Gibson F5G Custom

[Professor PT]

I was recently in Buffalo Bros. and played one of the F5G customs they have. It has Adirondack spruce for the top. I was not impressed with the sound. I've heard that it takes a while for these to mature, but it had none of that "woody" tone or "pop" that my F-9 has( it had that tone from the start, actually ). I also played a varnished F5G, and it sounded worse; it was very flat. Are my ears simply tainted by the tone of my F-9? The only mandos that sounded good to me in the whole store were the Collings mandos, one Weber F- style mandola, and a Furch A-style they had there. The Furch was a surprise: it had the woody, complex tone I prefer. It has a cedar top, I believe. The playability was excellent as well. One other big disappointment was a fancy Eastman two point: it looked beautiful but sounded shrill and harsh--like nails on the chalkboard. I really like their oval hole models, but the f-hole models just don't sound pleasant to my ears.

[straight-a]

I know a guy that got one of those from Buffalo Bros. just last week. #Even after a few days, it is starting to "wake up" nicely. #It already has a great chop and there is a monster tone in there that is going to be great when it is played in. #I have an A-9 and yes there is a difference with the finish thickness and out of the box tone/volume but the F-5G will definitely be a much bigger hoss before long. After hearing and playing his, I would place my order for one if I had the availible funds!

[red7flag]

Of the Gibsons I have played at the Showcase the F-5G were the only ones that I would consider disappointing. We are probably talking about five of them over three visits. The discription I would use is flat, no pizzazz. The F-9s were great, both brown and sunburst (MF clone look). All the signatures were really solid. The Bibey was great but had a different sound, maybe due to the nitrocellulose finish. The Master Models, especially Big Joe's personal one, were one a different level and great. (Thanks again Big Joe). Your thread reminded me of my reaction to the F-5Gs, which was mostly, "Ok, let's try something with some pop". I don't really know what the deal is with the F-5s, but I would not lay my $ out on the promise they will "wake up". For the buck, the F-9s like their cousins the MFs are the best bang for the buck.
Tony

[Jerry Byers]

Did you happen to play any Ferns? I recently played a Derrington and it didn't impress me at all. I'm curious about the Roberts.

[carleshicks]

I bought a 2003 Roberts signed Gibson Fern off ebay 2 years ago. When I first got it I was not overly impressed almost disipointed. But after a few weeks of hard playing and a good set up I will say it is the finest sounding lacuer finished f-5 I have ever played. There is a few issues with the fit and finish that Gibson has improved on in the last few years but other than that there is not another mandolin in the $4500 to $5500 prise range that I would trade it for. Just My opinion. I actually jammed with Danny Roberts and Dave Harvey last summer in Kalamazoo for a good 45 minutes or so. They both played my Fern .And believ it or not I told them that I planned on trading it in on a master model once I saved a couple grand more and they both told me that I had better hang on to my fern that it had incredable tone for a lacuer finished sitka F-5. I thought that was quite a compliment for my little F-5 seeing how those guyes would benifit more from me buying a new Master Model than hanging on to my fern.

[red7flag]

Jerry, I did play one, that like the F-5G was not very impressive. Since I only played one, I did not think was fair to review.
Tony

[Frank Russell]

It's all pretty subjective. Buffalo Bros had one of those F5G customs a good while ago that knocked me out. The wideneck F5G I was just forced to sell beat the pants off every F9 I ever owned or played. I think there is some truth to the matte finish sounding more open from the get-go, but once some of those lacquer F5's open up, they are at a whole different level. My F9 and A9 were both fine instruments after I took off the ###### Corian nuts and did some tweaking with them, but they were not the be-all-end-all that some make them out to be. I think we all have a tendency to believe that what we have is "better" than what's being sold out there. I know that I have been guilty of that attitude, except of course in my case, I'm absolutely right. Frank

[JimW]

Prof T,

I bought one of the varnished custom F5G's back in Dec. '05. Steve at BB played both that they had in stock at the time. They both sounded very close to me over the phone, and I picked the one I bought because of the wood. I thought it had slightly more traditional looking wood. I've also owned an F9, an A9, an '02 Fern, an '03 Sam Bush and an '04 Fern. They were all great instruments and I'll agree the 9 series gives you that sound right out of the box, no question. I really liked the F9 I had and wish I hadn't sold it, but you know how MAS is. I really haven't been playing that long, about 4.5 years now, but my ear has changed over time and I've come to really love that Gibson sound. I really don't think it focuses on the low end as much as the mid-range stuff. That is where you get the cutting power and recording supremacy.

Also, I've learned that when I look at a new instrument, I don't necessarily look for that whomp, bassy thud right off the bat, but I look for the midrange and bright, bell like highs with a balance on the G and D strings. As an instrument matures, it will most always mellow out, but I've never heard of one getting brighter. If a mandolin is to bassy when new, there’s a chance as it opens up, it’ll become muddy and not project as well. #Adirondack spruce is well known to open up and become woody and have that nice bass that we all like, but still maintain the clarity and bell like tone as it opens up, but that takes playing hard and a few years. I don't know this to be fact, as I've never kept an instrument this long http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/smile.gif , but I've heard from experienced players and luthiers that Adirondack spruce takes about 5 years of hard playing to really reach it's full potential.

Now, to my Custom varnished F5G, I am completely satisfied with it. It's begun the opening up process and has volume to spare with the Gibson Bluegrass tone I’ve come to love. The playability of varnished instruments, in my opinion, is just in another league. I use EXP J75 stings on mine and the chop is amazing. The sudden rush of the chop tone in your ears is almost painful, especially on the A and B chords.

I should preface this by stating that what people look for in an instrument is completely individual, and what I like in an instrument, you may think it's just average or a complete dog. Play lots of mandolins and pick the one that speaks to you.

Jim Watts

[Greg H.]

I bought the F5G Custom that Len (straight_a) referred to above. Of course, the first thing I did upon receipt (before even bringing the existing strings up to tension and trying them) was to put a new set of J75s on it and raised the action slightly to give an even level of comparison with my Rattlesnake F5 (which I love). It took a little while for it to wake up after the cross country trip (Buffalo Bros. is in CA and I'm in NC) but when it woke up it did so convincingly. It's a very different sound from my Rattlesnake but also very good. I think the Adirondack spruce is a major difference (much more so than the bound fingerboard--though I like that too). I've had it on stage and at two different jam sessions and thus far I've been impressed.

That said, I know nothing of the other F5Gs at Buffalo Brothers (they're in California and I'm not. . . #http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/tounge.gif ), but if they're like this one they'd deserve a second or third look (it could just be that this one had been played in the store more). If the tone's not there at all then it probably won't be, but seeming 'flat' can be more a matter of the right set of strings or a little more playing in than anything intrinsically wrong with the instrument. There's also the factor that you're used to playing your mandolin and that will always be a factor in any other instrument you're playing. My Rattlesnake has a scooped fingerboard and a very slim neck which I've become quite used to, so I'm haveing to adjust my playing style to this new instrument. Differences in action, neck size etc. can all effect your playing and make another instrument sound worse.

[GBG]

I don't get around many good mandolin stores more than about 2 times a year, and of the ones I play, very few impress me. Does that mean that Collings, Gibson, Weber, etc. don't make good sounding instruments? No,in most cases it's a matter of them being out-of-tune, with old and/or cheap strings, not properly set up, and most of all my not having enough time to to let them wake up (at least an hour).

In our age of instant gratification, the "great out-of-the box" mentality largely prevails, but many of the truly great sounding mandolins of today took years to develop their tone and require a wakeup period every time you play them.

[straight-a]

Quote by GBC"

"In our age of instant gratification, the "great out-of-the box" mentality largely prevails, but many of the truly great sounding mandolins of today took years to develop their tone and require a wakeup period every time you play them."


WELL SAID SIR!

[Big Joe]

Tone is a very subjective issue. I am amazed at the number of folks who say the F5G is the best mandolin we make. Almost the same number say the same about the F9 (or A9), the Fern, the artist series, the MM and the DMM. Everyone has a favorite model depending upon ear, experience, pocketbook, looks, feel, tone, etc. Most of us have a wife, but not all the same one. We each found something we liked about ours over another. Why should mandolins be any different? http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/smile.gif .

[FlawLaw]

Most of us have a wife, but not all the same one. #We each found something we liked about ours over another. #Why should mandolins be any different? http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/smile.gif .
I chose my wife because she was the only one willing to marry a joker like me http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/biggrin.gif I also think that it is different strokes for different folks. I heard a Gibson F-9 and a Fender played side by side at a jam session and the Fender sounded better until the one playing the F-9 switched with the one playing the Fender and wow what a difference a player can make. I now have two mandolins and I go back and forth between the two. One day I like my Rigel best and the next I like my Ithaca best. Oh well, its quitting time and I am getting incoherent.

[Professor PT]

I guess strings could have made a difference, but Buffalo Bros. does keep all of the mandos in tune, and they seem to have new strings. As for the "opening up" scenario, I'm just not that comfortable with the idea of buying on faith. The only reason I did buy my F-9 was because it sounded "open" when I first played it. The guy at BB asked me, after I had played almost everything on the wall, "Anything you can't live without?" I replied, "Nope." My wife was glad to hear that. It seems like it might be better to buy a used mandolin in some respects since the "breaking in" period should have passed for most, no? I guess there are too many variables. Buy what sounds good now is the best advice, I guess.

[Greg H.]

I don't know about the strings they had on there, but mine arrived with the action set exceedingly low (at least from my perspective, as there was no way to play it hard and avoid pick click) and as the 9 series don't have the extension that makes the comparison more difficult as well. Once I've recovered from this purchase (and from my wife's perspective it may take a while) I plan to have the fingerboard scooped and add a bone nut.

[Nick Triesch]

Professer, I would love to hear that F9 sometime and compare it with my old Gibson A type. At Summergrass the past two years I got the chance to play most of the new Gibsons and all of them had that huge sound including the F9 and F5G. But the F5G that I played was the normal top F5G. It should play pretty much the same as the other models because it is made to the same specs. Loar specs. Nick

[Nick Triesch]

Sorry, I mean Professor. #http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/smile.gif

[Professor PT]

No problem...I just got through a stack of poorly written essays, so the last thing I would do is correct your spelling!! As for the F-9, I'm sure we'll meet up at some point here in SD. I'm going to try to go to that festival up in Vista this year.

[Roydw3]

On my mandolin that is being built, the craftsman told me it will sound good "out of the box" but that his mandolins don't really open up fully and come in to their own for about 2 or 3 years depending on how much you play them...I have played one that is about a year old...if it get's better, wow, I will be excited in a couple of years