| Q. Who operates this web site? |
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A. The site design and concept was the idea by Dan Beimborn of
celticmusic.com with input and financial support from
Scott Tichenor of the Mandolin Cafe.
Server setup, maintenance, programming and technical components are all created by Dan, and graphic design
was done by his wife Elena Beimborn
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| Q. What is the purpose of this web site? |
| A. The purpose of this web site is to document both in writing and with images the wide variety of mandolin family products produced by the Gibson Corporation through the years. Initially the focus of this collection is the time between 1900 and 1945, but this will gradually increase in range as the collection matures. Over the past few years we've witnessed important vintage Gibson related information appear and subsequently disappear from various message boards and listservs. This repository provides a place to permanently document some of that valued information for future reference with the added benefit of providing visual records and documentation of serial numbers, instrument features, etc.
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| Q. Is this database limited to Gibson? What about Lyon & Healy, John Monteleone, Mike Kemnitzer, Stephen Gilchrist and my neighbor down the road who has built 25 mandolins? |
| A. Initially the focus will be on Gibson because that's the spark that drove the project. However, as time permits we intend to include highly productive, well known master builders such as Monteleone, Kemnitzer, Randy Wood, and Gilchrist- all of whom were building instruments in the 1970's and continue to this day. Beyond that point we're not prepared to speculate on the extent of what might be included, but it’s safe to say that ultimately other long-term well-known builders might be included.
The database model is such that informational areas for different builders can be spun off separately without incurring a complete redesign. Within the design and concept plans were made to scale the project to include significant amounts of information that can be easily added and accessed from the web. |
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| Q. I have an instrument that could be listed here. How do I go about getting it added? |
| A.
New instruments can be added starting from this page.
The minimum amount of information we need to add a record for a vintage
Gibson mandolin are the serial number and model (70255 A4, for example).
If you are able to email pictures to us, either to use in the listing or
to help us verify the model designation etc, that helps even more. Mandolins
with unusual stories, famous owners, or high quality photos are especially
sought after, but we really are interested in tracking every instrument we
can.
Another piece of information we collect is the "Stamp number" or "Factory Order Number" (FON). This stamp indicates the "Batch" the mandolin was made in, and can be viewed with a small mirror looking up from the inside of mandolin towards the peghead.
There will soon be a submissions guide here, as well as a form to enter your information.
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| Q. I’d like to support this web site. How can I do so? |
| A. Operating costs for the server are shared between the Mandolin Café, Gibson Corporation, and The F5 Journal. To support the programming and ongoing maintenance efforts, donations are appreciated and are directed to Dan Beimborn as follows:
Dan Beimborn
John Brown's House
The Green
Aldborough
Norwich, Norfolk
NR11 7AA
England
Credit Card donations can be made to the mandolin archive by clicking this link
We invite you to check out Dan Beimborn's Irish Mandolin CD. Buying a copy of this disk is another nice
way to say "Thank you", and you get something new to listen to in the
bargain.
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| Q. Can I use this resource to store images of instruments I wish to sell? |
| A. This resource has been created as an informational collection/archive and our intent is to keep financial motives from influencing and altering descriptions and impressions of historical instruments. We’re aware that instruments listed here will change ownership but wish to prevent this from becoming a seller's service or classifieds ads web site. |
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| Q. I’m looking to buy an authentic Gibson mandolin. Does being listed in the Gibson collection guarantee the authenticity of the instrument? |
| A. Being listed in the collection does not authenticate or add value to an instrument. Buyers need to exercise the same caution and diligence in transactions involving instruments listed here and anywhere else where they are purchased. This is truly a community collection so there is no one ‘owner’ of these instruments. The owners of the site do not make any claims of authenticity nor are they liable or responsible for transactions involving instruments contained within the collection unless they are selling the instrument themselves. |
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| Q. Did you copy these images from other web sites? How come all the images
can't be enlarged?
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| A. Most of the images used on this web site are attributed to contributors
who have given us explicit permission to use them. In some cases, we have collected images from
sources such as eBay, and have either lost contact information or have been unable to contact the people who took the photographs. In these cases, we show only small, reduced quality images to avoid infringing anyone's copyright.
If you spot an image that you've taken, and you'd either like to be credited or have the image
removed from the archive, please contact us. We never knowingly include an image against the
photographer's wishes, and we'll be happy to pull the images down from the site if you own them
and don't want them displayed!
In some cases, to preserve the anonymity of the owners, images are credited to either the
mandolin archive or the F5 Journal. This does not mean that we are the photographers in all
cases, only that the true source wishes to remain anonymous. If you have any questions about
the owner of a specifc image, please contact us at
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