First kit build : f4 or f5

[markinmontreal]

I have been playing mandolin for several years on a cheep Korean made A style mandolin. I am interested in eventually building from scratch but want to start with a fairly easy kit. I do not have that many tools and will slowly acquire them by building one or two kits.

I pretty sure I will go with a IV F4 or F5 kit. This (http://www.internationalviolin.com/item_detail.aspx?ItemCode=MK8) F4 is very reasonable at 160 and am wondering if anyone else has built it. I kind of like the idea of an oval hole - I heard they sound a bit more full - but I have never played one...

Any suggestions are very welcome!

Mark

[mercenarymandolinist]

If you play Bluegrass, buy the F5. The F4 should be fine for any other style.

[sunburst]

It really depends on what you want the mandolin to do. If you play Bluegrass, you'll want F-holes to get the "normal" Bluegrass sound. If you play other types of music, either type (oval or F) hole will work.
Here's an opinion; I think an F-hole mandolin is more versatile than an oval hole. It can chop out a Bluegrass rhythm or sweetly play a delicate classical piece. It can also be said that there is enough chop in some ovals for a credible Bluegrass sound, but still, if I played mandolin and could only have one, I think it would have F-holes.

[markishandsome]

It might be worth a trip to a nice music store and play an oval hole mando and see if you like it. If there's no such store in your area you could check out the Tone Poems CD to hear some examples of both. I believe the IV F4 kit is actually a hybrid style with a longer neck and elevated fingerboard like an F5, so it wount sound like a normal F4. Better off just making one of each. http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/smile.gif

[Bill Snyder]

International Violin has an F4 kit that joins at the 12th fret. It is the one on special for $160.00. It is shown HERE. (http://www.internationalviolin.com/item_detail.aspx?ItemCode=MK8)

[markinmontreal]

Thanks for all the suggestions! The IV F4 kit is reasonably priced - the F5 kit is out of stock for 3 weeks or so. This is partly why I am thinking of the F4 for my first build. I play a bit of bluegrass but mostly I play with a group of guys who play mostly folk type stuff. I was thinking the oval hole would have a fuller, rounder sound, which I like.

I am going to see if I can go test out a few tomorrow.

Mark

[man dough nollij]

I like to listen to the video clips on Folk of the Wood's site to get an idea of what different types of instruments sound like. There, you can compare an oval (http://folkofthewood.com/page3542.htm) sound with an f-hole (http://folkofthewood.com/page1265.htm) instrument. Though a complete noob player myself, I generally prefer the sound of a round-hole for the sound it delivers to my own ear while I'm playing it (solo playing/practicing), and the f-hole sound for when I'm playing with/for other people.

[Stephanie Reiser]

If you were a "scratch" builder, I'd say that the F-5 is the slightly easier to build. I am in the middle of a scratch F-4 build, and the area under the FB extension is a little more complicated than the 5. But if you are building from a kit, all of those nuances are conveniently removed from the equation.
Sound-wise, as has been said already, the F-5 is probably more versatile. I think if I were to only own 1 mandolin it would be an F-5. But I play mandolin in a BG group and also play guitar/mandolin with another woman for folk/indie type music. Which is what the F-4 is for. Actually, the F-5 is fine with that latter setting, but I have just fallen head over heels for the F-4 and just wanted an excuse to build one for myself. It certainly is a challenge with that rosette and all. I wonder how realistic that IV F-4 rosette is... I am making my F-4 as true to the pre '22 models as possible with a mahogany neck inlaid with ebony on the neck shaft, and inlaid Handel-type tuner buttons.
If I were you I would build an F-5.

[Bill Snyder]

... I wonder how realistic that IV F-4 rosette is... #
I do not think the Int. Violin F4 is true to the original Gibson in the details such as using mahogany for the neck and herringbone around the rosette.

[Jkf_Alone]

that f4 kit is a crazy deal. am i correct in reading that the binding is already in place on the top?

[Jkf_Alone]

also, when looking at the kit, isnt it shown with vertical tone bars rather than the transverse tone bar in true F4's, wouldnt that make the tone of this instrument a combination of F4 & F5. i remember a discussion a while back about the effect of tone bar placement and sound hole shape/placement. it seemed that these two elements had a huge impact on tone.

[Bill Snyder]

also, when looking at the kit, isnt it shown with vertical tone bars rather than the transverse tone bar in true F4's...
Since the tone bars are not attached you can decide how to run them.