TWO F-12's

[MikeZito]

I stumbled across both of these in the middle of the night, last night . . . . my MAS kicked into high gear.

In short - I think this 1949 is a stunning-looking instrument; but I am assuming from previous reviews that it would need to be re-voiced . . . and I don't know what that would cost to upgrade:

https://themandolinstore.com/product...f-12-mandolin/

This 1969 has been re-voiced, but I don;t know much about the 1969-era Gibson's - or if the dealer will do a proper set-up before shipping.

https://www.gbase.com/gear/gibson-f-...-1969-sunburst

Any thoughts, comments, advice?

Thanks.

[MikeZito]

NEVER MIND

I got talked out of them . . . . back to the drawing board . . . .

That '49 SURE is pretty, though . . . .

[William Smith]

I asked a few months ago about the 49 and the board is not elevated just glued flush to the top so maybe after popping the back off, removing the tone bars and putting them in Loar style and an internal 're-graduation, a deep neck set so you'd get the elevated board it pry could be an old wood powerhouse? If they would lower the price a bit more it would be more tempting.

[MikeZito]

I guess the rhetorical question is: "Is it worth buying the F-12 and putting several hundred dollars into having it re-voiced (with uncertain results), or would it be much better to simply put the whole amount into an instrument that has everything you want, right from the start?"

I am guessing that most people would go for option two . . . but then again, as I said, it is a rhetorical question.

[William Smith]

Well if you could pick her up a bit cheaper around 2G and do the work yourself to save you could have yourself an old wood tone machine! I'm a believer in the qualities of old wood and have seen/owned the truth!. Or have Randy Wood do it for around 1500-2 and for 4G or so altogether you could have a quality custom job that would more than likely gnarly!

[Jeff Mando]

There is a similar cult of guitar players who want a 30's Rosewood bodied dreadnought without paying the price of a Martin D-28, Gibson Advanced Jumbo, or possibly a handful of Larson guitars -- all of which are $30K and up -- mostly up! Granted there were few dreadnoughts made in the 30's, besides the ones mentioned and even fewer in rosewood. Some Washburn and Recording Kings were made with that body size in rosewood, but were either square neck guitars or not x-braced. Anyway, I heard about players converting these guitars 25 years ago to make a "herringbone killer!" Trouble is, the Washburn and Recording King guitars are not common and usually not all that cheap, either. But, like ya say, might end up with a good player for 1/5 or less than what an old Martin costs. Roy Bookbinder has some of these conversions that he has added elaborate pickups systems to that he uses on stage.

[William Smith]

Right Jeff, what comes to mind but aren't cheap are those old Brazilian back and sides but carved sunburst spruce top F-hole Martins! I think they were the model F-9 maybe? There was only 72 made so way rarer than a pre war D-45 and cost more when new! There was also a few other Martins like that the F-7 that may have been mahogany? And there were the C model Martins,I think at least one was Brazilian back and sides and they had a carved or pressed top with a round hole I believe? Been a while since I studied anything guitarish!

[Jeff Mando]

Yes, the Martin archtops were also converted to flattops even back in the 60's by certain players. Some did have rosewood back and sides, but they were not dreadnought sized. They were between a 000 and a D. These required a new top to be made and resetting of the neck angle. Martin made the M series guitars in that size starting in the late 70's as somewhat of a tribute to those converted archtops. Some people think the body size is the perfect compromise between a dreadnought and a "finger style" Martin. Johnny Cash played a non-converted F-9 early in his career, of course, it was a used guitar even back then, but a nice used guitar.

[William Smith]

Yes I just seen a really nice pre war Martin F-9,great looking Brazilian on the back and sides but the guitar was 20G I think? It might've been at Elderly, Never played one kinda wonder how it compares to say a Gibson L-5? Pry apples and oranges, different woods and builds! But still the Martin sure looked sweet and only 72 prewar ones made so with only 91 pre war D-45's a bit rarer. And the F-9's were more $ originally than the D-45?

[Jeff Mando]

And the F-9's were more $ originally than the D-45?

True, but most people have never heard of an F-9 and everybody wants a prewar D-45, so............

Same could be said of a pre-CBS Fender Jaguar, it originally cost more than a Stratocaster, but nobody really cares these days, Jag is a good guitar, but everybody wants a strat......