Gibson concert ukulele 1996- any thoughts?

I have recently been offered a '96(pretty sure thats the correct year)
Gibson concert ukulele.
These were supposedly prototypes,and only two were made.
all mahogany,and very nice instrument.
I'm not sure if its as valuable as the seller thinks,does anyone know what these would have sold for originally?
thanks,skip

skip said:

I have recently been offered a '96(pretty sure thats the correct year)
Gibson concert ukulele.
These were supposedly prototypes,and only two were made.
all mahogany,and very nice instrument.
I'm not sure if its as valuable as the seller thinks,does anyone know what these would have sold for originally?
thanks,skip

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If only 2 were made and they were prototypes, there would be no market price because they never went to market. IMO it would be a crap shoot.

Musicguymic posted a YouTube video of one a while back. Search "rare Gibson concert."

yeah, i saw that. i think its the same ukulele,because the current owner bought it from a dealer.

That's pretty wierd the way the top frets are so close together...what's the reason for that?
Just out of curiosity, what's he asking for it?

he's fielding offers at present. I had a look at it today,its definately #1,the one in the video. Great sounding uke,and should be of interest to serious gibson collectors

I'd be interested. Is this a secret sale? I understand if you don't want to divulge the seller.

not a secret sale,its just that he isnt sure how much to ask,so is fielding offers. I have some photos i tried to load here,but they wouldnt upload,so if anyone wants some shots,let me know.

i wouldnt touch it with a ten foot pole. a 1996 gibson? nope

coolkayaker1 said:

i wouldnt touch it with a ten foot pole. a 1996 gibson? nope

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Not sure what that's based on. I haven't ever played one (and I imagine you haven't either), but the Bozeman shop under the direction of Bruce Weber produced some of the best acoustic instruments of that era. That shop essentially became Weber mandolins, which are also great quality. Did they also make great ukes? I don't know, but there was a lot of talent in that shop and I would be very intrigued.

skip said:

not a secret sale,its just that he isnt sure how much to ask,so is fielding offers. I have some photos i tried to load here,but they wouldnt upload,so if anyone wants some shots,let me know.

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I'd like a shot at this one. I'm assuming it is in Australia???
Let me know how to get in touch with the seller if it's available.
Thanks!

Hi, Skip. Vintage pre1940 Gibson, yes. Although not as sweet sounding as Martin...many threads confirm that (plus my ownership of one) these vintage ukes are acceptable. But in the 1990s, before Jake ignited the uke craze of 2008 to 2013? Ukuleles sold less than Slinky toys. And knowing that current Gibson models are not highly reviewed or sought, a prototype of a so-so production uke is likely not worth the premium the current owner is anticipating No, Skip, I doubt a prototype from the netheryears of this particular brand would be worth a premium.

skip said:

not a secret sale,its just that he isnt sure how much to ask,so is fielding offers. I have some photos i tried to load here,but they wouldnt upload,so if anyone wants some shots,let me know.

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You probably have to resize the pictures. I don't think a 3 or 4 meg photo will upload. Resize it to around 800 x 900, which will upload fine.

coolkayaker1 said:

Hi, Skip. Vintage pre1940 Gibson, yes. Although not as sweet sounding as Martin...many threads confirm that (plus my ownership of one) these vintage ukes are acceptable. But in the 1990s, before Jake ignited the uke craze of 2008 to 2013? Ukuleles sold less than Slinky toys. And knowing that current Gibson models are not highly reviewed or sought, a prototype of a so-so production uke is likely not worth the premium the current owner is anticipating No, Skip, I doubt a prototype from the netheryears of this particular brand would be worth a premium.

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Here's another perspective: I don't know what Steve is talking about when he says "And knowing that current Gibson models are not highly reviewed or sought, a prototype of a so-so production uke is likely not worth the premium the current owner is anticipating." There are no "current" Gibson models, as Gibson has not sold a production ukulele since 1967. These are not "prototypes of a so-so production uke," they are one-off experiments, most likely built by hand to determine if a production instrument was viable (and apparently, they thought it wasn't). And while I will agree that vintage Gibson ukes have never enjoyed the popularity of Martin, I think comparing these to the vintage ukes is a bit of stretch; there does not appear to be any attempt to replicate the vintage Gibsons, but rather produce a new uke model, one they never took to market. Add in the stellar reputation of the Gibson Bozeman, MT shop and the inherent rarity of any Gibson ukes from the last 40 or so years, and I think this uke would generate a lot of interest. What is the "premium" on a uke like this? No idea, this is a great candidate for auction, since there is really no formal way to price it.