# General Mandolin Topics > Vintage Instruments >  curious about 1960's Gibson A-5(the type Jethro Burns played)

## Dave Richard

He could, it seems to me, have had any type he wanted, and he often seems to have played those cherry sunburst, oval holed A-5s.  How do they sound? Anyone have one or familiar with them?

Dave

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## Bill Kammerzell

> He could, it seems to me, have had any type he wanted, and he often seems to have played those cherry sunburst, oval holed A-5s.  How do they sound? Anyone have one or familiar with them?
> 
> Dave


I wish I did. Had a couple of different Japanese copies in the 1970's is all.

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## almeriastrings

It has been a few years, but I did encounter one.  Once. It was only one example, of course... but... it seemed very heavily built, had a lot of (thick) lacquer checking and left a very underwhelming impression. Not much volume. Really non-responsive to my ears. Quite 'dead' sounding. It was in a store and they wanted a really high price for it. Interesting to see one, but was not remotely tempted to buy it.  I cannot remember the exact year of the one I saw, but it was very close to this example in all respects, so probably '64-65.

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DataNick

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## f5joe

I got to be around Jethro a few times in the '80's.  He was quite the entertainer.  Mandolin-wise, his mandolins were never the best available ..... to me.  His two point was quite bright and thin sounding to my ear.  Just my opinion, mind you.  However, the music that he could generate was unbelievable.  I wish I could have been around him more.

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## AlanN

Jethro's Red fit his thing. It was customized with an F-5 type headstock and presumably better woods. He claimed it was his favorite. The 2 times I saw him (with Steve Goodman), he was on a Gibson F-5. I think Sam Bush owns Red now.

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## Jeff Mando

I think Jethro would sound good on anything..........

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Timbofood

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## Bill Kammerzell

> Jethro's Red fit his thing. It was customized with an F-5 type headstock and presumably better woods. He claimed it was his favorite. The 2 times I saw him (with Steve Goodman), he was on a Gibson F-5. I think Sam Bush owns Red now.


Many of the you tube videos I've seen of him he's playing an F5. The duets of him and his brother-in-law, Chet Atkins are priceless.

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## Mark Wilson

My instructor has one and plays it on lessons.  I do like the sound of it  - plenty loud - light touch of oval honk which sounds great on swing/jazz - balanced.  I'd play it if I had one

But it's best feature is it's cool looks.  It has mojo with mojo to spare

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Bill Kammerzell

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## pops1

Jethro said the red mandolin looked good on TV.

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Timbofood

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## darrylicshon

I've always liked them every time i see one it is out of my price range , but i do plan on having one someday. I have 2 other two pointers. A Sigma SM35 and a Kiso Suzuki V900 , the Suzuki sounds the best and has the cherry sunburst finish. Only paid $100 got it from a guy who said he had it for 40 years.

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## mandroid

Never needed a Strap,   Jethro tucked the mandolin under his right arm ,
 & often shifted to just holding it by the neck, when not playing.

 & singing duets with Homer Haynes,   or telling Jokes.. which were often the point of the Songs   :Laughing: 

Homer's Big Arch Top Guitar  filled in the Bottom End Nicely.

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## Dave Richard

Thanks for all your replies!

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## Willie Poole

...He also endorsed Washburn mandolins and played one quite often on his shows...He seemed to be satisfied with mandolins of a lower quality, I am sure he could have afforded a more expensive mandolin....

     Willie

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## f5loar

I still have a couple of these 60's puppies and to me they sound like the A4/F4 of the 20's.  Some did seem to have double dipped lacquer finish but most were quite nice.  Short neck is hard for me to cut "Rawhide" on but it does great for that old time sound and of coarse if you want that unique "Jethro" sound.  But keep in mind the regular stock model A5 was not the same as the custom one Jethro had made.

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## Hendrik Ahrend

I remember a pic (in some '70s Oak Publication, I believe) of Jethro holding a '50s F5. Anybody know, if he played that one to any extend?

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## lenf12

> I remember a pic (in some '70s Oak Publication, I believe) of Jethro holding a '50s F5. Anybody know, if he played that one to any extend?


I have no idea how much Jethro played that particular mandolin but the picture you reference is on page 149 of the "Bluegrass Mandolin" book by Jack Tottle, an Oak Publications 1975 copyright. I bought that book around then at the same time I acquired my 1916 F-4 and still have both the book and the mandolin, 40 years ago...  

Len B.
Clearwater, FL

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Hendrik Ahrend

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## Willie Poole

FWIT...A lot of professional players posed with pictures of instruments that they never actually owned or played, if the money is good they will pose with anything...

     Willie

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Timbofood

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## Hendrik Ahrend

> FWIT...A lot of professional players posed with pictures of instruments that they never actually owned or played, if the money is good they will pose with anything...
> 
>      Willie


Willie, you mean the Ibanez Artist Mandolin was _not_ Bill Monroe's one and only? :Confused:

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## Jeff Hildreth

I bought  Jethro's custom, Japanese made, Washburn 2 point from Chet Atkins.  It was not an inexpensive instrument.

Top quality materials and workmanship throughout.

It played like a dream and had very fine tone and a loud volume with the very low action Jethro preferred.

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darrylicshon, 

Hendrik Ahrend

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## AlanN

> I have no idea how much Jethro played that particular mandolin but the picture you reference is on page 149 of the "Bluegrass Mandolin" book by Jack Tottle, an Oak Publications 1975 copyright. I bought that book around then at the same time I acquired my 1916 F-4 and still have both the book and the mandolin, 40 years ago...  
> 
> Len B.
> Clearwater, FL


Same. Bought the book at that time.And loved all the photos, musics, write-ups. What is the cover photo of, the one hanging in the bushes? I say it's a Loar.

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## Glassweb

i had one of these A5s once and i loved it. had a very nice, balanced sound, great articulation and perhaps the most comfortable neck profile i ever played. a lot of these had binding and/or finish issues but mine didn't. kinda wish i had kept as it was a great sounding and playing round-hole mandolin. these days it's all about the F-hole sound... a shame, as a good round hole can be a thing of beauty. Statman's A- (no, it is not an A2Z... i've played it many times) certainly served him well for many, many years and recordings... that mandolin was the Bill Monroe F5 of A models... if that makes any sense???

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## AlanN

I always liked this photo

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Glassweb

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## Timbofood

Jethro could have made a shoebox sound good.
I have heard a couple of those and don't remember one blessed thing about them. That's a screaming endorsement for no part of nuthin'.
I sold probably fifty copies of the Tottle book, I think I might have a copy (with the floppy record) in a box someplace around here, or not.theres a shot of Levon Helm playing one in the liner shots on "The Band, Rock of Ages" if memory serves. One reason I was bitten by the mandolin bug, to be honest. That and seeing Jim Steigmeyer with the late Frank Salamone, and a few others before the "Bluegrass infection" set in. Hmm, "Bluegrass Infection" now that might me an interesting band name! Motto..."We'll make you sick!"

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## T.D.Nydn

I remember playing with a friend of mine in the late 70's who had one,it's the only mandolin he's ever owned and I don't recall much about it either. I really abused that Tottle book when it came out,,I think there is an early picture of Andy Statman in that also...

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## Hendrik Ahrend

> Same. Bought the book at that time.And loved all the photos, musics, write-ups. What is the cover photo of, the one hanging in the bushes? I say it's a Loar.


Yeah, loved that wonderful book, owned it in the '70s and '80s (until somebody borrowed and never returned it). The cover is Loar #72207, ex-Joe Val's.

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AlanN, 

Timbofood

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## f5loar

> I remember a pic (in some '70s Oak Publication, I believe) of Jethro holding a '50s F5. Anybody know, if he played that one to any extend?


That photo is of Jethro's 1967 F5.  It sold through Gruhns a few decades ago.  If you look at the dozens of photos of the RCA H&J album covers you will see Jethro had quite a few Gibsons.  I remember in addition to this '67 F5, a 60's Electric F5 (I know where it's at), a regular A5, a few EM200s and some older A and F models.  And pretty sure he had a 70's F5 too before he started endorsing Washburn.  Jethro endorsed Gibson in the 50's and 60's and likely got all he wanted free for the asking.

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Hendrik Ahrend

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## JeffD

A quote attributed to Jethro: 




> Buy the cheapest mandolin you can find; nobody will ever hear you anyways.

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DataNick, 

Timbofood

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## Jeff Mando

or the electric guitar equivalent -- when you use a fuzz pedal you can make a $3000 guitar sound just like a $100 guitar!

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## Timbofood

Thanks for the Jethro quote, Jeff!
There are some really hilarious quotes from him, that's one of the best!

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## Jack Roberts

I've got one, from 1958.  It has a very thick top, warped braces, but it is playable.  I played it for years before I bought my 'teens A-1, which has a much better sound.  Here is a link to the old post with a picture:

http://www.mandolincafe.com/forum/showthread.php?1845-It-doesn't-look-like-much

Since this picture I had it re-fretted and setup by MandoMedic, and I've changed to Daddario strings. I also figured out a way to put the pick guard back on.  If you're interested, I'll take a new picture of it.   I'm keeping it as it has a lot of character, but the sound doesn't quite carry enough to use when we play in public.  

I still play it once in a while when I get the urge to sing "The Battle of Cucamonga".  The coolest thing about it is the hot pink fur inside the case.

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f5loar

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## Timbofood

Buddy of mine had an '02 Orville guitar that had become separated from its case and the only thing he could fine to fit was one or those hot pink numbers, what a look that was!

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## Jack Roberts

If I recollect correct, Jethro played a Fender Mandocaster as well.  The guy could have given a lot of the MAS types fits over how many different mandolins he owned and played.   I grew up listening to, and watching, Homer and Jethro, and I recall I had the whole Kellogg's corn flakes corny jokes commercial (Don't be corn-fused) memorized.  I didn't know that there were any other types of mandolin besides that two-pointer that Jethro played until I stopped buying larger shoes every year.

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## Jamie-boy

Went to a workshop with Jethro 1980 at Woodsy's Music in Kent, Ohio. He was representing Washburn, but played a Gibson F5. He said when he was young, he decided that if he got good enough, he would never need to pay for another mandolin; that people would just give him instruments to play. He said that he never paid for another one after making that decision.

Glad I had the chance to meet him.

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## j. condino

I have a friend in who owns one from approx. 1968- bright red and dipped in finish thicker than a stratocaster. It has the thickest top I have ever measured on a mandolin- 8+ mm thick around the bridge. That is in the range of most carved upright basses. It sounds ok acoustic, but it really excels at high volumes like the Merlefest main stage levels, where a more sensitive mandolin could have a lot of issues. Everything about that era two points are different- super thick tops, heavy finish, stubby mahogany necks- like they gave the project to a guitar builder and said, "... make one smaller and put 8 strings on it; use the scraps from the es335 dumpster..."

As funky as those Gibsons were,  D'Aquisto's interpretation of the two point mandolin from the same time period is a whole different world of style..... 

j.
www.condino.com
www.kaybassrepair.com

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## f5loar

> Went to a workshop with Jethro 1980 at Woodsy's Music in Kent, Ohio. He was representing Washburn, but played a Gibson F5. He said when he was young, he decided that if he got good enough, he would never need to pay for another mandolin; that people would just give him instruments to play. He said that he never paid for another one after making that decision.
> 
> Glad I had the chance to meet him.


Jethro was a long term endorser for Gibson, which means he got them Free for the asking.  And yes he had that Fender Mandocaster too which I'm sure he got than one Free too.  Other than a bunch of Gibsons, that one Fender and a few Washburns that was it.

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Jack Roberts

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