Gibson A-5 mandolin history

[MikeEdgerton]

Thanks.

[MikeEdgerton]

A great thread about the differences between the Ms. Griffith and the modern A5 can be found here.

If you want to pick through a search string of messages on the cafe that discuss the original A5 it's here.

[Spruce]

I know, I know...
I've been talking about building Mrs. Griffith copies for 10 years now, but it finally looks like this Winter it'll happen...
Roughed out the plates for 2 copies (thanks Max!), got the ribs thicknessed, fingerboards ready to go, and necks all glued up and ready to roll...
It's basically a kit at this point...

Here's John Sullivan's hand-written designations for the red spruce and sugar maple he had set aside for his own copies--he never got to build them...





Those past threads on the A5 have been very helpful and informative...
What a resource...

[MikeEdgerton]

So you saw that years old thread huh?

[fscotte]

The A5 sounds good not because of magic, but because of how its made, where the bridge sits, it's arching, etc...

Now if this mandolin sounds so fantastic that everyone wants it, why aren't more people building it with the bridge shifted forward?