Two mandolins built by Woody Williams of Elmira, NY

[Greg Stec]

Housekeeping: I have no interest, financial or otherwise, in the instruments below.
This is posted for entertainment and FYI. YMMV. Usual caveats.
********
Usually, I post instruments I find on my local (Baltimore) CL. Tonight, I was nosing around on Gryphon Guitars in Palo Alto, CA where I found these two IMHO very unique mandolins.
Anybody know the aforementioned Mr. Williams?
https://shop.gryphonstrings.com/prod...al-hole-46693-

https://shop.gryphonstrings.com/prod...andolin-45823-

[Greg Stec]

Housekeeping: I have no interest, financial or otherwise, in the instruments below.
This is posted for entertainment and FYI. YMMV. Usual caveats.
********
Usually, I post instruments I find on my local (Baltimore) CL. Tonight, I was nosing around on Gryphon Guitars in Palo Alto, CA where I found these two IMHO very unique mandolins.
Anybody know the aforementioned Mr. Williams?
https://shop.gryphonstrings.com/prod...al-hole-46693-

https://shop.gryphonstrings.com/prod...andolin-45823-

The one in the right was a topic of discussion a couple of years ago.
But now there's 2!
https://www.mandolincafe.com/forum/s...Mandolin-Yikes!

[allenhopkins]

Found out just a bit about Woody Williams; a 2000 obituary for Clifford Ross Coldiron, who apparently performed under the name "Clifford Ross," included this bit about his performance in a band led by Williams, out of Waverly NY near Elmira:

Clifford organized and managed several country and western bands during the 1950-1975 period, featuring several of his brothers as musicians as well as his son Lavern. The bands played many stage, radio, and television shows during this period on several local radio and television stations. Clifford's band was integrated into the Woody Williams band during the 1953-1958 period. Williams' band was very popular in the northern Pennsylvania and southern New York area. They entertained every Sunday at Hilltop Park in Waverly, NY, alternating stage shows with the visiting C&W band from the WWVA Wheeling Jamboree or the Grand Ole Opry from Nashville. For many years, Clifford and his band were regular performers on WATS 960 AM in Sayre, PA at 11:00am Saturday mornings. Clifford also organized and booked many Country and Western groups from the Grand Ole Opry and WWVA Jamboree into the Elmira, NY area for stage shows. He promoted these shows via his radio programs and usually enjoyed packed houses for these country stars. Occasionally, the performer would come without his band, and Clifford's band would play as the back up band behind the performer.

So Williams was apparently a pretty well-known musician in the Elmira area in the 1950-60's; the Sayre PA Evening Times from 1969 has an article about a Mac Wiseman concert that Williams promoted there. I guess in his spare time Williams -- who may have played mandolin, I can't get that level of detail -- built at least a couple of instruments.

[Givson]

Mr. Williams' instruments are renowned for their "Woody" tone.

[allenhopkins]

Woody Tone:

[Staci Nichols]

Does anyone know where I can find 1 or both of these?

[MikeEdgerton]

Does anyone know where I can find 1 or both of these?

You might contact Gryphon Strings as the only real proof of their sale was the ad posted in Post #2 above. I'm assuming you have some connection to the builder. They may or may not have the information you seek as the ad is at least 4 years old.

https://www.gryphonstrings.com/

Woody Williams has been mentioned a few ore times on the Cafe. Take a look through these messages.