Mandolins

[ammdaddy]

While cleaning out my in-laws' attic, I came across this old Gibson mandolin. It's an F-4 model made in 1914.

I contacted an appraiser in N.Y. who specializes in mandos and this is what he said:

"Natural finish is a fairly uncommon color in the F-4 model. I have seen it maybe 8 or 9 times, but mostly we see sunburst (we've seen hundreds of them in sunburst and scores of them in black top finish).

We can see the signs of normal playing wear on your mandolin, but that doesn't matter in the slightest - normal wear is considered, well, normal.

If we had this mandolin here for sale, and if the condition, after careful examination, was adjudged to be excellent and wholly original (the wear doesn't matter) we could sell this piece for around $5,000. and net you, in a consignment sale, 80% of this or $4,000."

The moral of the story is this: Don't assume something is worthless!

Here's a picture of the Gibson mando:

[robrecht]

That sure is a beauty, ammdaddy! I've seen a few like that at a dealer in Philly and of course at Mandolin Brothers in Staten Island. Pick guard attachment looks like it's still in good shape. Don't tell me that's an old pick in the strings too?

Quite an heirloom. Hope you're not planning on selling it! Does anyone in the family still play? Wow, it's really cool!

[ammdaddy]

robrecht:

I wasn't sure if anyone on this site would appreciate my post.

The appraiser I was corresponding with was actually from Mandolin Brothers in N.Y.!

Yes, that's an old pick in the strings! And of course the case is original as well, but the leather is a bit aged and cracked.

I was thinking of having a luthier replace the strings to see what kind of sound comes out from this baby. Changing strings couldn't de-value it in anyway, could it?

We are not contemplating selling. It belonged to my mother-in-laws grandfather.

ammdaddy

[kemosabe]

Now that there's a thread for it, this has been bugging me for almost two decades...

...what in the world is Bruce Hornsby and The Range talking about in their song "Mandolin Rain" from (circa) 1986 -- in other words, what should I hear when I "Listen to the mandolin rain"???

[robrecht]

Originally posted by ammdaddy
Changing strings couldn't de-value it in anyway, could it?

Not sure, but I'd trust whatever your friend at Mandolin Brothers says on this topic. While sometimes people say you should never do anything to an antique at the risk of devaluing it, I believe the philosophy at Mandolin Brothers is that antique musical instruments should be made playable. That being said, I think they would know best how that should be done.

[Howdy Ag]

Wow! That's an awesome mando!


I'd refer you to the excellent mandolin community at www.mandolincafe.com to get all your questions answered.

(I think Mandolin Bros. is a sponsor of mandoline cafe.)

[booger]

I play the mandolin, so I'd be happy to give you $200 for it and you would know that it's got a good home

G.

[robrecht]

Originally posted by kemosabe
Now that there's a thread for it, this has been bugging me for almost two decades...

...what in the world is Bruce Hornsby and The Range talking about in their song "Mandolin Rain" from (circa) 1986 -- in other words, what should I hear when I "Listen to the mandolin rain"???

Well, I've been thinking about kemo's question for nearly 7 months ... And after reading every single one of the 3,620 links I found on Google, I'm now prepared to give an authoritative answer:

Mandolins sort of sound like rain if you squint when listening and turn your head sideways, sort of.

Well, I also found a very funny parody called "Mandolin Pain," of which I will only quote the refrain since I don't want to be sued by the hyperlitiginous Mandolin music industry:

Feelin' all the mandolin pain
Listen to another bad mistake
Watch another string break every time I try to play
Wish I'd bought a banjo now
Frets are tiny anyhow
Listen to the dogs howl
Like they sniffed at something foul

I also found a couple of MIDI versions that sounded more like elevator Muzak than mandolins as well as a kitten and a horse named Mandolin Rain. That didn't help much, 'xcept cats sometimes sound like a bunch of out of tune mandolins, maybe.

The bigger controversy seems to be what in the world is meant by the line, "Listen to the banjo wind." One might think of fast blowing banjo rolls, except the line is immediately followed by "A sad song drifting low." The lyricist would seem to be thinking more of a flute or woodwind.

Anyway, hope that helps. One should never let good threads die of neglect.

[Stormbird]

Very Very Very Very nice!!!!!


I have a 1916 Gibson A that was "refinished". Has a great voice and plays well, but the appraiser I took mine too started with "Too bad somebody refinished it........................" Value around $500.


btw - I play in an Irish band in the Denver are called "Last Night's Fun". We host a session at Fado in LODO (lower downtown) on Sunday nights - 6:30 to 9ish.

[robrecht]

Originally posted by rumeryjk
Very Very Very Very nice!!!!!


I have a 1916 Gibson A that was "refinished". Has a great voice and plays well, but the appraiser I took mine too started with "Too bad somebody refinished it........................" Value around $500.


btw - I play in an Irish band in the Denver are called "Last Night's Fun". We host a session at Fado in LODO (lower downtown) on Sunday nights - 6:30 to 9ish.

Welcome, rumeryjk! Next time in Denver, I'll stop by Fado's.

[robrecht]

Not that there's anything wrong with bluegrass (hey, both my parents were from Kentucky), but few people are aware of the 'Golden Age of the Mandolin in America.' Whole orchestras of mandolinists, in one instance as many as 500 players, thrilled audiences with the excitement of this instrument (yes, I did say the excitement).

The Milwaukee Mandolin Orchestra may be the only one that has existed continuously from their origin in 1900 as the Bonne Amie Musical Circle, but there are lots of others that have been rejuvenated or started more recently. So if you ever get the chance to hear one, by all means, go.

Mandolin orchestras play a wide range of music, certainly not all if even most of it is classical. Perhaps the most popular pieces are Latin dance tunes and American pop music of the time. In some ways the mandolin orchestras were a precursor to the Dixieland jazz (using a tenor banjo instead of a mandolin).

If you want to get a sense of this kind of music, I highly recommend All the Rage: Mandolin Ensemble Music from 1897-1924 by the Nashville Mandolin Ensemble, formed by Butch Baldassari.
http://www.soundartrecordings.com/ma...ensemble.shtml

[robrecht]

OK, all you mandolin enthusiasts, check out the cool vintage mandolin postcards over at Mandolin Cafe:
http://www.mandolincafe.com/archives/postcards/

[robrecht]

Originally posted by robrecht

Welcome, rumeryjk! Next time in Denver, I'll stop by Fado's.

Sorry, rumeryjk, haven't made it out to Denver yet--too busy trying to respond to the recent upsurge in interest in mandolins here at H-P.org--but I did come across this other band called "Slipstream" specializing in "Colorado bluegrass." I especially liked their instrumental "Right Down There" that you can hear by clicking right down here. Enjoy!

PS: Looks like I'll be in Nebraska for New Year's Eve--is that near Denver?

[Stormbird]

Depends on where in Nebraska you'll be. Denver is about 350 miles from Kearney, about 500 from Lincoln. If you're going to be out in the Panhandle, it's a lot closer.

BTW - the Sunday night session has moved to a place called the Irish Snug at Lafayette and Colfax in Denver. That's east of downtown a few blocks.

Give me a holler if you're going to make it to town.

rumeryjk a.k.a. Stormbird

[robrecht]

Originally posted by Stormbird
Depends on where in Nebraska you'll be. Denver is about 350 miles from Kearney, about 500 from Lincoln. If you're going to be out in the Panhandle, it's a lot closer.

BTW - the Sunday night session has moved to a place called the Irish Snug at Lafayette and Colfax in Denver. That's east of downtown a few blocks.

Give me a holler if you're going to make it to town.

rumeryjk a.k.a. Stormbird

Guess we'll be in OMG Omaha, which seems to be some 537.3 miles from the Irish Snug so don't think I'll be able to sneak away.

Say, how'd you like them Slipstream boys, Stormbird?