at $50K starts today.  No takers yet.  Even if they lower it to double market value it won't sell.   Not sure why the bother to keep on listing it.

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## lenf12

> Another round at $50K starts today.  No takers yet.  Even if they lower it to double market value it won't sell.   Not sure why the bother to keep on listing it.


Pig headed obstinence??

Len B.
Clearwater, FL

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## jim simpson

I looked at his other auctions, noticed a number of optimistic prices. I believe Ebay reaches such a large audience, the buyer isn't so interested in the typical informed buyer such as most Cafe members. After attending a number of live auctions, I'm often amazed and amused by the overpaying of some items. Knowledge is power.

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## paul dirac

It only takes one... And I hear there's one born every minute...

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## Gary Hedrick

Oh perhaps it is like the Mandolin Brothers prices used to be.....note used to be.....just put a high value on it and eventually the marketplace starts believing it..... :Smile:

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## re simmers

I have a basketball that once belonged to Billy Kilmer.   Maybe I'll list it.

Bob

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## Austin Bob

> It only takes one... And I hear there's one born every minute...


How very true, sir. There is no need to convince all of us. They only need to persuade one buyer.

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## f5loar

The ones born this minute have no clue who Duane Eddy is or even was.  The ones born yesterday that do know who he is knows enough to know he was not a mandolin picker.  And the ones with $50K to throw at a postwar Gibson F5 would not even look at it.  I'd still like to know who came up with figure?  No way this came from a reputable vintage instrument dealer.  Even the Mando Bros would not do this.  It's a waste of my time to even comment on this any more but if I were Mr. Eddy I would get that $50K appraisal from someone and donate it to the R&RHF in Ohio and take the tax write off while you still can before the IRS says you can no longer do that.

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## shortymack

I know exactly who came up with that figure.

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## f5loar

It's baaaaaaack again for another round.  No changes, same $50K.  They just won't give up on this one. I guess there is no limit at ebay as to how many times you re-list the same item as long as you continue to pay that listing fee. I think they need to get creative with the description.  Bring in a video of Roland White saying "oh yeah I remember this one at a party Clarence and me went to back in the early 60's.  I ripped into "Rawhide" on it and it cut the high parts like butter. Duane took a break on his old Gretsch that I still remember to this day. Clarence could not belive those licks. It's a killer F5 and if I didn't already have one I sure would go for this one. "
http://www.ebay.com/itm/RARE-1957-GI...-/121118555589

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## Bernie Daniel

Amazing.  Kind of like auctioning a tennis racket owned by Roger Maris.  (just google Roger Maris if you don't know).

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## mrmando

Down to $20K. They're clearly getting desperate over there at the Eddy house, selling things for a third of their value...
http://www.ebay.com/itm/RARE-1957-GI...item20d4921b02

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## Gary Hedrick

Hmmm wonder what happens when the reality of a $8k price tag hits.....it does say OBO.....perhaps someone will go $10k...

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## Dave Hanson

Down to 12K now.

Dave H

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## houseworker

> Down to 12K now.


Might you be talking Pounds Sterling?  :Confused:

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## vegas

Now it's within everyone's budget!

http://www.ebay.com/itm/RARE-1957-GI...item20d4921b02

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## almeriastrings

Definitely a steal. I hear they're worth $50-60K  :Laughing:

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## John McCoy

I just noticed this:

From the write-up:

1.  "Time left: 9d 03h (Jul 06, 2013 14:39:48 PDT)"  

  (Time,obviously, counts down.  The important thing is that the auction ends on July 6)

  and

2.  "Delivery:  Estimated on or before Tue. Jul. 02 to [my ZIP Code]"

In other words:  Buy by July 6 for delivery by July 2.

So, now it time-travels.  I guess that's why they're charging $65 delivery on top of the 20 Gs to buy the thing.

 :Laughing:  :Popcorn:

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## f5loar

The only way I see $20K on this one is if Duane Eddy delivers it in person and giving the buyer a private "Rebel Rousing" concert for family and friends, spends the night and eats at least 4 meals with you.  Oh and he will need to pick a tune on the mandolin too!  How did I come up with that?  Easy.  The mandolin is worth around $8K.  To have a rock&roll legend spend the night in your home with private concert varies as to the status of the star.  I put Eddy up there with Mickey of the Monkees and Roger McGuinn of the Byrds who was charging this a few years ago around $12K.  I know of many rock&roll legends who would come to your home for $12K or less.  You could get Chuck Berry for much less but don't expect Mick Jagger or Keith Richards for that.  But the memories you take with you for this event............... PRICELESS!

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## houseworker

> The mandolin is worth around $8K.


Hey, don't forget the signed letter of authenticity from Blues Vintage Guitars Inc!  Added value that the likes of George Gruhn can only dream of...  :Grin:

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stevedenver

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## stevedenver

You know, i actually think the initial high price and falderal may well have hurt a legit chance at a quick sale, at a premium.

IMHO, it hurts the perception of credibility of the entire sale.

It may have been more likely to go over a reasonable FMV with the celebrity 'added value', had their been a bidding war, initiated by a reasonable starting range for the bloody mando in the first place.  It has its own aesthetic merits, ie that nice rich color , etc. In other words had it started at about $8K, he may have actually had a better chance at realizing the added value aspect with legit bidders. 

I guess i think, if i might have been a good faith bidder at 8K, if i saw the thing at 60, i wouldnt have simply written it off and never taken a sceond glance.


Pigs get fed, hogs get slaughtered.

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## mrmando

> So, now it time-travels.  I guess that's why they're charging $65 delivery on top of the 20 Gs to buy the thing.


A time-machine mandolin ought to be worth $20K easily. If you flub a note in concert, you can always hit rewind and fix it. But if it will arrive four days before I buy it, do I still have to pay for it?

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## John McCoy

> A time-machine mandolin ought to be worth $20K easily. If you flub a note in concert, you can always hit rewind and fix it. But if it will arrive four days before I buy it, do I still have to pay for it?


Of course you have to pay for it.  Just be sure to write a post-dated check so that the seller can cash it before he lists the mando.

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## re simmers

$20,000???     Let's see.   That Clarence White Martin looks like a deal at $6K.    That leaves $14K to find a used Nugget A model.    I wouldn't have to think about that very long.

Bob

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## phiddlepicker

If I was going to drop 20K on a mando....it wouldn't be that one.

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## f5loar

Ebay auction ended early with no bids.  Item no longer available.  Does that mean it was sold outside ebay or they just gave up?

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## John McCoy

Maybe somebody came up with the $19,999?  Or maybe there was a bid so close that the seller accepted it?  

I don't want to read back through 150+ posts right now, but didn't the seller come into this thread and say that he'd post the final disposition here?

So we wait.  (I have my own idea how long the wait will be.)

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## houseworker

If I'd been wanting that mandolin I'd have made a sensible offer directly to Duane Eddy; he's a sensible man and after all this while would probably have appreciated a straightforward sale with no consignment fees or commission to take off the top.

Either it's sold for very substantially less than $20,000 or Duane Eddy has taken it back.  If the latter, it's probably available for the right price (I'd guess $12k).

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## BluesVintageGuitars

To the readers of this thread,

As I promised, I am proud to report that I have sold the '57 Gibson F-5 Mandolin for Mr. Eddy at a price that both Mr. Eddy and the buyer are very happy with. Unfortunately, both parties have asked me to keep the details of the transaction private, and I will - of course - honor their request. Thank you all for your interest in this wonderful instrument. 

Regards,
Gabriel J. Hernandez
Blues Vintage Guitars, Inc.
Nashville, TN
1.888.407.2717

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## vegas

There you have it! I'd love to know the details, of course.  :Frown: 

Did somebody actually pay close to the asking price because they are a Duane Eddy fan or believe it will become an investment in the future worth far more than the asking price? Did the sellers finally conclude the mandolin was only worth closer to the FMV of similar instruments and let it go at that price?

I guess we may know at some future date if it ever comes up for sale. I can't imagine whoever sells it would not hype the original ownership as part of it's value.

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## f5loar

I've seen that trick used over and over when selling a mandolin.   This is the one the "Dawg" had before he was the "Dawg".  Didn't use it on no recordings but it was the "Dawgs"!   How many times have I seen "Bill Monroe played this mandolin on stage at Pony Springs School House in Poduck, KY right after he hired Jimmy Martin.  And Jimmy Martin played this mandolin too when Bill was singing the ole Muleskinner song."  Oh the stories.  One thing for sure the Duane Eddy story was the real deal because you had his testimony on a video along with a signed letter.  You don't always get that much.   I still fail to see the celebrity value on this one.  How much would Bill Monroe's harmonica be worth?  You know the one he blew on while rocking on his porch at home.  So hard to put a value on just "stuff" that belonged to famous people.  However it seems anything Elvis or Marilyn Monroe touched seems to turned into "gold" when it's sold.

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## Gene Summers

> I've seen that trick used over and over when selling a mandolin.   This is the one the "Dawg" had before he was the "Dawg".  Didn't use it on no recordings but it was the "Dawgs"!   How many times have I seen "Bill Monroe played this mandolin on stage at Pony Springs School House in Poduck, KY right after he hired Jimmy Martin.  And Jimmy Martin played this mandolin too when Bill was singing the ole Muleskinner song."  Oh the stories.  One thing for sure the Duane Eddy story was the real deal because you had his testimony on a video along with a signed letter.  You don't always get that much.   I still fail to see the celebrity value on this one.  How much would Bill Monroe's harmonica be worth?  You know the one he blew on while rocking on his porch at home.  So hard to put a value on just "stuff" that belonged to famous people.  However it seems anything Elvis or Marilyn Monroe touched seems to turned into "gold" when it's sold.


I did see Bill play a Gibson F5 mandolin, near Paducah, KY, at the KY Opry, in Draffenville in 1993, it was his Loar....  :Smile:

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## f5loar

Too bad you didn't have it to sell with that kind of proof!  Could've brought you a cool million and some change.

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## mandolinlee

Back in the 1970's I was at a festival where Bill Monroe and the Boys played the midnight show to end the day. A little later a crowd gathered around Bill's bus. He stood there and played mandolins as folks from the crowd passed them to him. Nearly everyone had a ticket hanging on it like Minnie Pearl had on her hat, so I guessed they were all for sale. After Bill quit playing and retired into his bus, I told a friend,  tomorrow, all the tags on those mandolins will say: "Played by Bill Monroe" .
Lee

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