View Full Version : One piece or 2 piece backs
walkerman
Feb-07-2008, 12:22pm
Any opinions on the differences between one and two piece backs?
fatt-dad
Feb-07-2008, 1:48pm
Two piece backs are symetrical.
f-d
Mr. Loar
Feb-07-2008, 2:34pm
One piece backs are supposedly better for tone, two piece backs are prettier.
Jason Holmes
Feb-07-2008, 2:48pm
I hear that tone wise there shouldn't be a difference between a one-piece back and a well joined two-piece. I'd be curious to see the results of a thorough study though if someone is willing to fund it.
Kevin Briggs
Feb-07-2008, 3:31pm
I've owned a mandolin with a two-piece back, and I currently own a mandolin with a one-piece back. This topic has been covered a lot on the Cafe, and I thnk the consensus is that there is really no way to identify a diference in tone, because the seemingly infinite amount of variables that are involved in comparing two mandolins prevents any definitive answer.
Just think, if mandolin X is made with a two-piece back and mandolin Y is made with a one-piece, is that all we need to tell the difference? What about the 200 additional pieces of material that go into making a mandolin? What about the age of the mandolins? What about how they've been cared for? What about the pick, the person playing it, the strings, the life of the strings, the setup, the stain, the finish, etc.
How can we possibly account for all of this, even when we have two mandolins built at the same time by the same builder, with all things otherwise equal?
arbarnhart
Feb-07-2008, 3:49pm
Two piece backs are symetrical.
f-d
Maybe, maybe not... http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/tounge.gif
Glassweb
Feb-07-2008, 4:04pm
One piece backs are supposedly better for tone, two piece backs are prettier.
For what it's worth, ALL of the best sounding Loar F5s I've ever played (about 50) had two piece backs.
Bradley
Feb-07-2008, 4:11pm
The Best 2 mandolins that I have owned are both one piece
backs. This was in sound and looks IMHO...Have heard many buiders say that there are no advantages of one over the other also
Red Henry
Feb-07-2008, 4:33pm
Randy Wood #1 has a two-piece back, and RW#3 has a one-piece back. They're both great mandolins, and I can't say that anything distinctive about each mandolin's sound is related to the back structure.
Red
Bill Snyder
Feb-08-2008, 5:04pm
One piece backs are supposedly better for tone, two piece backs are prettier.
Huh? Most one piece backs are chosen for looks as there is no discernable difference in tone.
Chip Booth
Feb-08-2008, 7:04pm
One piece backs are supposedly better for tone, two piece backs are prettier.
I've never heard a builder say there was an improvement in tone from a one piece back, and have often heard that there is in fact no noticable difference. #
For myself, I generally prefer the look of a one piece back.
Chip
buddyellis
Feb-08-2008, 7:46pm
Two piece backs are generally a bit more stable due to bookmatching. I don't see how there'd be any tonal difference at all.
arbarnhart
Feb-08-2008, 8:54pm
I posted the earlier photo of how I kinda mismatched, but given a matched set, I like the 2 piece backs if the figure is flame or there is little or no figure (at least the symmetry gives it something). But (IMO), the best looking backs are the one piece quilted backs.
One piece backs are supposedly better for tone, two piece backs are prettier.
Ah, no. Only difference is a glue joint. # http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/smile.gif