Derrington mandolins

[Billy Packard]

Derrington mandolins are highly regarded. I'd like to hear comments from those who've owned or played them..

Also, were they all built with the flat fretboard?

Billy

billypackardmandolin.com

[Demetrius]

Met Billy, I owned one of Derringtons personal mandolin and I can vouch that they are all that... shouldn't have sold it...
Lol dare I say that around here?

Best,
Dem

[Billy Packard]

Dem...
Lol, yeah you better keep your head down! Do you remember the fretboard? Was the mandolin a Loar clone, essentially?

Billy

[DataNick]

Here's a thread you might find interesting for research/info Derrington Gibson F5 mandolins

[Mark Seale]

I had a killer Derrington signed Fern Master Model, named Blondie, now with another forum member. It is an incredible instrument and versatile. It is a flat board (or was when I had it) and had a great old voice even when fairly new. I miss that instrument.

[Big Joe]

Me too! ��

[f5joe]

My Master Model Derrington-signed has an arched fingerboard.

[almeriastrings]

I have a fairly unusual Derrington-signed F5 Fern (on the right here), with a more recent (early post-flood) Harvey example on the left:





Structurally there a few differences; ivoroid binding, 'thicker' headstock inlays and more of a 'tobacco' color on the Derrington vs the white binding, finer inlay and redder color on the Harvey.

Tonally, the Derrington is more mid-rangey, while the Harvey has more of what some call a 'modern' tone, with extended lows and more overtones - but they're both excellent in their own ways, just very different. Yes - flat boards.

[William Smith]

All this talk on MModels I'm getting a case of wood envy!

[june39]

Arched

[Gibsonman]

I had a 1999 Gibson F-5 Fern a 2002 F-5 MM and a 2004 F-5 MM All signed by Charlie . All three were very good. The 04 was the best then the 99 and then the 02

[carleshicks]

I firmly believe that they are all that. I love my flat boarded 2002 mm. The majority of the Master Models had flat boards but some were ordered with radiused boards.

[f5loar]

Since I was good friends with Charlie, I always wanted one since he died. Finally last year got me a 2002 and love it. I'd say Charlie had that special "something" like Lloyd Loar had when it came to overseeing the making of the F5 mandolin. He had a strong passion for them and that seemed to reflect in the ones he signed. Now I'm not saying the CD signed ones are better than a Danny Roberts or the newer David Harvey ones, but they are now part of Gibson's history, much in the same vein as the signed Lloyd Loars are. And if you got a Danny Roberts MM/DMM, I have no doubt then when Charlie was still there, he had a something to do about seeing them to the finished end if nothing more than pick a tune or two on them.

[William Smith]

Yes I'll also have a MM someday, very nice F-5's and are now with history! And Dem, You really have had some nice horns ,my friend. Gluttony comes to my mind when I hear what you've had/sold. I mean that in a nice way, you've got to try out some killer mandolins that a lot of us haven't had the cash or patience to do "She'll be coming around the Mountain when she comes"

[William Smith]

Now here is a ? that may be dumb? But not to me. Charlie Derrington signed a bunch of MModels- did he build them or was it a team effort and he kinda overseen the builds? Kinda like Loar did! Also on the Distressed MModels how come Danny Roberts signed them instead of Charlie? I find this strange but a worthy? that may have been answered long ago?

[carleshicks]

Now here is a ? that may be dumb? But not to me. Charlie Derrington signed a bunch of MModels- did he build them or was it a team effort and he kinda overseen the builds? Kinda like Loar did! Also on the Distressed MModels how come Danny Roberts signed them instead of Charlie? I find this strange but a worthy? that may have been answered long ago?

Charlie signed both the Master Models and Distressted Master Models from 1999 until the end of 2004, well there is one MM signed by him in January of 2005. During this time span Charlie's also signed the first Distressed Master Models of which there is less than 8 total. While there, his hands where in the production but his role was to "oversee" production. Here is and Interview with him that will help answer your questions,

https://m.facebook.com/notes/gibson-...3300/?__tn__=C

[Paul Busman]

What exactly does it mean when you say Derrington (or other name) Gibson F5? Is that made in the Gibson factory entirely by one specific luthier? Does he just oversee and approve other luthiers in the house? In general, in a company like Gibson are instruments usually made by one craftsman or is it a shared (not to say production line) process?

[june39]

My Derrington MM was to go to Sam Bush as part of his endorsement deal With Gibson. He asked me if I wanted it varnish finished or lacquered. Varnish won. This request changed a standard Sam Bush model into a signed Master Model and added a significant bump in the price. Glad I made that choice. It is a special instrument.

Doug McCash

[William Smith]

That was a great article Carleshicks! Awesome info, I've always wanted to get the right one MModel, I've had a few Gibsons from that era that were pretty good such as a 2001 F5-G and a V-Fern signed by Roberts in 04. The V-fern wasn't too bad and I was told there were only about 20 made? around that anyway. It didn't blow me away so off she went. So on the V-Fern I had, it had a Sitka top right? There are plenty MM's out there but no $ in the bank yet!

[carleshicks]

Yes the varnished Fern had a Sitka top and white glue. The Master Models have red spruce and hide glue.

[carleshicks]

What exactly does it mean when you say Derrington (or other name) Gibson F5? Is that made in the Gibson factory entirely by one specific luthier? Does he just oversee and approve other luthiers in the house? In general, in a company like Gibson are instruments usually made by one craftsman or is it a shared (not to say production line) process?

Derrington oversees, but he had his hand in the design, production and quality control. These 5 pages that Frank Ford put together show Gibson's process from start to finish. http://www.frets.com/FretsPages/Feat...onmills01.html
Gibson does not have a facility in the mall anymore, but it was pretty cool when they did.

[Mark Seale]

Charlie signed both the Master Models and Distressted Master Models from 1999 until the end of 2004, well there is one MM signed by him in January of 2005. During this time span Charlie's also signed the first Distressed Master Models of which there is less than 8 total. While there, his hands where in the production but his role was to "oversee" production. Here is and Interview with him that will help answer your questions,

https://m.facebook.com/notes/gibson-...3300/?__tn__=C

If that Jan 2005 is the instrument I'm thinking of, it left Gibson in the white and was finished some time later.

[carleshicks]

It is this one. https://www.facebook.com/pg/Gibson-F...50271434935117

[William Smith]

Do you know why they used Sitka on the V-ferns? It seems since they spent the way extra time and $ putting varnish on the V-Fern they would've used the Red Spruce? And the V-Fern is about the same as a MM except the top wood, fern inlay, and hide glue. I was told or read that in them years there were only maybe 22 V-Ferns because the cost and time was so much for the varnish application? Do you know the total amount of V-Ferns? Also were any V-ferns made with red spruce tops in the Derrington era? I know I've seen a few Harvey era V-ferns with red spruce "Adirondack tops" and to me its a better sounding wood, that's what all the prewar Gibsons mandolins had and the Great Martin guitars pre what 1947. Although Martin sporadically used red spruce on some guitars through the 50's. I have a 57 D-18 with the red spruce top.

[carleshicks]

I think the thought around the varnished ferns was not to produce a different model but to use a current production model to experiment with the varnish used on the master models. I may be wrong. Big Joe could probably shine some light on this subject. I have played two Derrington Era Varnished ferns and they sounded amazing. Sitka is in no way an inferior tone wood. Just different.