Three-point F style triggering renewed MAS

[Petrus]

I thought I was cool with my recent trade-up to a beautiful tiger stripe MD-505 and purchase of a Seagull (with the sacrifice of a bowlback and my 305) ... but the last few days I've been seeing several old (and new) oval hole f-types with the added point near the scroll and I'm thinking it would be great to have one of those. You sure don't see a lot of them. And they tend to be a bit on the expensive side (saw one on an auction site for just under $1K, not a Gibson.) Every day a new shiny object to get obsessed over. A few weeks ago I was obsessed over the Weber Hyalite because of that cool Celtic shape. (No, I didn't get one yet.) I guess there's no hope! :))

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[Petrus]

I guess if I were going to go Gibson (and could scare up the loose change) I'd go for one of the older ones with the pineapple tailpiece.

Then again maybe I'd rather have the Eastman 815 mandola. I played one recently and it was sweet! Decisions, decisions.

And did I mention the Rigel A+? I haven't played one but I love the looks.

Maybe the point is stay off auction sites. :))

[F-2 Dave]

Three pointers are definitely things of beauty. I'd love to have one someday. You should check out Dan B's three pointer with the torch and wire inlay on the peg head in the mandolin archive. That will kick your lust into high gear. I believe it it serial number 9100.

[darrylicshon]

I love the look of 3 pointers, i will own one someday

[Petrus]

I recently saw one on an auction site made by a J.V. Johnson in 1985. Never heard of him, but it looks good and just under a grand. A little bit leery having not heard of this luthier. The one in the classifieds here by Deep Ocean for $1.6K is a bit much for me. The bright red Gibson also in the classifieds is way too much for me and it doesn't do anything for me ... and something looks wrong with that scroll.

[JeffD]

I think three pointer F style oval holes are among the most beautiful mandolins in the world.

[allenhopkins]

Yeah, I like my 1906 F-2 three-point. Body's a bit larger than the later two-pointers, so it took me a while to find a case, and I finally had the padding in a modern rectangular case altered to fit. I'm not playing it so much now, but when I was in the Celtic band it was my main mandolin.

[Eddie Sheehy]

The scroll on the peg head of the "red" 3-pointer isn't there. The peg head was artistically modified to do without it.

[JEStanek]

While I think Orville designed a thing of beauty in the Three Pointer, I believe Hans Brentrup (https://brentrupmandolinregistry.wordpress.com/category/3-point/) perfected it.
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Jamie

[Eddie Sheehy]

Deep Ocean Guitars produced this replica:

[Jim Garber]

I had a few of the vintage ones in my possession years ago. They are lighter in tone and volume than the late teens and early 1920s. Aesthetically they are very nice. I always admired Hans's 3-points but could not afford one of his when he was making them.

[Petrus]

It seems like Gibson just stopped making them altogether in favor of the now-common two-point F style? Maybe the extra point near the scroll was too difficult or time-consuming to get right in large quantities.

There was a 1980s J.V. Johnston on eBay for about a grand recently but I know nothing of this luthier.

[Jim Garber]

It is a very different design from the two point. I believe the scroll is hollow and the neck angle is shallower. I would also guess that the top and back carving is different. For sure the tone and volume is different. I am sure there was some production considerations but it is not just cosmetic.

I found ( I think) the JV Johnson mandolin that you saw on eBay. It is on Reverb.com: Johnson 3-point (https://reverb.com/item/1128225-j-v-johnston-3-point-f-style-mandolin-1985-cremona-brown-shaded-top).

That one basically an F-5 hybrid with a 3-point body. I would imagine that the inner construction was more like an F-5 than a vintage 3-point. I am not fond of the look of the f-holes on a 3-point, tho.