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Bob Dylan: A Signed Mandolin?? MIGHT BE!

DYLAN signed(?) Mandolin: Signed on the back circa 1995 (actually I believe it WAS signed in 1995). I purchased it at PAWN SHOP Albuquerque, New Mexico in 1995.

From the scans: What it says is "To Chris and Judy, Good luck in your marriage and in your life, BOB DYLAN."

Attributes of the signature that lead me to believe he signed it:

Signed on the BACK, not the front.
Signed with that long personalization with a very strange way of writing a Y. Has anyone seen Dylan write that way?
Signed with a FLAIR thin felt tip...NOT a Sharpie. A FLAIR is NON-ERASEABLE. A forger would use a simple SHARPIE, and if unhappy could wipe it off. You CAN'T erase a FLAIR marker and not DAMAGE the instrument (remove the finish).
The BOB is signed with a TINY 'o" and tiny "B"....the Y in Dylan is LONG...I have seen real examples of his autograph between 1993-2001 and that is how he signed—tiny ob in BOB and a VERY long Y in Dylan.

There is NO paperwork with the guitar. The pawn shop sold it AS IS for $275.00 as a USED instrument...not an authentic signed mandolin. They DID give me the information on who consgned it..and I CALLED the number and the phone was disconnected.

What do you think?

Tags: BOB, DYLAN, GUITAR, MANDOLIn, signed

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Permalink Reply by roger epperson on August 15, 2011 at 10:27am

no that is not his handwriting

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Permalink Reply by David K on August 15, 2011 at 2:15pm

Damn...that sucks lol.....anyone want a srangely perosnalized mandolin signed on th back?

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Permalink Reply by Josh Board on August 18, 2011 at 6:30pm

I've seen lots of Dylan signatures, some with inscriptions (most common being "best wishes"), and this looks nothing like his writing and signature. Sorry.

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Permalink Reply by Josh Board on August 18, 2011 at 6:35pm

Just as an example of how something like this can come up, and turn out to be fake.

Somebody may ask -- why would somebody forge an instrument? Why a mandolin? Why not a guitar? Why not an album? It's all so strange.

Well, I can give you an example of something I witnessed, that explains how something like this can happen.

I saw the late John Lee Hooker. A few different concerts I tried for him, always just missing him (one, I missed Animals singer Eric Burdon, who opened, and than stood signing autographs in the back...yet I didn't bring anything for him!).

One couple who was celebrating their anniversary, handed a nice, white guitar to a security personal that took it to his dressing room. They came back and were so happy with the inscribed signature. Problem was -- it looked NOTHING like Hooker's signature (he printed his name, and did it very poorly). This was signed beautifully...but nothing like his signature. I told the couple the news, they didn't believe me at first. It took me explaining I write for Autograph Magazine and other things. They said they'd wash the signature off when they got home.

Another time, a married couple showed up to a PJ Harvey concert. She's a notoriously bad signer. Just awful. I was two feet from her, with one other guy -- she looked at us and just walked away (her longtime drummer signed my CD, but how incomplete is that?) Well, this married couple was seen by her -- and she invited them backstage, since they brought the book from their wedding for her to sign. Which she did.

If you show up with a wedding story, sometimes that gets securities attention. The couple may have had a story like that, with the mandolin having some significance, and it was taken backstage and brought back signed. But, somebody else in the entourage did the signing. And they never knew.

One other thing to consider -- we no longer live in a day and age where you'll find a gem at a pawn shop. Sure, sometimes you might. But they can all Google, and easily find examples of what a signature looks like, etc. Unless it's a signature inside the album sleeve or whatever -- they often know the price and a good idea if it's authentic.

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Permalink Reply by David K on August 18, 2011 at 10:02pm

I should take the mandolin to BOB..next time I can FIND him (he was just in NY..but he slept on the nus..no accees) (which as we all know is extremely difficult).......and show him the inscription...ask him Do you know CHRIS AND JUDY...there's achance he might stop and look at it...giving me a SHOT (ok its 10,000 to 1...still a shot) LOL..I have met Bob 4 times..he spoke to me on two of those occasions....but I've never gotten him to sign...and It was JUST me and BOB on 2 of those 4 'meetings" Twce at different hotels in NYC, twice in MASS. Ive never seen him sign for ANYONE. When my friends in MASS asked him to sign--he shook his head "NO". Wouldnt speak. The next day..we saw him sneak out bike riding and NO ONE had the balls to take a photo--he was staring us down LOL. When he rode back--my friend saids "Bob can you sign my car door--and he said "ill RUIN yur car"..my friend said RUIN IT..and he said ":NAH". I shot a very rare photo of him in hsi work out clothes holding a book ..we asked what he was reading and he said.."Anything Good".

BOB is my #1 Photo want..I need a photo with him--getting a photo with BOB (a POSED phot) ..it';s easier to win the lottery.

can yo u take a look at this GO GOS LP--is this GOOD? Came froi ma record signing....???

So you say PJ Harney wont sign>? Who's worse--her or BJORK...she was outright mean to me.

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Permalink Reply by Ted Leong on August 21, 2012 at 7:24pm

Here is a scan of a Bob Dylan signed program

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Permalink Reply by Tony Bonich on August 22, 2012 at 1:04pm

Completly FAKE without a doubt again pay Roger and he will confirm this, why dont you get rid of these fakes and buy the other TRUE Dylan i am selling Epperson certified etc i will cut you a deal

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Permalink Reply by Tony Bonich on August 23, 2012 at 10:59am

Carl who ever sold this to you is a crook try to track them down sir and get your money back, there are other Dylan people who will tell you the same, i hate people that sell this kind of s--t Carl i have a very authentic Dylan signature that i got from RR auctions complete with your two hologram COAs from PSA/DNA and Roger epperson certfied i am buying another item so have a look see what you think and it will be your chance to own a REAL Dylan signature