Flattops and quality of tone

[mandroid]

I like my Hodson D'jangolin it has its own tone, light nickle wound G&D strings Newtone..

[derbex]

Peter inspired me to record my Hathway M1 flatop and my Flatiron Festival A archtop, they were both made in the early 90s on different sides of the pond, I think the Hathway has a cedar top and mahogany back and sides, not sure about the Flatiron as it's a black top. I sat in the same place and used the same plectrum for both, strings are as mentioned above and the Newtones on the Hathway are a few days old wheras the FW74s on the Flatiron are several months old.

I thought there would be more of a difference, there certainly seems to be when you play them.

[peter.coombe]

The fact they sound similar is no surprise. This is as close to apples to apples comparison I can do at the moment. Same builder, mandolins made very recent, and recorded under the same conditions. Unfortunately the backs are not the same woods, so with the same woods they would sound even more similar, but I can do that comparison at the moment. Many of you are not comparing apples with apples. So for example comparing a Sobell with anything else is not really a valid comparison. Any way it confirms my claim that my flattops can sound as good as an archtop mandolin, something that some people don't believe. The differences are more obvious when you play them, because you get a feel for the instrument that you don't get in a recording.

[Dacnis]

I thought there would be more of a difference, there certainly seems to be when you play them.

These both sound great, as do Peter's instruments. Which is which? Is the Flatiron the first one?

EDIT - I just noticed the initials. I want one of those Hathaways -- too bad he's in England!

[Tim N]

I thought there would be more of a difference, there certainly seems to be when you play them.

To my ears, the sound of the Flatiron arch top is a bit softer and not quite so resonant, whilst the Hathway is slightly rawer, but somehow with more depth. Hard to say,really, but even wit laptop speakers I detected a difference. Could be the strings as much as anything....?