Bill Monroe's Mandolin

**Soupy1957** · Jun-11-2006, 5:27pm

Recently, through some net resource, I found a free wallpaper photo of Bill Monroe in a cowboy hat, (profile view) that I love.
I don't know the model of the Mandolin that he has in his hands (looks like he had wooden tuning peg knobs, interestingly enough) and I'm not fishing for that here.
What DOES interest me, (having struggled to find the right strap for the curl end), is that the "curl" on his "F" model is rather wide and open. Would be ideal for straps, (easier to wrap on).
I wonder (and suspect) that his Mandolin was specially made for him, but in my searching for a wider curl (bigger gap between the curl and the body), I haven't found one yet.
I'm tempted to try and find a strap that has a string for the curl end, rather than a band, (which I have found I have to turn upside down, so that it is sitting proper when brought to its final spot on the Mando.
Thoughts, ideas, suggestions?
-Soupy1957

**Bill Halsey** · Jun-11-2006, 9:53pm

A cheap, narrow leather dog leash works just fine -- Mon used one for years. Use the loop for the scroll and put a slot in the strap to put the endpin thru; trim off the extra.

**grandmainger** · Jun-12-2006, 3:29am

Is this the photo you mention:

Or this one?

There are plenty more photos of him at www.bgcollector.net...

Anyway, that's his Loar F5, on both photos above, and it was not made for him since he would have been only 11 at the time that mandolin was made (2/26/1923)...

I'm not an expert, but as far as I know, it's a pretty standard F5 shape, and the scroll (curl) has a rather standard 'tightness'. It might appear a bit wide depending on the photo angle...
As Billbows mentions, a slimmer strap will easily fit, and if you have a look at some of the photos on the linked site above, you'll see that Monroe did use a rather slim leather strip.

HTH
Germain

**Darryl Wolfe** · Jun-12-2006, 11:06am

Actually it is a July 9, 1923. The 2/26/23 is another one he acquired years later

**Tim333** · Jun-12-2006, 1:48pm

I have one too that I'll share. I am not sure where I got this picture but I do like it.

**Soupy1957** · Jun-12-2006, 4:52pm

Germain,
Yes, the top photo is the one I use as wallpaper. I don't know about "angle" but it sure looks to me like the instrument he's holding doesn't do a complete curl like so many I've seen on the market today.
Would be much easier to sling a Mandolin of that type! I wonder if that company still exists?
-Soupy1957

**Soupy1957** · Jun-12-2006, 4:53pm

For what it's worth, here's the one I'm playing.....

**Steven** · Jun-12-2006, 4:55pm

Thats some pick,wonder what it is made of and its thickness.I am really surprised to see how round it is.Ronnie McCoury likes them that shape also and so do alot of other Bluegrass Mando Monsters.I just cant get any sound/volume out of them.

**lkb3rd** · Jun-12-2006, 5:27pm

Originally Posted by (Soupy1957 @ June 12 2006, 17:52)

Germain,
# #Yes, the top photo is the one I use as wallpaper. #I don't know about "angle" but it sure looks to me like the instrument he's holding doesn't do a complete curl like so many I've seen on the market today. #
# #Would be much easier to sling a Mandolin of that type! #I wonder if that company still exists?
# #-Soupy1957

Yep, Gibson still exisits, as well as numerous copies of the design. It's a Loar era "F-5"

**Big Joe** · Jun-12-2006, 5:32pm

The mandolin is a Gibson F5 made in 1923. It has the same scroll as the current Gibson mandolins. The Scroll is really good for hanging straps. We can certainly provide you with a new one just like Mr. Bills only shinier

.

Jun-12-2006, 5:32pm

Wait.... Gibson is still in business? Why wasn't I informed?

Diego
-----
Gibson F5-G
Kalamazoo KM-11
VW Jetta TDI

**Philip Halcomb** · Jun-12-2006, 8:18pm

Soupy, the deal is with a lot of the pac-rim mandolins (Kentucky, Washburn, Michael Kelly, Fender, etc...), they tend to use real beefy binding which when it meets in the scroll doesn't leave a lot of room for a strap. Also their carving or contouring (if you will) of the scroll is different. But it's inconsistent, you're liable to find a Kentucky just like yours with a wider scroll and room for lots of strap. #A lot of the small builders, or exclusively hand built mandolins from the bigger companies like Gibson or Collings are more diligent about making the binding connections in the scroll tighter. They also take great care in carving their scrolls. One thing about Gibson new or old, is that the mandolins produced from each era of production have pretty consistent scroll shapes. I'll bet you right now that Big Joe has an F9 (Gibson's low-end model) and a Distressed Master Model (Gibson's high-end model) and if you held them side by side the scroll would be close to identical. Most small builders who build traditional F-Style instruments do their best to emulate the Gibson scroll (some get it almost dead on) and standardize on what looks best to them.

**Soupy1957** · Jun-13-2006, 5:23am

By the way, gang: My origional belief that Bills' scroll on his Mandolin was not a complete curl was incorrect. I had to look very closely, (His coat matches the wood color almost identically), but the complete scroll is there.
It "appeared" (because of the close matching of his coat color to the scroll center) that the center of the scroll was not there.
I guess my eyes are getting old along with the rest of me.....lol.
-Soupy1957

P.S. Ref.: The comment above, made by "Steven" about the "roundness" of the Mandolin: which Mandolin were you commenting on?

**Dave Hanson** · Jun-13-2006, 6:39am

$1000.00 strap hanger.

Dave H

**DryBones** · Jun-13-2006, 8:21am

Originally Posted by (DiegoMoon @ June 12 2006, 18:32)

Wait.... Gibson is still in business? Why wasn't I informed?

Diego
-----
Gibson F5-G
Kalamazoo KM-11
VW Jetta TDI

yep, they are and you can now buy them at your local Guitar Center!

**Bill Snyder** · Jun-13-2006, 6:33pm

Soupy,
Some makers do have a more open scroll such as this Stelling S-5.

**Soupy1957** · Jun-14-2006, 4:46am

Bill,
Ok, off I go to price the Stelling.....lol....is it a worthy instrument, or one to ignore?
-Soupy1957

**Soupy1957** · Jun-14-2006, 4:47am

OUCH! $6500.00 +.....Man! Who has a wallet with THAT big a bundle in it?! Certainly not me!
-Soupy1957

**Moose** · Jun-14-2006, 9:29am

You'll have ta' work LOT'A gigs to pay for THAT one!! -

**mandroid** · Jun-14-2006, 11:39am

At the Loar collectors prices they probably never will pay themselves off.
The guy with the Hofner Bass guitar did pretty well, but the 2nd Wife wants Half , now..