Mandolin back plate

[Nick Triesch]

On some F5 type mandolins I have noticed that the whole back piece of wood does not go up and cover the neck heel like on say a Gibson F5 or a Weber Fern. Instead some mandolins, even some that cost a lot have a end cap on the heel. Why is this? It it just a different design? Just want to know, Nick

[sunburst]

Different design.
Many design elements were borrowed from violin traditions when Orville Gibson started making carved top/back instruments. The heel "button" is one of them. Actually, the earliest of Orville's instruments didn't have heel buttons, but they later found their way into the designs.
It also has to do with the type of neck joint sometimes. It is about the easiest way to do a dovetail of mortise and tenon joint, but not as easy on a bolt-on neck or epoxy butt joint.

[Dale Ludewig]

I think that running the back to cover the heel adds a huge amount of stability to the joint. I also think it's prettier, sleeker, and allows lovely lines on the back that you can't get if the back doesn't do that. JMHO.

[Nick Triesch]

Why do some makers not cover the heel? Nick

[Jim Rowland]

I made one mandolin with a heel cap because I got in a hurry and clipped the button section off. No agonizing over design elements was involved. One of the mandos Butch Baldasarri features on his Bluegrass lesson DVD seems to have undergone a similar event.
Jim

[Jim Hilburn]

Jim, that's exactly why the mandolin I play has a cap instead of a button. Zing! Oops!