Re: Date an F4 by Handel tuners?
Oval-hole, carved-top mandolins are wonderful instruments, and -- in some cases -- quite suitable for bluegrass. The easy answer as to why f-hole mandolins dominate the bluegrass scene, is "That's what Bill Monroe played," so they must be the standard.
The more nuanced answer, is that f-hole instruments -- again, as a rule -- have a more percussive initial "attack" when picked, with quicker decay so the notes don't sustain as long. You can hear similar differences when you listen to an round-hole, flat-top guitar (there aren't too many round-hole, carved-top guitars -- a few since the early Gibsons, but not a lot), and compare the sound to a carved-top, f-hole "jazz guitar."
The sharp attack and quicker decay work well for the standard bluegrass rhythm "chop" mandolin style, and also help the mandolin cut through the other instruments when taking breaks. There other differences -- traditionally, f-hole instruments had longer, raised necks and more centrally-placed bridges, which also could give them an edge.
Jimmy Martin's early bands generally featured an F-4, often played by Paul Williams but owned by Martin; Curly Seckler played an F-2 in the Foggy Mountain Boys, nearly always as a rhythm instrument. Monroe himself played and recorded with an F-4 when his Loar was "in the shop." It's true, however, that the standard bluegrass mandolin is an f-hole instrument now, so much so that quite a few vintage F-2's and F-4's were broken up for their back and sides, and converted to "F-5's" with new f-hole tops and longer necks. A pity, IMHO.
Allen Hopkins
Gibsn: '54 F5 3pt F2 A-N Custm K1 m'cello
Natl Triolian Dobro mando
Victoria b-back Merrill alumnm b-back
H-O mandolinetto
Stradolin Vega banjolin
Sobell'dola Washburn b-back'dola
Eastmn: 615'dola 805 m'cello
Flatiron 3K OM
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