Solid vs. cutout bridge base on f5

[BradB]

I have an F5 style mandolin (custom built for me by Peter Sawchyn) that sounds very good. It's not the loudest F5 mando I've played, but it does have good volume and a really sweet tone. A well-known mandolin player who plays a 1920's Gibson F5 tried it and liked it, but he suggested replacing the bridge, which has a cutout at the bottom center, with one that is solid all the way across the bottom. He said that this would bring out the midrange and improve the tone.

Has anyone here experimented with a solid base bridge (one long foot) versus one with a cutout in the middle (two feet)? If so, what did you find?

[Lee]

Try asking this up in the Builder's forum.

[Michael Lewis]

I have used both styles and favor the full contact bridge foot. I can't say that I have heard much difference between them though. I prefer the full contact foot for structural reasons. The foot with the cut out is easier to fit to the top of the mandolin.