Own a piece of Bill Monroe’s famous F5
Category: Bluegrass News
By Travis Tackett
August 11, 2009
Bill Monroe (credit unknown)
Christies Auction House will be selling the original headstock plate from Bill Monroe’s Lloyd Loar-signed Gibson f5 mandolin to the highest bidder on Dec. 3, 2009.
Former Gibson empoyee Pat Aldworth has listed the item for sale and has made, then co-worker Rendall Wall a partner in the sale. Experts at Christies have estimated that value of the headstock between $5000 and $7000 though with enough interest it could easily sell for more than that.
According to a story by Bill Graham on the Mandolin Cafe, Pat Aldworth aquired the headstock plate when he and Rendall Wall returned the newly repaired f5 to Monroe in 1980.
“They gave Monroe the case with the restored mandolin, and they also had the gouged-out headplate in hand…
Aldworth asked about the old headstock plate. “I said to Monroe, do you want this back? He said, ‘no, you can have it.’
So the gouged pear wood plate went back to Kalamazoo.
“I knew I had something or I wouldn’t have asked,” Aldworth said. “I was glad the repair guys didn’t throw it away.” Bill Graham, Mandolin Cafe
For the complete story on Bill Monroe’s Lloyd Loar damaged mandolin, check out “Monroe’s Gouged Mandolin Headplate To Be Sold” by Bill Graham on the Mandolin Cafe web site.