Gibson F5G

[Nick Triesch]

I know of a Gibson F5G with an Adirondack spruce top. It is a custom mandolin. Can someome please tell me how this top tonewood differs from other spruce top tonewoods? Does it tend to give a more deeper bottom end? Thanks, Nick

[jasona]

There are lots of heated threads on the effect of tonewood on tone here on the Cafe Nick, and to summarize these and my opinion, Red/Adirondack spruce tends to favour the fundamentals over overtones, producing a predominant single tone over the buzzing nature of the overtone soaked Engelmann type sound. Compare Grisman's Crusher from the Tone Poets album with Don Steirnberg's Monte to get a sense for what I am saying.

[Nick Triesch]

So Jason, are you saying that Red spruce and Adirondack are the same woods or very close in sound? I just checked the Gibson web site and the Master Model, Scaggs, and the distressed F5 Master model all use red spruce. Must be a reason. Did the Loars use Red spruce?

[Chris Biorkman]

Yes, Loar did use red spruce. I had one of the custom F-5Gs from BB in Carlsbad with the adi tops. The only Gibsons that have red spruce are the master model and the distressed master model. All of the other models use Sitka.

[Nick Triesch]

Chris, how does your F5G sound? Does it have great sound with good bottom end? Nick

[Chris Biorkman]

I don't have it anymore, but it was a nice mandolin with a pretty good bottom end. It still had some opening up to do when I sold it. I got rid of it because I wanted something with better appointments (headstock and back binding), not because of the sound of it.

[jasona]

So Jason, are you saying that Red spruce and Adirondack are the same woods or very close in sound? I just checked the Gibson web site and the Master Model, Scaggs, and the distressed F5 Master model all use red spruce. Must be a reason. Did the Loars use Red spruce?

Yes, Adirondack is red spruce.

[Greg H.]

Was yours one of the F5-FB models (these were custom made for a dealer--with a bound neck as well--who then went out of business), or was your's done differently/at a different time? I have one of the F5FBs and I really like it. In general, the red spruce takes longer to open up, but once it does so they often carry a bit more mid-range than Gibson's usually Sitka.

[Chris Biorkman]

That would be the one, Greg.

[Big Joe]

A limited number were built for a dealer on the North West Coast. They do have a red spruce top and were priced accordingly. The red spruce tends to give less bottom end woofiness and a more defined tone due to the stiffness of the spruce compared to Sitka (the other top wood used by Gibson). Red spruce takes a bit longer to "open up", but once there it seems to have a better and more even tone across the entire scale.

[Nick Triesch]

Thank you Joe. Nick

[Charles Johnson]

The dealer who had them made up was Music Machine in (I think) Washington. I think they had 20 instruments built. They were forced out of business when Gibson in their corporate stupidity a year or so ago cut off all but 10 or so instrument dealers. Most of their mandolin inventory was later bought out by Buffalo Brothers in CA. Interestingly, the labels do not indicate that they were custom built with Adi tops. They are labled F5G-SB as they has a sunburst back as well as top.

Charles Johnson

[J.Albert]

Charles wrote:
"The dealer who had them made up was Music Machine in (I think) Washington. I think they had 20 instruments built."

If I recall correctly, there were 43 made - 40 in laquer, and 3 of them were given varnish finishes a la the Master Models.

- John

[Big Joe]

None were varnish. All were lacquer.

[MikeEdgerton]

I question that, there were two distinct models being sold on the Buffalo Brothers website, they were Varnished and Laquer. As to the number of each I haven't a clue but they were being sold as varnished. I think one of them went through a less than satisfactory alteration a while back as well and I thought that one was varnished.

[MikeEdgerton]

Buffalo Brothers has one of these Custom F5G's in stock right now. I assume it's the laquer finish.

[sgarrity]

I've seen several of these advertised as varnish. But I've never inspected one personally.

[MikeEdgerton]

Apparently there were a few cafe regulars that either bought these mandolins or played them at Buffalo Brothers. Take a look at this (http://www.mandolincafe.com/forum/showthread.php?t=20851&highlight=buffalo+custom+gibson) thread.

[45ACP-GDLF5]

None were varnish. All were lacquer.


You tell 'em, Joe!!! ;)

[MikeEdgerton]

Yet another old thread on these mandolins can be found here (http://www.mandolincafe.com/forum/showthread.php?t=10733&highlight=varnish+F5G).

A trip down memory lane finds three F5G varnished models for sale on music machines site in June 0f 2004. You can see that site here (http://web.archive.org/web/20050406073506/music-machine.net/frontend/Category.aspx?CategoryID=47). The description on one of those mandolins is here:

Gibson VF-5G Varnished Mandolin 40324010
Gibson Original Acoustic Instruments VF-5G Varnished Mandolin. Buy any Gibson Mandolin and recieve a free Guitarsale.com Professional Set Up with Fresh Gibson Signature Mandolin Strings.

Serial Number: 40324010
Construction: Spruce top, Flame Maple back, sides, and neck
Tone Bar: Tuned Parallel
Fingerboard/Inlay: Ebony extended/Dot
Binding: Triple Bound, Ivoroid/Black/Ivoroid
Hardware: Hand-Engraved
Finish: Hand-brushed Original Style Varnish

I'd say that there are three serial numbers listed, anyone that really wants to do some research could probably do it with Gibson but I'm pretty sure from all this that they built at least three of them. These guys most likely didn't make this stuff up. I'm inclined to believe they were built.

I just hate it when this happens. :whistling:

[Nolan]

Yet another old thread on these mandolins can be found here (http://www.mandolincafe.com/forum/showthread.php?t=10733&highlight=varnish+F5G).

A trip down memory lane finds three F5G varnished models for sale on music machines site in June 0f 2004. You can see that site here (http://web.archive.org/web/20050406073506/music-machine.net/frontend/Category.aspx?CategoryID=47). The description on one of those mandolins is here:

Gibson VF-5G Varnished Mandolin 40324010
Gibson Original Acoustic Instruments VF-5G Varnished Mandolin. Buy any Gibson Mandolin and recieve a free Guitarsale.com Professional Set Up with Fresh Gibson Signature Mandolin Strings.

Serial Number: 40324010
Construction: Spruce top, Flame Maple back, sides, and neck
Tone Bar: Tuned Parallel
Fingerboard/Inlay: Ebony extended/Dot
Binding: Triple Bound, Ivoroid/Black/Ivoroid
Hardware: Hand-Engraved
Finish: Hand-brushed Original Style Varnish

I'd say that there are three serial numbers listed, anyone that really wants to do some research could probably do it with Gibson but I'm pretty sure from all this that they built at least three of them. These guys most likely didn't make this stuff up. I'm inclined to believe they were built.

Mike, those are listed as VF-5G... they would have a FB in the model number if they were part of the Red Spruce run of F-5G mandolins... the serial numbers don't line up with the other F-5G FB mandolins either. I think those were special varnished F-5G's with sitka seperate from the FB ones.

[Big Joe]

Let me correct myself. There were a couple of the red spruce with varnish finish. I am subject to old age and short term memory issues, though I refuse to admit it :) . However, that was the only varnished G's that were made. That I am sure of in spite of my otherwise lacking mental facilities.

[MikeEdgerton]

I'd guess they were part of the same run perhaps with different model numbers. Now even Big Joe remembers a few varnished ones. I'm still waiting for one of the people that bought one of these to pop into this thread.

[Chris Biorkman]

Here is a thread from a while back about these. There is a picture of one on the second page.

Varnished F-5G (http://www.mandolincafe.com/forum/showthread.php?t=20626)

[Chris Biorkman]

Here is another thread (http://www.mandolincafe.com/forum/showthread.php?t=20851&highlight=buffalo+custom+gibson) about these mandolins.

[MikeEdgerton]

That one certainly looks like the others. That bound fretboard looks odd on an F5G.

[MikeEdgerton]

Here is another thread (http://www.mandolincafe.com/forum/showthread.php?t=20851&highlight=buffalo+custom+gibson) about these mandolins.

I linked to that one in a previous post, I never found the other one though, nice catch.

[Chris Biorkman]

I outsearched the master. I can die in peace now. :)

[MikeEdgerton]

I outsearched the master. I can die in peace now. :)

You have taken the coin from my hand young grasshopper. :disbelief:

:))