View Full Version : F5 pml
Here's some pix of the PML...
This one is West Virginia red spruce and sugar maple instead of red maple.
Jim Garber
May-01-2008, 3:04pm
Hans, beautiful work, as usual. How poor does one have to be? This is not, by any means, a budget model, right?
Close up of front. Instrument is single bound ivoroid and varnish with optional scalloped tortoise pickguard. Frets are .040".
3/4 view of optional pickguard...
Jim, it's not exactly budget, but it's flat out about as budget as I can get and keep the quality up to my standard. Let's say it's less than half the price of my F5C. Email me for price.
JEStanek
May-01-2008, 3:23pm
Congratulations on that build Hans. That is very Loarish with the Brentrup details I like so much. Wonderful.
Jamie
edit: how embarrassing is it to misspell that name!
Skip Kelley
May-01-2008, 4:52pm
Hans, That is one beautiful mandolin. The sunburst is perfect!
Chris Biorkman
May-01-2008, 5:10pm
::drool::
Gutbucket
May-01-2008, 5:13pm
Dang, that's sweet! That pickguard is nice, and I don't even like pickguards.
Jim Kasperson
May-01-2008, 5:18pm
I love the stepped pickguard. I do believe that you are a modern master.. I have never really lusted for a Loar. Too much fantasy for me. But I find myself lusting for this mandolin. Thanks for posting it.
Kasper
surfandstrum
May-01-2008, 5:54pm
Has that one been spoken for Hans?
Brandon Flynn
May-01-2008, 6:42pm
Nice. I can't afford to keep looking at mandolins like I am, I won't have the money for a new one for a long time. Hopefully sooner than later.
John Hill
May-01-2008, 7:45pm
Wonderful Hans! Would love to hear it and would commit felonies to own one.
NoNickel
May-01-2008, 8:21pm
Wowee! What are the spec Hans. How would it differ from the 23V or the F5C?
red7flag
May-01-2008, 8:21pm
Hans, beautiful work, as always. Some day.....
Tony
John Hill
May-01-2008, 8:29pm
What kind of strings do you have on it? Monels?
mandopete
May-01-2008, 8:45pm
Drool, drool, drool, drool....drool.
Thanks folks. Differences from the F5C are cosmetic. It's single bound ivoroid instead of triple sidebound on the F5C, tuners are stock Elites, T/P is not hand engraved, nut is bone, point protectors are ivoroid and not dovetailed, side dots are black, etc, etc. The 23V is a different animal altogether; triple topbound, different body shape, different tonewoods, Strings are monel. I also decided to build this one with sugar maple to illustrate the difference from red maple. Both PML and F5C are available with either back wood.
sgarrity
May-02-2008, 7:29am
This instrument is the kind that causes a serious case of BAS (Brentrup Acquisition Syndrome). There are several board members that are afflicted and I think it's happening to me! LOL That is an awesome looking instrument and I imagine it sounds better than it looks.
JEStanek
May-02-2008, 8:10am
Hans, when will you have some soundclips up on your site of this beauty?
Jamie
Mark Walker
May-02-2008, 8:46am
Hans - that's just one beautiful mandolin from front to back, top to bottom.
I agree with Shaun - it's enough to give someone BAS!
Keep up the great work! http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/smile.gif
red7flag
May-02-2008, 4:41pm
Hans, would you mind sharing the differences between the F5 pml and F5C in both construction and cost? Thanks.
Tony
Jamie, I just don't know if Dick Nunneley has the time right now to do a sample, and I know Rob, my webmaster is pretty busy. I will say that Dick played it and was impressed. The tone is a bit more like a Gil than a Loar in my opinion, but that's the sugar maple talkin'. It's crisper than the F5C's on the website, but it's pretty new also.
Tony, I don't feel it's my place to openly advertise the prices on the message board. I'll leave that to you folks. I'll just say that for what you get, it's a very attractive price.
Construction wise, it's built the same as the F5C. Only differences are those that would make building easier such as not using dovtailed bone point protectors...they are a lot more work than ivoroid. Some features are just cheaper for me such as machine engraving on the James T/P rather than hand engraved, and stock Elite tuners.
BlueMountain
May-03-2008, 7:42am
Hans, there are so many beautiful things about this mandolin. Could you explain why the metal bar holding the tuning gears shows at the right side of the headstock. I've seen this with some Loars and wondered if it was a slightly different headstock shape on some, or not changing the hole measurements, or what?
earthsave
May-03-2008, 7:59am
What kind of strings do you have on it? Monels?
Those dont look like monels to me.
JEStanek
May-03-2008, 8:53am
That's understandable, Hans. It's a bit much to expect a one man operation to have all the pieces that many corporations can't get done with huge staffs. I'm sure once this one gets into some hands we'll hear all about the tone, which if it meets your standards will be pretty darn nice.
Jamie
Ed, when I switched to the Loar peghead, I found it to be narrower than my old P/H. The holes were drilled on the old jig. I forgot to allow for that on this particular peghead, and have remedied the situation on future instruments.
Scot, I don't understand. The strings are nickel/copper, a stainless...monel.
sunburst
May-04-2008, 8:09am
Great looking mando, Hans!
I noticed the tuner plate "hangover" too and I was worried that the Elites might have wider plates (I haven't bought any Elites yet), but from your explanation I'll assume they're not wider and they'll fit with my standard set up.(?)
I put the tuner plate edge barely inside the peghead edge, and if some manufacturer decided to make them wider...nah, a tuner manufacturer wouldn't make a change like that without consulting with builders...(yeah, right...)
Phil Goodson
May-04-2008, 12:13pm
Great looking mando, Hans.
In the picture of the back, am I seeing the reflection of a Bundt cake or am I just projecting my own fantasies? http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/biggrin.gif
Phil
John, the tuner plates are the same size...I goofed, plain and simple. My old M23 P/H was a tad wider than the Loar P/H.
As far as soundclips, I might say that the F5C soundclips on the website would be very representative had this instrument been built with a red maple back.
Phil, I recommend Bundt cake as a remedy to your problem! #http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/smile.gif
sunburst
May-05-2008, 10:58am
I've been thinking about the "lesson" potential here, and felt I had to briefly mention it.
Hans has been building mandolins for a while now, and it's safe to say he's about as good at it as we get as builders, yet one unanticipated thing like the narrower peghead caused the tuner plate thing. It doesn't make any difference how good you are or how experienced, mistakes can still happen, and it's nice when someone says "I goofed, plain and simple." with confidence and moves on.
Ken Olmstead
May-05-2008, 12:15pm
Hans, I am confused about the nomenclature. On your site I only see 21 & 23 and V & L. How does this model fit into all this? Am I missing a page on the site. Of course, ignorance is not unusual to me so...:D
Superb looking mandolin for sure!!!
That's right John, and that's why it's also called a demo! Good news is it looks the same on t'other side. #http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/biggrin.gif
Ken, the website is woefully obsolete...only new stuff is the soundclips and picture pages where both new and old can be seen. All my "Classic" instruments (F5C, F4C, A2C, etc.) can be found there. This model fits with the F5C.
One of these days...
red7flag
May-05-2008, 7:46pm
Hans, Excuse my ignorance of your work with this question. What is the difference between your 23V and the F5C? Thanks.
Tony
Tony, maybe a few pix might help clarify the differences among the models. Here's a 23V with most of the details...
Here's a 23V full body shot...
Here's the F5C (distressed) with major features...
PML and F5C look the same from the front and back, 23V is topbound and is usually built with Italian or German spruce. Again, the 23's are older models. F5C's could also be built topbound. Hope this helps...
trevor
May-07-2008, 7:05am
I've had my M21v in German spruce and quilted maple for a couple of months now. Its the one on page 4 of Hans' gallery. I had always been an oval hole player until this arrived. It has a depth and complexity of tone I haven't heard in any other mando... I'm not giving up on oval hole mandolins but I'm not giving up my M21 v either.
I can't wait to get the three for my store. A21 oval hole, A21 f hole due July 08 and F23 F hole due a few months later, all in red spruce and flamed maple.