Jonathan McClanahan revoicing of a 1950's Gibson F12

[Mandolin Architect]

Hey guys and gals of Mandolin Café. Many of you wanted me to post the 50's Gibson F12 revoicing that I done after the Fern that I posted on the Café a few months back. I'm sorry it took so long putting it up but I am very busy. Anyway, I wanted to show you guys the transformation of this mandolin. Sorry for not having more pics of the graduating and carving process. We're only allowed to upload 10 pics per thread. If you want to see more pics contact me and I will send them to you. In addressing the tone, volume and playability... as is the case with (many but not all) of these in this era, the top and back was very thick with minimal to no recurve. It had no flex so I carefully regraduated the top and back and added a recurve. The neck was thick also so I took it down to a very comfortable Loar contour. I replaced the flat rosewood fingerboard with a radiused ebony board to inhance it's playability and I also replaced the rosewood bridge with an ebony bridge. Cosmetically, I recontoured the scrolls, the upper bout area of the back around the heel, added volutes to the peg head back and gave the mandolin an overall slight antiquing. I apologize for not having a video on this one. I shot one but couldn't get it to format etc..... I'm definitely not gifted in electronics! These F12's sound amazing after revoicing. The wood is very dry, the tone and volume are vintage and the playability is very smooth. Originally, the grain wasn't very visible so we decided on a Honey burst color and it really brought out it's absolutely beautiful grain. Thanks again

[stevedenver]

!!!!

I would respectfully ask you, the next time you re-voice a mandolin, any mandolin, I would love to have before and after sound clips made with a pretty good mic. I think this would be fascinating and informative.

[Mandolin Architect]

I agree completely. There is a studio on every corner here in Nashville but the hourly rate is very expensive and you usually have to book a 4 hour block! Not to mention that it's very hard for me to take the time to do it. Along with my other new builds and revoicing's, I'm currently building one of my, "McClanahan Trinity" model F5's (no herringbone) for Chris Davis of... Marty Raybon, Diamond Rio, Wild fire etc... Brother it all comes down to "what's been done on the outside tells you what has been changed on the inside". The graduation corrections, taking out unneeded mass etc... all of my attention to detail brings the mandolin to the place it was intended to be. These are exceptional instruments once these corrections are made.

[Bernie Daniel]

That is just an awesome transformation Johathan -- it looks like a million bucks. I would have had a hard time resisting inlaying a period correct "Crown" into that head stock under the block letter "Gibson". Also glad you kept the '50's block lettering it looks unique now in so much more than one dimension.

[Ivan Kelsall]

Well Jonathan - Bernie said it all !. Yet another re-lifeing of a beautiful mandolin - it really is sensational in all respects & the re-finished back is as glorious as i've ever seen,almost 'Bird's eye' Maple looking - WOW !!!!!,:disbelief:
Ivan;)

[lenf12]

Hi Jonathan,

Beautiful work and I'll bet it sounds great!!! Did you happen to weigh the instrument before and after to get a sense of how much mass was removed? As you know, these 50's vintage Gibsons tend to be rather heavily built which negatively affects the tone and volume production. Do you use "custom" graduations and recurves or do you pattern them after some "holy grail" mandolin you're familiar with? Sorry for all the questions but this type of work is very interesting to me and although some folks would consider alterations to an original vintage instrument to be sacrilegious, I'm of the opinion that improvements are preferable for a less than stellar sounding mandolin. I imagine that your treatment is rather expensive but appears to be well worth it.

Len B.
Clearwater, FL

[Mandolin Architect]

Hello lenf12, I don't weigh a mandolin before and after I revoice it. Reason being is that each mandolin is different. A more harder, dense maple back can weigh slightly more than a softer maple back but both be the same thickness, in this case too thick, but they each will require different amounts of wood to be removed. Same with tops or necks etc... I use the Loar contouring for the top and back graduation. Personally, I don't like to rework a vintage instrument, but then on the other hand, I don't like to see vintage instruments lay around and not be played. The people that have me to revoice or convert their vintage mandolins are people that want to play them and not have to leave them in the case while they play their newer mandolins. The mandolins I revoice becomes the individuals main instrument because it's already dried and producing a beautiful vintage tone. And when you add better playability along with inhanced volume and tone you have an instrument that is everything you could ever want in a mandolin.

[usqebach]

Jonathan,

Absolutely gorgeous work! The finished product looks like a fabulously handcrafted mandolin. But I do have a couple of questions:

1) When entering into a project, do you ever mentally do a cost/benefit analysis? (i.e. is it more effort and cost to completely rework this thing vs. simply making a new one correctly the first time?), and

2) While undergoing the project, are there ever any aspects of the instrument that you have to leave as is because what is wrong is "unfixable"?

Thanks!

Jim

[Mandolin Architect]

Hey, thanks for the question. Great questions! A lot of my McClanahan new builds come from people who want a mandolin that was built correctly from the start. Many of my customers have me to revoice their existing mandolin and then order a custom mandolin from me. To be honest, my cost benefit analysis say's that the mandolin, whether it be as in this case a 1951 Gibson F12 or the Fern I did a couple months ago, say's that this mandolin has all of the attributes of a high quality, phenomenal sounding instrument but the work needs to be finished out. The cost/benefit analysis from the customer must ask "do I really want to keep this mandolin under my bed and bring it out occasionally at festivals as a showpiece? Or do I want to take it to festivals and play it as my main instrument"? I personally prefer that a mandolin be everything it was made to be.... played. I have love the mandolin since I was a kid. My father took me to Pete Hart's, and Bob Whites shop when I was just a little boy and then I ended up working at the Gibson Custom Shop in Nashville, but ever since then I have always felt that these beautiful instruments were made to be played, not put under a bed because they don't sound as good as another mandolin. I will be attaching a video of me playing and describing this F12 very shortly. Be looking for it!!!!!

[Mandolin Architect]

Hey everybody. I uploaded the Video of me playing and breaking down the 1951 Gibson F12 that I revoiced. Just go to "Post a picture of your mandolin" and you'll see it. Enjoy!