Gibson duo - F4 and H4

[Tobin]

I hope my temporary MAS attack is over now! Yesterday I received the newest member of the family, a 1918 Gibson F4. This was from Dave Reiner's collection, and better photos can be seen on the Mandolin Archive.

I thought it would pair nicely with my 1917 H4 mandola. They are quite the stunning couple, I think, despite my awful phone-cam photo.

[Steve Roberts]

Beautiful! I am very jealous. Hope you get a chance to hear them together.

[Tobin]

Beautiful! I am very jealous. Hope you get a chance to hear them together.

I did last night! I put the F4 through its paces with my wife playing the H4. Then of course we swapped so I could work on some mandola accompaniment pieces I've been putting together.

The oval-holes are quieter and mellower than our modern f-hole instruments, so we're both cautiously experimenting with how to bring the sound out without being abusive towards the instruments. But they really do have nice voices when you play them with some drive and energy.

It's sort of strange, going back and forth between my modern F5 with its longer/skinnier neck, radiused fretboard, and large frets, and the old Gibson with its shorter/wider neck, flat fretboard, and tiny frets. So it may take me a while to get a good 'feel' for the F4, but I'm sure I'll enjoy every minute of it.

[F-2 Dave]

They're beautiful. Congratulations, enjoy them.

[danb]

Nice, that's a fine-looking and sounding F4 too!

[journeybear]

Such a lovely couple! May they enjoy a long and happy life together.

[testore]

What a beautiful pair. Makes me want to build! Thanks for the inspiration.

[Charles E.]

Very nice indeed!
However, this showed up on the Café forum, so perhaps your MAS is still good?

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Vintage-1912...-/201184319279

It would make a nice trio.

[darrylicshon]

They are beautiful

[Bernie Daniel]

I did last night! I put the F4 through its paces with my wife playing the H4. Then of course we swapped so I could work on some mandola accompaniment pieces I've been putting together.

The oval-holes are quieter and mellower than our modern f-hole instruments, so we're both cautiously experimenting with how to bring the sound out without being abusive towards the instruments. But they really do have nice voices when you play them with some drive and energy.

It's sort of strange, going back and forth between my modern F5 with its longer/skinnier neck, radiused fretboard, and large frets, and the old Gibson with its shorter/wider neck, flat fretboard, and tiny frets. So it may take me a while to get a good 'feel' for the F4, but I'm sure I'll enjoy every minute of it.

Great pair of instruments - -they were the top of the line in their day -- I hope you can post some video of your duet work it would be awesome to hear and a real throw back to the 19teens sound!

[Tobin]

Very nice indeed!
However, this showed up on the Café forum, so perhaps your MAS is still good?

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Vintage-1912...-/201184319279

It would make a nice trio.

That thought did cross my mind! It would be cool to build a vintage mandolin orchestra set of instruments. I would like to have a mandocello, octave mandolin, and mandobass. But to be honest, those would never get played. And that's a lot of investment. I'll just have to keep dreaming.

[MarkELynch]

Two new additions to the Mark Lynch Collection just back from the luthier where they both received some gentle set-up adjustments. Tobin, thanks for the mandola string recommendations. The H4 was built in 1914 and the F4 in 1916.

[Timbofood]

Ahhhhh!

[William Smith]

Man that is some pure Gibson sweetness! Really makes me want a mandola but I need another instrument like I need a hole in my skull. But no mandola. YET

[Steve VandeWater]

Very pretty! Enjoy them!

[Don Grieser]

Love the double flower pots! Enjoy!