https://vermont.craigslist.org/msg/d...386668737.html
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"whole in the headstock for hanging on a nail". Ahhhh.
If a full-time luthier wants to sell this so low, it must have some serious issues. :(
He is some sort of fix-it fellow, as he has corrected the typo. ;)
Wouldn't a 1913 F-2 have had Handel tuners originally? My 3-point F-2 does (around 1910).
More than I'd pay for one in this condition, anyway. Seller lists condition as "good"; I woulda said "fair."
I'll let ya know tomorrow if the person in front of me doesn't buy it. (unlikely IMHO)
I'm #2 in line.
I also have many things hanging on nails in my house.
But not mandolins. Those are in cases :cool:
Allen, have you seen recent prices on clean F-2's? You can't find them for $2500 any more.
And yes, the cl mandolin is missing the original tuners, bridge, pickguard and mounting hardware, tailpiece cover, case, and peg head scroll. The seller states all the changes in his ad, and the price certainly seems fair to me [as long as it sounds good]. If the fret job was done well, it will play much better than one with original frets.
The ad mentions replacing the tuners with Stew-Macs, so no real mystery there.
Sue I hope you get it. Seems like a great price to me!
The term luthier has many meanings
I paid $235 for my Kentucky KM-180. But wasn't it more than the first four combined? ;)
The first person never showed, so I am going to look tomorrow. Any thoughts beyond sounds good, straight neck, good intonation, good action?
I'm glad I get a chance to play it.
See if he has the original tuners. If they are Handel they have pretty good value. Get them thrown into the deal if you can. Then sell them seperately.
Check the levelling across frets with a small (6" or so) straightedge (look for rocking from high frets) and what his crowning on individual frets looks like.
Seems like a pretty good deal to me. If it plays clean and fits your hand.....
Good Luck!
There is a top brace directly underneath the sound hole. Push gently on the ends and make sure it is not loose.
If it is loose, but the action, sound, and intonation are good, buy the instrument anyway, and have the best repair person within driving distance fix the brace. Unless your dh has said it's time to quit.
Otherwise, I wouldn't worry about anything else unless you think that the finish has been messed with.
If he does have any of the missing original parts, they would be nice to have, but I would not let it keep the sale from going through.
Looks like a good deal for you Sue, hope it works out for you.
Well, showing my age. Paid $450 for my first (teens) F-2, $1,500 for my current 3-point. So a +$2K F-2 exceeds my experience.
Still, not sure I'd call this one "clean," with all the repairs, missing pieces, and replacements. Proof of the pudding is actually playing it, but geez, I'd think you could find a good Gibson A-model or a recent "F" for less than $1.6K. One does pay a premium for mandolins marked "Gibson," and this one may be a diamond in the rough, but it would have to play and sound exceptional for me to fork out that much.
Yes, but ... You don't say how long ago those purchases were made. Prices for vintage Gibson goodies have gone up a good bit, pretty steadily, even during the 14 years I've been in the market. The plain A's I got some 13 and 7 years ago for eight C-notes and change, they ain't being offered for less than nearly half that, and the final bidding price was often about that even back then. I'll grant this has zero collector value, but if it's a good playing instrument, despite its looks, that's all that matters. If Sue passes, I'm jumping on it. ;) Funky as this is, it'd be nice to have a good ol' boy I wouldn't have to worry too much about messing up. As T.S. Garp would say, it's pre-disastered. :)
Also. looking at your accumulation, I can see why you'd be inclined to pick and choose, even if you were inclined to buy. And I believe I've seen that's just a partial list of your inventory of intriguing instruments. So, yes, I imagine you'd have a different perspective on this. ;)
Allen, current asking prices are up around $3500 +/- these days for 'teens models in reasonably good condition.
And I see a 3 pointer at a long established store for $5750, although I don't know if they will get it; and a 1924 [Loar period] model at a North Carolina store for $4995, though it's been there for a long time.
At any rate, you're unlikely to find another one in the $2000 range in good shape. Those days are over, at least for the time being.
Good luck. Hope it is a deal and you are able to get it. That's the type of instrument I'd love. Thankfully am in a full buying moratorium right now.