View Full Version : Late '90's Flatiron F's?
David M.
Jul-06-2005, 2:03pm
Elderly has a '99 Festival for sale. Would it be tone bar or X-braced? Weren't there some X-braced Flatiron F's out made?
This one has the floating fingerboard extension, not the integral one.
Just curious. How are these Flatirons from '99?
pickinNgrinnin
Jul-06-2005, 4:34pm
99 Flatiron Festival F would be from Nashville. Tone bar braced and elevated fretboard. Yes, there are X braced Flatirons both from Montana and Nashville and both A and F models. I prefer tone bar bracing. YMMV. A 99 (or later) Flatiron Festival F is essentially the same Mando as the Gibson F5-G and for less $$. A best buy among USA made Mandos. Graduated to Loar specifications. Lot's of mojo in these Nash Festivals. I've owned 2 thus far http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/smile.gif
mandogrrl
Jul-08-2005, 11:44pm
When I bought my Flatiron F-5 I tried out mandolins with tone bars and mandolins that were x-braced. I liked the sound of the tone bar mandolins much better.
Chip Booth
Jul-11-2005, 2:42pm
There are definetly pre-gibson X braced models, I know of two of them for sure. It was my understanding that the Montana Festival and Performer were tone bar braced and the Artists were X braced. I think that changed when they moved to Nashville and everything was tone bar braced at that point.
Or I may be completely wrong...
pickinNgrinnin
Jul-11-2005, 10:07pm
I believe the Nashville Flatiron F5 Artist is X braced.
Chip Booth
Jul-13-2005, 1:35pm
A played a Nashville '99 Flatiron A5 Artist that was tone bar braced, and was told that was standard after the move to Nashville, but again, this is all hearsay.
Chip
pickinNgrinnin
Jul-13-2005, 5:26pm
I had originally thought that too. Recently, I was looking at a Nashville F5 Artist and the seller told me it was X braced. Maybe Big Joe can throw in on this one.
Frank Russell
Jul-13-2005, 7:20pm
Jeff - thanks for keeping my identity secret, but I'm okay with being identified. I had the Flatiron F5 Artist, and it definitely had x-bracing, I looked with a dental mirror. It was very pretty, but had some neck issues that are being addressed by the new owner. After that, I bet it will be a killer. I preferred my old Festival F, though, even with the sort of chunky round neck. That thing had some bottom end on it. Frank