That ain't just any mandolin you're talkin' about, that's Bill Monroe's Gibson Lloyd Loar F-5 and it's one legendary blue-sounding little horn. There are at least three explanations circulating around out there as to why the headstock only says "The", one of which is that the "Gibson" inlay simply fell out some 60-odd years ago but Bill's mandolin became so famous that to replace the inlay would be sacriledge. I'll leave the other two stories to the bluegrassers, who can certainly tell 'em more accurately than I can. Suffice it to say that Mr. Monroe was truly a one-of-a-kind fellow. Did you hear Ricky Skaggs' comments about him tonight on NPR? Pretty good stuff.

So he proceeded to scratch out the name (and therefore, the manufacturer and any marketing and sales pitches) off of the headstock.

There's two types of damage being discussed here.

First, Bill inflected cosmetic damage to it with a pen knife. He had some dispute with Gibson. He then gouged out the Gibson name on the headstock.

In the 70s Gibson made peace with him and restored the mandolin. This was the subject of the FRETS article.

In the 80s the same mandolin was badly damaged as it hung on his wall by a breakin thug with a blunt object. My sources say it was due to a personal dispute with a woman. I don't know if that was ever proved. It was again restored.

Here's a story aboout it's current ownership: http://www.thepressoffice.net/releases/nr26.htm

-j0ey-

[This message was edited by Joey Ace on 18 February 2002 at 06:55 PM.]