Gibson KOA master model?

[calgary.fiddler]

So was just found this online, a Gibson F-5 master model made completely out of Koa..

Seems like a strange choice of tone woods for a$14,050 (canadian) mandolin.

What do you guys think? Would you want a Gibson, or any high end mandolin made totally out of Koa?

Personally I think i'll stick to adirondack and maple

http://www.long-mcquade.com/products/25493/

[Bigtuna]

I would love to play it. But I think I would have liked the back, sides, and neck to be koa with a spruce top and ebony board. But that's a lot of money still.

[Zissou Intern]

One of the best mandolins I have ever played, or heard, is a koa/spruce F5 built by David Dart. When I saw it, I thought it was beautiful but didn't expect it to sound as great as it did due solely to the koa back and rim. Brother, was I wrong! I just wish I remembered if the top was Adirondack or Engelmann or Sitka.

[Ivan Kelsall]

Koa,( and other 'exotic' woods) in the hands of a skilled luthier such as Robb Brophy (Elkhorn mandolins), can produce incredibly beautiful looking instruments,but Robb builds with a degree of taste. I'd love to either play or at leasthear what the Gibson sounds like,but visually it's OTT for my taste. We might like icing on our cakes,but a cake made from icing & nothing else .....?,
Ivan

[almeriastrings]

I'm sure it's nice. So is the Fern Korina. In both cases, though (and especially the MM) at $14K resale value (and ease of sale) if you ever decided to switch to something else, must be an issue. How desirable these are in market terms, only time will tell...buyers of Gibson F-5's tend to be a fairly traditional bunch.

[pheffernan]

What do you guys think? Would you want a Gibson, or any high end mandolin made totally out of Koa?

Imagine the number of ukulele questions you'd have to field with that one.

[Hendrik Ahrend]

I'm sure it's nice. So is the Fern Korina. In both cases, though (and especially the MM) at $14K resale value (and ease of sale) if you ever decided to switch to something else, must be an issue. How desirable these are in market terms, only time will tell...buyers of Gibson F-5's tend to be a fairly traditional bunch.

I just checked out the Korina at Thomann the other day. Although a bit different, I found it sounds just fine. As to the wood, Korina looks - and probably is - kind of cheap compared to Koa, which, to my eyes, is really beautiful. Why the (non-varnished) Koa is almost twice the price of the Korina, is beyond me. I would think mandolins are labour intensive, which is why fine mandos like Northfields are relatively cheap. (Reminds me of the Martin Authentic Series. The brazilian D-28 was about 5 times the price of a mahogany D-18. For the record, a couple of years earlier, a Martin slogan went like, "we're not making them like we used to, we're making them better." Yeah, sure!)
Such is business, "toad migration", one might think.

At least the recent Gibson typical eagle beak is not all too prominent in the scroll front.

[stevedenver]

I just checked out the Korina at Thomann the other day. Although a bit different, I found it sounds just fine. As to the wood, Korina looks - and probably is - kind of cheap compared to Koa, which, to my eyes, is really beautiful. Why the (non-varnished) Koa is almost twice the price of the Korina, is beyond me. I would think mandolins are labour intensive, which is why fine mandos like Northfields are relatively cheap. (Reminds me of the Martin Authentic Series. The brazilian D-28 was about 5 times the price of a mahogany D-18. For the record, a couple of years earlier, a Martin slogan went like, "we're not making them like we used to, we're making them better." Yeah, sure!)


Such is business, "toad migration", one might think.

At least the recent Gibson typical eagle beak is not all too prominent in the scroll front.

well as a guy that tried and bought Authentic, because it made my heart pound and was superb,
(and who has a braz 28, and others)

I DO think they are making them better than ever.
I think the Authentics are as fine a modern instrument, bar none, as one can get. Damn close to vintage Martins in every way. You should play some.
Value?? Well that's in the ear and eye of the beholder. Mine was worth twice the price of an HD 28, TO ME.

I love to play and hear my Authentic more than my old Braz D-28 and other D 28s. None have been played much since.
IMHO the madagascar is the closest one can get to Braz, soundwise. And a fraction of the present prices on Braz.

As far as korina vs koa, big difference. While both are technically types of mahogany, korina is plentiful and easy to work.
Koa is much more scarce, brittle and hard to work.

Korina tonewise is akin to mahog-it is in essence a sort of African hog-ie limba-it is heavy too.
Koa tonewise is between, imho, rosewood and maple-and I love it-nice to look at , nice to hear, and generally lighter than rosewood or many types of hog.

You probably get, more or less, what you pay for.

As for the OP, its a tough call,
"Odd balls" are not generally good for resale in what is a traditional oriented market, especially in that price range.
OTOH, what a cool, unique mandolin.

Visually striking, not over the top, imho, and you wont see others, if that is important to you.

otoh, its unique, and beautiful,
it appeals visually to me

the question would be SOUND, of course, and then,
is it superior and does it merit its price? Or do you sink you dough into a DMM, which will likely be, money in the bank more or less.

[Hendrik Ahrend]

Oh wait, Steve, don't get me wrong here. The Authentic Martins are great, but Martin's "better than used to" slogan was years before any top quality reproductions. And of course, (certified) Brazilian, even if it's not quartersawn, is more expensive.
My point was that the price of the Koa lies more in the beauty (no doubt) and the uniqueness rather than in the high production costs. And if it sounds great, all the better. Charge whatever you want.
I'd be the first to pay a lot for a great instrument. I'm glad to own a (unique) varnished Fern, a MM, a DMM and an even more costly Gibson F5.

[stevedenver]

I too used to build, lutes and guitars. If materials determined price, most would be about the same price. If labor determined price, I sure don't know why Gibson and Fender get what they do for solid bodies. Cost and price....as you mention, 2 different things.

BTW, what is MORE costly than a DMM (Distressed Master Model)? I thought that was the very top of the modern Gibson food chain?
Unless, of course you have a vintage Gibson F.......

[Hendrik Ahrend]

Oh well, Steve, I sent you a PM.

[sgarrity]

I'd question if this is a true Master Model if it's not varnished and doesn't have a red spruce top. Gibson's naming scheme is certainly confusing at best. Certainly a unique piece. I'd love to hear it and play it.

[stevedenver]

thanks Henry!

[mandroid]

A lovely camp ground mandolin , at the KOA campgrounds of course.

[allenhopkins]

Koa does look beautiful. I have a Flatiron 3K octave mandolin with koa back and sides, and an all-koa Regal tiple from the '20's-'30's. I just had a 5-course mandolin/dola built for me by Bernie Lehmann with koa back and sides, spruce top.

On the other hand, other than Martin's AK mandolins built quite a while ago, I've not seen an all-koa mandolin. As a hardwood, koa's probably less acoustically desirable for instrument tops than spruce/cedar/other softwoods.

Perhaps this particular mandolin, gorgeous as it appears, is a bit more for "show" than "dough"? Anyone know how it sounds?

[stevedenver]

allen im not sure about KOA being less desirable for tops, certainly you are right in terms of percentages of instruments.
but I recall not only playing full koa guitars that were superb, clear, big and wonderful,

but also recall those old guild D 25s(??)-the ones stained a gorgeous dark cherry red with mahog tops, which were also really great guitars-they were around in the 70s and may still be ...but as a D-28 guy, I was still really impressed with how nice they were.

I too wonder how it sounds

and
I wonder why this little gem, at 14K, doesn't sport an ebony bridge and board-to me the contrast would be wonderful, and, at that price, I would expect ebony-period.

[Hendrik Ahrend]

I used to own an (early '80s, I believe) Martin D-25 K with Sitka top, which sounded quite nice, a bit like mahogany. A friend of mine had a D-25 K2 with Koa top, which didn't really appeal to me (quite soon neither to him BTW). Okay, no science here, just one subjective experience. That Koa F5 might sound great after all, I'm curious. The mahogany stained tops were on D-19s.

[dan in va]

"...the recent Gibson typical eagle beak..on the scroll front"? Can someone kindly share the meaning of this one, please?

[mandotrout777]

"...the recent Gibson typical eagle beak..on the scroll front"? Can someone kindly share the meaning of this one, please?

http://www.mandolincafe.com/forum/sh...son+eagle+beak

Apparently some folks are pretty serious about their scrolls.

[Hendrik Ahrend]

The Gibson eagle beak:

Original Loar F5:
Many recent Gibsons:

[dang]

The Gibson eagle beak

Hmmm... So with a name like Henry Eagle is the beak appealing to you?

[Hendrik Ahrend]

Hmmm... So with a name like Henry Eagle is the beak appealing to you?

Definitely not on a mandolin! However, you should see both my nose and - talking eagles in general, bald eagles in particular - my hair do.