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Thread: What year is my Gibson F-2 Mandolin?

  1. #1

    Question What year is my Gibson F-2 Mandolin?

    I'm new to the forum and looking for information on my Gibson F2 Mandolin. It is in relatively good condition. I have not taken it to be inspected yet. I removed the strings a few years ago. There is a small crack to the left of the oval, and the ivory trim on the underside of the neck seems to be missing. It looks very playable. It is in the original hard case (green inside).

    What year was this made (see picture of serial numbers and stamp inside on the neck block)?

    What is an instrument like this worth in its present condition? I am not planning on restoring this instrument, but I would consider selling it. I will be posting better pictures soon, I took these in a rush with my phone.

    Many thanks for any info!!!
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  2. #2
    acoustically inert F-2 Dave's Avatar
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    Default Re: What year is my Gibson F-2 Mandolin?

    According to Gruhn's book your serial no. should make it a 1922. The Handel tuners, lack of truss rod suggest that it's older. Gruhn's book also puts the factory order no. (on the inside neck block) at 1912, which fits the look of the mandolin better. Others should chime in with more info. Nice looking mandolin. I have a soft spot for F-2's.
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  3. #3

    Default Re: What year is my Gibson F-2 Mandolin?

    I would agree with the 1912 date. I believe they stopped using the Handel tuners around 1918. It needs a little work to present itself better--a cleaning, neck binding replaced, the crack glued and cleated, and an instrument always looks rough without strings. As it sits, you would not get much for it, BUT you have a very expensive collection of vintage parts, there. Handel tuners for an F style Gibson sell for $400-700 a set, the case is worth money, the tailpiece, bridge, pickguard are also worth money to someone restoring a similar instrument. For that reason, I would put the as is value at about $1200-1400 mostly for the parts and the fact it looks rough. If you spent a little to fix the above items, not a full restoration, but to make it playable and look nice, I think $2500-3750 might be the range. People do ask more for museum quality pieces, but I think this one would be in the category of a nice player, once the repairs were made.
    Last edited by Jeff Mando; Aug-08-2014 at 12:42pm.

  4. #4
    Martin Stillion mrmando's Avatar
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    Default Re: What year is my Gibson F-2 Mandolin?

    Spann's Guide puts this FON in 1911. That fits better than 1912. A 1912 F2 would most likely have the cam-style pickguard clamp patented July 4, 1911, whereas this one has the chinrest-style clamp. It also has the zigzag fretboard pegging it to the early teens. The serial number has been altered. Price around $3K if repaired; someone might buy it as a project for less. Binding replacement and crack-gluing are definitely worth having done.
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  5. #5
    Registered User RayMan7's Avatar
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    Default Re: What year is my Gibson F-2 Mandolin?

    Is it just me or does it look like it may have been refinished? The top color looks a little off, and the neck doesnt look right either. Though it might be the camera flash!

  6. #6
    Martin Stillion mrmando's Avatar
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    Default Re: What year is my Gibson F-2 Mandolin?

    Actually, upon taking a second look, the finish looks too dark and strangely mottled. I can't find any evidence of an F2 from this period that isn't black ... leading to the suspicion that this was stripped and refinished. It isn't that great of a finish job, either.

    If I'm right, that would drive the value down quite a bit. Worth less than $2K even if repaired.

    It's possible that the original serial number is 12595, and whoever refinished it misread the 1 as a 7 before rewriting the number on the label.

    If this is from 1911, it's one of the first F2s without a third point.
    Emando.com: More than you wanted to know about electric mandolins.

    Notorious: My Celtic CD--listen & buy!

    Lyon & Healy • Wood • Thormahlen • Andersen • Bacorn • Yanuziello • Fender • National • Gibson • Franke • Fuchs • Aceto • Three Hungry Pit Bulls

  7. #7
    Registered User Tom C's Avatar
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    Default Re: What year is my Gibson F-2 Mandolin?

    Sure does. You can see where body meets the neck. Could that have been a rarer F2 pumpkin top? I think we've seen 1 or 2 pop up.

  8. #8

    Default Re: What year is my Gibson F-2 Mandolin?

    Quote Originally Posted by RayMan7 View Post
    Is it just me or does it look like it may have been refinished? The top color looks a little off, and the neck doesnt look right either. Though it might be the camera flash!
    I thought that, too. Maybe the pics aren't that great. Top may be pumpkin or just may have 100 years of nicotine goo on it--like I've seen so often--very hard to clean off successfully. If we had some better pics, maybe the back, also, might tell the story. Back of peghead looks OK, to me. If refinished poorly, of course the price goes down.

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