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While we are not sure exactly what kind of varnish Gibson was using in 1919, most of us agree that it was indeed varnish and not nitrocellulose lacquer.
While there is also debate about exactly when...

It was built in 1922.
The specs on banjos from this period often deviate from catalog descriptions, but it is closest to what is called an MB-2 or MB Melody Model.

The interesting looking...

Matching the top finish on a hundred year old piece of spruce is pretty much an impossibility.

Someone who is really good and highly experienced could brush a tiny bit of spirit varnish into the...

Duff is a highly skilled builder, and does not skimp on parts or fit. If your Duff has its original bridge, I would expect it to have a very well fitted bridge made out of good dense ebony. The...

Beware. Sometimes "Can't-say-no-cheap" means stolen.

..

At the moment, Schoenberg has the most vintage mandolins.
Gryphon does have a snakehead A and a Lyon & Healy style A. They posted a nice black F-4 a few days ago, but it's already gone. They have...

I suspect there have been times when the Scots and the Irish have come to blows, arguing over whether a tune's origin was Irish or Scottish.

If you decide to come to Tennessee, I have 30 years of teaching experience, and a background in many styles of music.

Although they didn't use a mandolin all the time, and they were a mixture of Irish and Scottish, you can't go wrong with The Boys of the Lough.

I've played a lot of old Gibson F models.
I don't think I can put a quantitative difference between the tone of F-2's versus F-4's.
Each mandolin has its own voice. Some are good, some are not,...

If the one you're referring to is the oval hole instrument in NY state, it appears to be a Chicago built instrument. My guess is that it was built by Regal. The Stewart name was owned by...

Stewart branded mandolins were built by several manufacturers over a considerable period of time, and vary quite a bit in appointments and build quality.
Without pictures, it is not possible to say...

There are several places that will pre-slot a fingerboard for you. My first suggestion is Luthier's Mercantile: www.lmii.com

You don't have to buy the top grade. A grade 2 Indian ebony board...

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Maybe he likes the flowerpot . . .

Finding an original Gibson with natural finish and flowerpot would be highly unlikely, though.

It's getting hard to find even one of the "low A" models for much under $1400 unless it's been rode hard and put up wet or is missing several original parts.

The bridge on the Craig's List...

Nice top finish. Original bridge and tuners, tailpiece probably original but photo is not clear enough to say for sure.
Condition of the back is unknown. Pickguard is missing, case is...

Maximum for a paddlehead with a really nice clean original finish, and original bridge, tailpiece, tuners, pickguard with clamp, and case would be ~$2000 tops. An average price for one in more...

Yes, those are bar frets, and it looks like Harwood had some sort of technique for serrating the wire that I have not encountered before.
There is no commercially available fret wire that will work...

Mike, I understand that you live in a place where there aren't many mandolins. But perhaps if you go to the right places, you can hear a few . . .

Many of your posts have referred to F-5 style...

Except for the Gold Rush model, I don't remember Gibson making any natural finish F models in regular production since they stopped making natural F-4's circa 1912.

Unless something appears that...

I can't tell for sure from the pics, but it looks like this mandolin may have had bar frets. That might affect the way I would approach this kind of repair.
What is the width of the fret slots? ...

Well, we could debate ad infintum about whose opinion is more likely to be accurate, but that won't help advance the topic at hand.

Market values and trends come and go. Every instrument has its...

Ditto John.
And if you need to, you can taper the new board a little to adjust the geometry in a manner that will allow you to raise the bridge height.