#GIBSON MANDOLIN SERIAL NUMBERS SERIAL NUMBERS#What evidence is there to support that Spann's concept of FONs and serial numbers is not valid for 1925-27?Henry, But does that necessarily mean that all post-Loar F5s were shipped even later, that is after all Loar-signed F5s were shipped and sold? I beg to differ. Would that mean that the "unsigned Loars", those few F5s with the same FON and construction features as the last Loar-signed F5s, were not shipped in 1925? I believe we agree that the Red Fern Loar (#76787) and quite likely a few other Loar-signed F5s were equipped with hard ware and shipped well after Loar was gone. What evidence is there to support that Spann's concept of FONs and serial numbers is not valid for 1925-27? But does that necessarily mean that all post-Loar F5s were shipped even later, that is after all Loar-signed F5s were shipped and sold? I beg to differ.Īnd the question as to when the box was glued together is not even touched at this point. So, in closing, it's an enigma, but it took several years for the radical changes we see from what we thought was 1925-1927 to take placeWould that mean that the "unsigned Loars", those few F5s with the same FON and construction features as the last Loar-signed F5s, were not shipped in 1925? I believe we agree that the Red Fern Loar (#76787) and quite likely a few other Loar-signed F5s were equipped with hard ware and shipped well after Loar was gone. So, in closing, it's an enigma, but it took several years for the radical changes we see from what we thought was 1925-1927 to take place With that in mind, it took Gibson years to need to make another F5 or many other low volume instruments from scratch. I maintain that serial numbers were already pre-assigned to closed up bodies, just like Martin did. I agree on this, but only with respect to instrument made after this odd period in time #GIBSON MANDOLIN SERIAL NUMBERS SERIAL NUMBER#Joe maintains that serial number were assigned during the shipping phase and that FON's are the key to when it was made. He and I agree on 98% of things except for this short period about 1925-1927. So, most anything we attribute to 19 is likely later, especially if it looks different than 1924Īdditionally, Joe Spanns work bring much into focus. They used up things to save money and made hardly anything from scratch. Gibson apparently spent several years using up pre-carved stuff to reduce overhead and survive. When Loar left the building in late '24, instruments did change overnight to lacquer finishes with gold part and white binding, and Loar did not break the molds resulting in different shapes to F5 mandolin tops. With this in mind, not some of us old timers are forced to realize that things changed. Walters great book points out management changes and inherent business model methodologies that essentially prevented bankruptcy The numbers between say 19 were reasonably linear as Gibson made instruments by the thousands that had not sold yet BUT, one thing us old timers now have to realize is that the sequence was not linear. Note: Because of recent changes in shipping policies of the USPS, we can only ship within the U.S.I am not going to argue the origin or validity of any serial number list. a unique Gibson for player or collector! This instrument is in excellent original condition with good frets, playability and robust tone with great clarity. Tiger stripe maple single bound sides and back in Gibson’s attractive cherry red finish. The body is comprised of an "ice tea" sunburst spruce top and exquisitely figured This leads to a single bound fret board with pearl dot position markers. The peg head is a very simple “open book” style with a Gibson decal, surrounded by Gibson embossed Kluson tuners. The decorative features are unique to this example as well. The A-5 was the only Gibson mandolin made in that period that had an oval sound hole. By that time, all Gibson A-5 models were double cutaway, often identified as the “Jethro Burns” model. The serial number indicates that it was made in 1958. In all our years of collecting and playing Gibson mandolins, we have never seen another one like it, leading us to believe that it may have been a one-off custom order. This beautiful A style Gibson is unusual for many reasons.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |