# General Mandolin Topics > Vintage Instruments >  Jazz 5 Roberts/Tiny Moore Mandolin

## lynda

My father passed away almost a year ago now. He was a very good fiddle player well he played many instruments actually and has years of history with some old musicians way back in the county music times in the Sacramento area. He even went on tour with Merle Haggard years ago.  I'm aware of some history I believe my dad had Jay Roberts from Auburn Ca build the first Jazz 5 Mandolin/Tiny Moore, it was a copy that Tiny Moore played. I now own the other Mandolin my dad has kept for years. Does anyone know someone who may be interested in this Mandolin? I know my dad well, and he would not want an instrument to be left unappreciated, I have a couple violins I will need to get appraised some day also. Thanks for taking time to read.   THIS IS MY FIRST TIME EVER POSTING ON A FORUM, Im not even sure what Im doing and not sure Ill even know how to respond. Thank you
Lynda

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JimY, 

Timbofood

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## Chris Daniels

Greetings Lynda! May I be the first to welcome you to the wondrous Mandolin Cafe!

I will say with the utmost confidence that there are going to be many people interested in appreciating a Roberts Jazz 5. Any chance we can help you figure out how to post some pictures?

Edit: Hmmm...I just noticed this says 'the other' mandolin. Even more of a mystery perhaps?

Chris ~/:/~

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## Jeff Mando

IIRC, someone recently posted on the Cafe who had a Roberts Tiny Moore mandolin......seems like within the last 6 months or so.....

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## lynda

Hi Chris, thank you for the welcome, I will try and post some pics. maybe tomorrow if I can figure it out..   The other post by Jeff below mentioned someone posted about a Jazz 5 it was probably me. I came on this site about that time and posted. I'm remembering my dad sold his Bigsby Mandolin and I believe this Jazz 5 is a copy. I will try to take a picture and post soon. Thanks again.  :Smile:   this was my dads Bigsby.. if the link works. https://www.mandolincafe.com/forum/t...igsby-Mandolin

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## mrmando

Hi Lynda, so your dad was Glenn Tarver? 

Jay Roberts made a few different styles of electric mandolin. The "Tiny Moore" is the best known and it's the Bigsby copy. The Jazz 5 looks a little different. There are photos of both models at my website, Emando.com: 
http://emando.com/builders_inactive/Roberts.htm

I'd love to see photos of your dad's mandolin. I used to have a Roberts Tiny Moore but let it go a while back.

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## Ted Eschliman

Greetings, Lynda and welcome to the Mandolin Cafe. As per Forum Guidelines, we try to keep commerce out of the Forum so as long as participants discuss information about the instrument only, we'll keep this thread going. As already mentioned, there will be lots of interest in the instrument, but when you are ready to sell, please utilize the Classifieds resources on the Cafe. No doubt you will have greater opportunity and exposure there.

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## Larry S Sherman

I don't want to hijack this, but in the spirit of appreciating the Roberts copies here are some pics I snapped at the Country Music Hall of Fame in September:











Larry

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Dale Ludewig, 

Verne Andru

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## mrmando

How interesting. So it would appear that Tiny had at least 2 of these  "Tiny" Roberts mandolins; the other one is at  Skip's Music in Sacramento.  

Note that the knobs don't match, the name "TINY" takes up less space on the pickguard of the CMHF mandolin, and there's a spot of wear on the scroll of the CMHF mandolin that doesn't match the scroll of the one on Skip's couch. 



The mandolin at Skip's Music matches the two best-known photos of Tiny with a Roberts, and it appears to be the one he's playing here:

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Larry S Sherman, 

oliverkollar

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## Jim Garber

I ordered a black finished Tiny Moore model (not the Jazz 5) from Tiny when he taught at Ashokan. I had it for a number of years and sold it to a swing player from the west quite some time ago.

Here is an *older thread* on the Jazz 5.

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## lynda

Yes my dad was Glenn Tarver, he passed away at 88 Jan. 15-2019 mainly from slow dementia and I believe a broken heart after my mom 6 months earlier passed suddenly. 70 years of marriage and music.. He had a full life though. He was a very humble good man, was loved by his many friends, many of them have passed as well,  he was a much respected musician and man  :Smile:  I think it would be ok with him if I mentioned that.  I know about Wills Point and Bob Wills...and the Texas Playboys ....my dad was there in those days and played. I wish I could say I had listened to the details better growing up, but I have some pictures and noted writings that I have to rely on for most those memories.   Ive heard him play almost every instrument except wind I think  :Smile:  I personally loved the piano but he spent most his later life playing the fiddle, and his mandolin some.   He learned the violin from a very young boy but played it more as a fiddle, in country bands back in Texas where he was born and then moving to Sacramento back in those Wills Point days and with bands here in Sacramento, fiddle contests here and other states, jazz festivals ect. He loved playing and did as long as he was able. Sorry mentioned more than you asked but yes Glenn was my dad. thank you for your interest. Lynda

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Dave Richard, 

GrooverMcTube, 

Jim Garber, 

oliverkollar, 

pops1, 

Timbofood

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## lynda

Hi Martin, I just looked at you link above with the 4 pictures.. I took a look at my dads its the 3rd one over....its a little diff. than the Bigsby he had sold awhile back, I remember him saying he wish he had never sold.... Seems like he picked this one up later, just not sure... I have to say its not in excellent condition, but interesting to learn a little more background and that others enjoy instruments and music as my dad did.  I have a favorite picture of my mom and dad... my dad is holding I think the Bigsby that he sold, he's very  much younger.   I'm going to research the picture more.  The light is shinning right where the wording is so I cant make it out  Thanks again, Lynda

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## Jim Garber

> Hi Martin, I just looked at you link above with the 4 pictures.. I took a look at my dads its the 3rd one over....its a little diff. than the Bigsby he had sold awhile back, I remember him saying he wish he had never sold.... Seems like he picked this one up later, just not sure... I have to say its not in excellent condition, but interesting to learn a little more background and that others enjoy instruments and music as my dad did.  I have a favorite picture of my mom and dad... my dad is holding I think the Bigsby that he sold, he's very  much younger.   I'm going to research the picture more.  The light is shinning right where the wording is so I cant make it out  Thanks again, Lynda


So your dad had a Bigsby? I can understand why he wished he never sold it. 

To clarify: is your dad's Jazz 5 like this one?

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## mrmando

Lynda, we'd love to see the photo of your dad. 

Apart from Tiny Moore, photos of Bigsby mandolins with their original owners are rare. A handful  of Paul Buskirk, one of Al Giddings, a couple  of Eschol Cosby and I think that's it.

http://emando.com/builders_inactive/..._slideshow.htm

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## Mark Seale

The last Roberts 5 string I've seen was listed for $2900 but I don't know what the final sales price was.  There is quite a lot of interest for these instruments (in a small mandolin world.) I don't think you'd have any trouble selling it here through the classifieds.

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## Timbofood

Once again, the amazing things and people that come to this site are incredible! Lynda, thank you for sharing your memories!

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## lynda

Yes looks identical, Jim

Lynda

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## Mike Scaggs

Hi Lynda,

I knew your Dad and played with him on several occasions at the Tex's Saloon.  We would see one another during the Western swing Society jams.  I was in the house band playing guitar and steel guitar with Perry Jones.  I had met your Dad through Lloyd Jones and was lucky enough to play with him and Tiny a number of times.  Glen was very smooth player for sure and was highly respected by his peers.  Some other names that comes to mind was Cotton Roberts, Bill Prey, Jay Riley, and so many others I can't think of right now.  I'm 59 now and that we when I was in my 20s!  I remember Glen's Roberts Mandolins very well.  We were all better people having known him.

Mike Scaggs

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oliverkollar

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## oliverkollar

Very cool that you mention your Father playing at Wills Point Lynda. 
From the few photos that have survived, it looked like a very happening spot for live music, and the pool out back for the kids was amazing as well. 

I drive by the spot where Wills Point was daily, and can't believe that it is "lost" to history. 
IMO there should at least be some type of historical marker there.

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## Mr Wilde

Hi, if you don't mind, where is that site? I heard its in Del Paso heights.

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## oliverkollar

> Hi, if you don't mind, where is that site? I heard its in Del Paso heights.


It is on Auburn Blvd. over by Del Paso Park. 
There's a big office building there now. You'd never know it was there.

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## Mr Wilde

Thanks, i know that area well.

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## Mr Wilde

I found this cool  blog/interview about those Wills Point days, dunno if its been posted here before but i enjoyed it and thought y'all might too.
http://wired-for-sound.blogspot.com/...-jack.html?m=1

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