A Gibson F-5L mandolin has been donated by the manufacturer to benefit the Butch Baldassari Medical Fund, and is being offered for sale via Gruhn Guitars in Nashville.

All proceeds from the sale will go to Butch’s Medical Fund.

This is a “Fern” style mandolin, described on Gruhn’s site as follows:

This instrument (sn 70920020) was signed Sept. 20, 2007 by Dave Harvey. It features tone bar bracing, gold-plated hardware, hand-stained finish, rectangular hard case and full warranty. MSLP is $8443.

Bids are submitted by email, and will be accepted through Monday, December 3, at 2:00 p.m. (EST). Bidding details, and some additional photos, can be seen on the Gruhn Guitars web site.

Several other newly donated instruments will be offered for sale in a similar manner over the net few months, including a Collings MT, a Weber F-style and a Trinity College Celtic mandola.

With regard to Butch’s health, Mandolin Cafe has posted a very encouraging report from just before Thanksgiving.

It has been a very upbeat couple of weeks at the Baldassari household and once again, I am in the “pinching myself mode.” Butch awakened last Wednesday, sat up in bed and said, “My legs are back!” It was fantastic! He walked around fast and straight and didn’t miss a beat. That night he joined us at church supper where Blake and I go every (other) Wednesday alone. Many of our church family took note of, not only his presence but, the fact that Butch was doing laps, almost in sing-song rhythm, around Fellowship Hall!

Read the whole report at Mandolin Cafe.