Randy Wood Two-Point at Carter's

[Glassweb]

Well, there are collectibles and then there are collectibles. I have no comment on the price (although surely someone else will), but go find another one of these! Don't know if this was actually custom-made for Clarence White or if he just owned it at some point, but that's a pretty amazing-looking mandolin.

If I were only in Nashville I could run down to Carter's and check it out in person...!

[rcc56]

If this is the same mandolin I think it is, it surfaced once before, a few years ago at Cotten Music. I remember being tempted by it.

Ask Kim Sherman about it-- she may have either bought it from or sold it to Roland.

[Charles E.]

Here is the link to the classifieds...

https://www.mandolincafe.com/ads/188718#188718

[f5loar]

It is a most interesting "collectible/playable" custom Randy Wood mandolin. Very few, if any of Clarence White's instruments come up for sale because he really didn't own that many. Most all if his guitars, acoustic and electric have long been sold to collectors. He owned and used this mandolin and another one, a teen's F2 during his years with the Byrds. Due to the date this Wood was made to the date he died, he didn't pick it very long. So why so beat up? Roland White used this mandolin for a long time during his Country Gazette years, as well as his Randy Wood F5 No. 2. I recall seeing Clarence playing the Wood in one video. Someone reported the top caved in at one time, but it was repaired, I assume by Randy Wood. There is mention of a repaired back crack. I personally got to play this mandolin during the time Roland owned it around 1986. I thought it was really nice. I do know Roland had been trying to sell it for quite some time and finally did sell it. I assume the previous owner that got it from Roland is now selling it. I have no comment on the price either but it's true, you won't find another one that was used by Clarence White.

[Marcus CA]

. I have no comment on the price (although surely someone else will) …

. I have no comment on the price either but it's true, you won't find another one that was used by Clarence White.

Those are interesting comments about the price.

It turns out that Carter’s also has a 1977 Randy Wood F5 that apparently has never been owned by one of the greats, so it is priced at only $8,500. So personally, in Fantasyland, as thrilling as it would be to tell my friends how Tony Rice and I both played instruments that had been owned by Clarence White, I’d probably snag that F5, and then using the savings to also buy the Nugget F5 that has been at Carter’s for a few months. Or maybe a car.

[Mandolin Cafe]

And just like that, it's gone.

[Timbofood]

Collectors!

[journeybear]

Gone as in - someone plunked down that much moolah? Or gone as in - taken down for reconsideration or other consideration(s)?

No way of knowing, I guess. Unless it reappears at another price. Or would it say "sold" if it sold? At least eBay etc. will say. This ad is just ... gone.

... Carter’s also has a 1977 Randy Wood F5 that apparently has never been owned by one of the greats, so it is priced at only $8,500.

There's another Randy Wood F-5, a 2021, offered for $7500 by a private seller. So there are options ...

[Mandolin Cafe]

It is a most interesting "collectible/playable" custom Randy Wood mandolin. Very few, if any of Clarence White's instruments come up for sale because he really didn't own that many. Most all if his guitars, acoustic and electric have long been sold to collectors. He owned and used this mandolin and another one, a teen's F2 during his years with the Byrds. Due to the date this Wood was made to the date he died, he didn't pick it very long. So why so beat up? Roland White used this mandolin for a long time during his Country Gazette years, as well as his Randy Wood F5 No. 2. I recall seeing Clarence playing the Wood in one video. Someone reported the top caved in at one time, but it was repaired, I assume by Randy Wood. There is mention of a repaired back crack. I personally got to play this mandolin during the time Roland owned it around 1986. I thought it was really nice. I do know Roland had been trying to sell it for quite some time and finally did sell it. I assume the previous owner that got it from Roland is now selling it. I have no comment on the price either but it's true, you won't find another one that was used by Clarence White.

That mandolin has appeared on the Cafe before, though not in a setting for sale. See photo below from the interview we did with Roland in 2010. Below the photo in the article is this information - Country Gazette, February, 1986. L-R: Alan Munde, Gene Wooten, Billy Joe Foster, Roland White. Photo credit: Rick Gardner. Interestingly, he discusses his Randy Wood #2 F mandolin in detail in the interview, but no mention of the two-point.

For posterity because it could be a long time before it surfaces again, here is the photo Carters used for the ad, below. The Cafe keeps any photo that ever appeared in an ad. And if anyone is serious enough about wanting the original photos off Carter's site--that would not include us--here's Google's cache of the page. Get them while you can because that cache won't be there for very long.

[AlanN]

I was speaking with Barry Mitterhoff recently and the subject of this mandolin and ad came up. Barry remembers a festival where Roland was offering it for sale and he also had a van for sale. The van sold, the mandolin did not. He forgets what the mandolin's asking price was back then.

[tiltman]

Now, I would pay a lot of money for a van once owned by Roland White.

Kirk

[journeybear]

I'll bet just about anything it had a much lower asking price. In other words, it was priced to move ... and it did.

BTW, upon closer inspection (thanks to these gorgeous photographs of this gorgeous mandolin), I noticed that the strap button is on the wrong side of the neck. It's right where it shouldn't be, in the way of a fretting hand trying to get to the highest frets. That'd be a deal-breaker for me. Well, that and the asking price ...

[pops1]

Every mandolin that had a strap button on the neck that I have owned was in the same place as this one. I take them off, but if it were on the other side of the neck it would be easy for the strap to slip off the button.

[Poa_Pratensis]

Back up on Carter’s site. I guess the buyer didn’t accept it?

[journeybear]

And it's back in the Classifieds. Same price. Both places.

[Captain Kirk]

Am I crazy or is that same mandolin now $50,000…

https://www.mandolincafe.com/ads/189345#189345

[tiltman]

I can neither confirm nor deny your sanity.
The price, not previously mentioned aloud in this thread, has not changed since the original post.

Kirk

[Captain Kirk]

I can neither confirm nor deny your sanity.
The price, not previously mentioned aloud in this thread, has not changed since the original post.

Kirk

Haaaa. Fair enough.

[Jeff Mando]

The subject of "celebrity owned" instruments confuses me. Sure, like most people, I'm a fan of all kinds of good players and find watching them perform inspiring. 10 or more years ago guitars owned by Hendrix and Clapton broke the $500,000 mark -- probably "worth" a whole lot more today. Recently two of Kurt Cobain's guitars sold at auction, one for $4.5 million, the other one $6 million....what kind of guitars were they? Doesn't really matter, does it? I've met Roland and enjoyed talking to him, but I don't know where his mandolin would fall into the world of "celebrity" instruments. Bluegrass players in general. Of course, there's Bill Monroe, and then all the rest.....

Not being mean, I just think the audience for celebrity instruments is a special one, not having a lot to do with music, IMHO.

And yes, I'm jealous I can't afford it!

[Rush Burkhardt]

Sometimes price and provenance ought to take a back-seat to the appreciation of art! The mandolin stands on it's own as a representation of the luthier's art! ...And, oh yeah, you can play it, too!

A celebration of one of the finest and most underappreciated luthiers on the planet!

[Timbofood]

That’s why collectors are a “unique” bunch.

[journeybear]

Is it purty? - Yep.

Does it sound purty? - I'll bet.

Does it sound "$50,000 worth" of purty? - Well ...

Will it make somebody happy to own it and play it? - I'll bet.

Will that person be the last owner, because he/she will never sell it for more than he/she paid for it? - Most likely.

Here's to ya, whoever you are! Let us know what you think. With a sound clip, please.

[RichieK]

To people like me, who consider Clarence White their musical hero, the desire to own one of his instruments would always be of interest.

[EdHanrahan]

Yeah well...

In case ya haven't noticed from my signature line, Ian Tyson is maybe my all time favorite singer, per the '60s Ian & Sylvia. Had a chance to try out his D-45, w/ a diamond inlaid at the 15th fret, at the Olde Town Pickin' Parlor in Arvada, CO, 5-6 years ago. Yes it was nice, yes it sounded great, and YES I got a photo that recreates his "I Outgrew the Wagon" album cover (with THAT guitar), but ... no, I wasn't about to plunk down the $30K that the consigner/collector (not Mr. Tyson) seemed to think it was worth!

[mandolin breeze]

I don't think that they're really interested in selling, otherwise it'd be listed for $49,999