Question on Serial Number in Flatiron Festival Mandolin

[mandomikie]

I recently purchased a Flatiron Festival-F Mando...Serial # 10817020.The Tag says the Gibson Master Model Festival-F Nashville TN. There is no Signature. Could any one tell me what Year this is?
Thanks

[Northwest Steve]

August 17, 2000 and the second one completed that day.

[DataNick]

August 17, 2000 and the second one completed that day.

Serial # 10817020 suggests that 2001 would be the year; otherwise correct.

To the OP: Nice pickup; you've got an equivalent period Gibson F5G there...and they can be quite good!

[Northwest Steve]

Ops, I read as 00. Good year by the way.

[mandomikie]

Thanks for the Info!!! It is a well Balanced nice woody tone!!!

[DataNick]

Those Flatirons from that era (1999(late)-2001) are one of the best deals out there for the player buying a used mandolin. I have found them to be fairly consistent in build characteristics/tonal qualities with some being truly "remarkable". One dealer told me that he has played a couple that he liked "better" than a Master Model!

Just a real consistent pro-quality Gibson axe that at about $1k for an A model and $2k for an F model; is just a buyer's bargain. If you ever decide to sell though, you'll get what the used market will bear, which is roughly 40-50% of a similar build/appointed Gibson...not good for selling, but great for buying, enjoy!

[Stevo75]

Do these (the Festivals from 1999-2001) have the elevated or integrated fretboards? Does it make much of a difference?

[DataNick]

Do these (the Festivals from 1999-2001) have the elevated or integrated fretboards? Does it make much of a difference?

Elevated...everything about the Festival F/Performer A is described thusly: same period Gibson F5G/A5G.

Mucho documented here on the Cafe by numerous sources including those working at Gibson during that time. Only differences are the headstock inlays, tailpiece covers, F4 style keyboard extension (Flatirons) vs F5 keyboard extension (Gibsons)

Integrated fingerboard to me based on my anecdotal experience, spells volume this way: Q-U-I-E-T....

[Stevo75]

There's a 1995 Festival F in the classifieds right now that has an integrated fretboard. They must have changed the design between 1995 and 2000.

[DataNick]

There's a 1995 Festival F in the classifieds right now that has an integrated fretboard. They must have changed the design between 1995 and 2000.

Yes & No...The legacy Performer/Festival specs as of 1995 had been in place for a few years already. When production moved to Nashville in 97' by 99' the Flatiron line had been "simplified" from 12 different carved-top models to 3: Performer A, Festival F, Artist F and A. I believe that Performers & Festivals historically had integrated fretboards; Derrington's re-tooling and spec changes brought all mandolins (Flatiron/Gibson) to the same basic spec, which included an elevated fretboard.

[Willie Poole]

If I can`t get more than 50% of the list on my Festival then I will take it off of the market...

Willie

[Reid Morsi]

I have Nashville era Flatiron Performer A with a "Gibson Master Model" label serial number: 90503029. Could anyone help me figure out the year it was made? Its a great little mando, a nice compliment to my Collings F-style.

[pheffernan]

I have Nashville era Flatiron Performer A with a "Gibson Master Model" label serial number: 90503029. Could anyone help me figure out the year it was made? Its a great little mando, a nice compliment to my Collings F-style.

1999 I do believe.

[DataNick]

I have Nashville era Flatiron Performer A with a "Gibson Master Model" label serial number: 90503029. Could anyone help me figure out the year it was made? Its a great little mando, a nice compliment to my Collings F-style.

May 3, 1999 second mandolin in production that day...mine is a July 26, same year...

[DataNick]

There's a 1995 Festival F in the classifieds right now that has an integrated fretboard. They must have changed the design between 1995 and 2000.

Yes & No...The legacy Performer/Festival specs as of 1995 had been in place for a few years already. When production moved to Nashville in 97' by 99' the Flatiron line had been "simplified" from 12 different carved-top models to 3: Performer A, Festival F, Artist F and A. I believe that Performers & Festivals historically had integrated fretboards; Derrington's re-tooling and spec changes brought all mandolins (Flatiron/Gibson) to the same basic spec, which included an elevated fretboard.

Some additional clarification from Gibson's Flatiron web page in 1997: "Performer Series mandolins have a fingerboard extension carved integrally with the top. By simplifying this neck joint area, we were able to build these carved tops in a whole new price range."


Flatiron Performer Series Internet Wayback Machine

[Dave Cowles]

I'm looking at a Festival F Performer series with serial # 95101259. It has the integrated fretboard. Is the serial # from the 1995 production?

Thanks!

[Pilot172000]

I'm looking to trade or sell my 2002 F9 and buy either a Festival F or a F5G. Should I expect a similar sound to the F9 or will there be a lot of difference?

[DataNick]

I'm looking at a Festival F Performer series with serial # 95101259. It has the integrated fretboard. Is the serial # from the 1995 production?

Thanks!

Yup, 1995 vintage...

[DataNick]

I'm looking to trade or sell my 2002 F9 and buy either a Festival F or a F5G. Should I expect a similar sound to the F9 or will there be a lot of difference?

FWIW, it's been my experience that F9s have their own tonal flavor generally as a subset of the overall Gibson sound.
Of course they all vary from mando to mando individually, but I attribute it to the satin finish.

[Dave Cowles]

Thanks, Nick - I thought so. It's a nice mando with a moderate volume as its main drawback, although it has an absolutely hellacious chop.

[Pilot172000]

Thanks Nick. I like the sound but just wanted more mandolin and the brown color isn't quite my style.