F Holes

[Yonkle]

How come on different Lloyd Loar Mandolins, some f holes are thicker than others? (see photo) top mandolin the soundboard thickness looks a lot thicker than another,both Loars.
If they are the same graduation inside, should'nt they be sanded to the same on the outside? Is there a "standard" thickness in the F hole area? Or is it just the builders preference? Thanks for any help

[crawdad]

I've never so much as seen a Loar, but my guess is that the builders guaged how they graduated the tops based on the wood used for the soundboard. Some were stiffer and some flexed more. I would imagine that, through experience, they were able to judge how thick to carve a given top. I'll shut up now and wait for the experts to chime in!

[Michael Lewis]

I can't see in the pics what you are talking ablut, but some of them have thinned edges to make them look nicer. A thin edge will allow a tiny bit more air to pass through than a thick edge. What you are noticing may be the result of tuning the resonance of the chamber, since a thinner edge will allow more air to pass, it would raise the frequency(a tiny bit).

[Chris Baird]

Not all loars are exactly the same. Every builder builds his/her own idea of loar specs. I'll bet every builder has a different idea of what loar specs are, partly because loars are different one from another.