One Osborne Bros video, so many questions

[GVD]

I never get tired of watching this video but the more I watch it the more questions I have about it.

1. What kind of mandolin is Bobby playing? That's a wild looking fretboard and is that a set list he's got taped to the upper rim?
   
2. What kind of mics are they using? The two that Sonny and Ronnie Reno are using look huge.
   
3. What kind of guitar is Ronnie Reno playing. Funny looking headstock and the pickguard is about as ugly as the ones Carter used to play.
4. How does Bobby hit those high notes?
   
5. Are those harmonies great or what?
   
6. Has anyone with the possible exception of Wolverine ever rocked a better looking set of sideburns?
   
7. Has there ever been shirts made with longer collars than Ronnies?
   
8. How did women keep their hair as high the woman at about 0.08?

[Tom C]

Great video.
Gibson mandolin. I would say 99.9999% of F mandos back then were Gibsons.

[Mike Bunting]

I believe that it's a Grammar guitar.

[GVD]

I believe that it's a Grammar guitar.

Right you are Mike. Thanks!

http://grammerguitar.com/specs.html

[Poener]

I think the banjer is a Vega.

[Russ Jordan]

Seems like Ronnie told me that Bobby had something on the top rim that would be reflective when they played under lights on the country package shows, etc.

[allenhopkins]

1. What kind of mandolin is Bobby playing? That's a wild looking fretboard and is that a set list he's got taped to the upper rim?

I'm wondering if it isn't one of the "Osborne Signature" models that he sells, made by Custom Inlay. Here's a look at the web page. If it's a Gibson, it looks like Custom Inlay has done some extra MOP work on it. Truss-rod cover's MOP for sure.

[John Kasley]

That trio ending just sends chills up my spine.

[Russ Jordan]

I'm wondering if it isn't one of the "Osborne Signature" models that he sells, made by Custom Inlay. Here's a look at the web page. If it's a Gibson, it looks like Custom Inlay has done some extra MOP work on it. Truss-rod cover's MOP for sure.

That video is from 1971, way before those Osborne Signature mandolins were being built. I think that his Bobby's Fern with something he put on the fingerboard for show. Maybe Tom Isenhour will chime in.

[GVD]

That video is from 1971, way before those Osborne Signature mandolins were being built. I think that his Bobby's Fern with something he put on the fingerboard for show. Maybe Tom Isenhour will chime in.

I think it looks a lot like his Fern too, other than the fretboard, the truss rod cover and the white covering along the upper rim which looks like it has been taped on.

[Charles E.]

That white thing taped in the upper rib is probably a tune list. I have seen alot of those on Mando's and guitars over the years at festivals.

[Jason Kessler]

Those "big mics' are mics within windscreens, probably a good thing for an outdoor performance.

[allenhopkins]

I have what may be the first recording of Ruby, Are You Mad by the Osbornes, on an LP entitled Country Picking and Hillside Singing. They were working with Red Allen then. What's interesting is that Sonny and Bobby played twin 5-string banjos in harmony -- no mandolin to speak of. I saw the Osbornes in the early '60's with Bennie Birchfield and they sang Ruby, but as I recall, still no mandolin break. I believe that Ruby is a variant of Reuben's Train, and that Cousin Emmy was the first to sing it.

[GVD]

That white thing taped in the upper rib is probably a tune list. I have seen alot of those on Mando's and guitars over the years at festivals.

Well that's kind of what I thought at first too but after getting a little better look at it in this video I'm not so sure.



Why would it extend almost all the way around the scroll and at least to the end pin in the other direction? Seems like it would be awful hard to read anything in those places. I also can't see any writing on it although that could be due to the video quality and/or my deteriorating eyesight

[KyleBerry]

I was just watching these two videos on youtube and was wondering the exact same things. So I found this thread. I guess no one settled what the white on top of is. But I do know that it looks cool!

[Jim Broyles]

It doesn't go to the end pin, only halfway up the bout.

[Bill Snyder]

Here is a b&w photo from 1971 showing the same mandolin. It is a Gibson.

[tonyvt]

I'm not sure about the rest of you but I want one of those mando straps.

[AlanN]

And note the round pick.

[f5loar]

1.What kind of mandolin is Bobby playing? That's a wild looking fretboard and is that a set list he's got taped to the upper rim?
That's for sure his '27 Fern Gibson F5 with some slight personal modifications. He used red electrical tape on the fretboard to look "cool". He added some temporary electronics to get out there on those country shows. They didn't go by set list so much so I think it's the words to a new song he was learning at the time. Sometimes you only need the first few words of each verse to get you going.

2.What kind of mics are they using? The two that Sonny and Ronnie Reno are using look huge. Big Shures or Electrovoice with windscreens? Could be most any kind of mic but nothing special for the day.

3.What kind of guitar is Ronnie Reno playing. Funny looking headstock and the pickguard is about as ugly as the ones Carter used to play. Grammer guitars started by Opry star Billy Grammer was pretty much giving them away to get the stars to play them.
Very common to see them in that 1970-1975 period and then they all went back to Martin.
4.How does Bobby hit those high notes? Bobby was using special medicines back then to not only keep his weight down but to help keep his voice high and lonesome to hit those high notes.

5.Are those harmonies great or what? The best to used the stack harmonies around a high lead voice.

6.Has anyone with the possible exception of Wolverine ever rocked a better looking set of sideburns? They were the rage back then but what was really hot was Sonny's "Batman" shaped goatee.

7.Has there ever been shirts made with longer collars than Ronnies? The polyster days of the 70's also brought in the sharp long pointed colors. From there it went to the disco design with the BeeGees leading the way.

8.How did women keep their hair as high the woman at about 0.08? Brillcream and lots of it!

[Willie Poole]

Women wore falls, or wigs as some would call them, that just sat on top of their regular hair and sprayed lots of hair spray on them to keep them in place....I have some old pix of my wife wearing one, or two or three....All of these years I thought Bobby told me his Fern was a `25...Maybe he had more than one, doesn`t make any difference though they sounded great....

[f5loar]

Back in the day in the 60's when Bobby got his Fern from Charlie Bailey in near mint condition there were no authorities on the Gibson history like there is today. There were no printed serial no. lists to go by. Since his Fern was not signed on a date label many just called those that looked like Fern Loars with no signed labels as early '25. Later on they figured it was a '26 and then maybe even a '27. Today with the recent discovery of the banjo shipping dates with the corresponding FON same as the mandolins it may be more like a late '28. Some of those thought to be late '28 are more like early 30's. Whatever year it was made it's one great sounding Fern. He has only had one Fern and one Dec. 1, 1924 signed Loar and still has them both.

[GrassGraber]

What kind of special medicines are you talking about.

[Fretbear]

Looks like Bobby and the bass player were getting a twofer shave and a haircut at the barbershop....
Pretty cool considering the time.....Sonny was picking banjo for Monroe when he was only 14 years old...

[catmandu2]

6. Has anyone with the possible exception of Wolverine ever rocked a better looking set of sideburns?

Rocked? Yes.

Better looking? Ah...no.