What is the "Allure" of The Gibson Snakehead?

[timacn]

I know the Gibson Snakehead is a generally coveted mandolin. I was wondering why.
Is their construction (other than the peg head) significantly different from Gibson Paddlehead mandolins?

Is there a certain year or year range for Gibson Snakeheads that is considered "better" or more desirable, consistent, etc?

As always, thanks for your insights.

[pops1]

The snakeheads signify the change to Loar specs at Gibson and sound really good. I have a '22 paddle head that has all the changes except the narrow neck and the snake head that sounds amazing. I like having the truss rod, and those started in late '21, early '22. Those era mandolins sound very good and I would put them up against a snake any day. If you like a narrower neck then you want to get the snake, if you don't mind the wider neck then a pre-snake will sound just fine.

[JeffD]

I have a 23 A2 snakehead.

First they look cool. Its an aesthetic preference, that's all. Subjective and personal.

I have mostly had experience with mine, which, of course, sounds the best. It does sound real good. Very iconic creamy Gibson sound.

The most important design aspect for me, other than the sound, is the neck is just perfect. Just right.

I certainly don't think the shape of the headstock alone has any direct effect on the sound or playability. Like the pops1 said it just coincides with a change to the design.

When I bought it I did not know much, and I chose it because I liked the Sheraton brown, and I liked the shape of the headstock. My other two choices were, in fact, a Sheraton brown paddle head and an F5 (it was a long time ago, but as I remember it was Sheraton brown as well, and about the same era, and more expensive). I remember thinking the F style body, and especially the F style headstock, was ridiculous, with these arbitrary curly extrusion. (My how I have grown up.)

I really hit the jackpot as to sound, however, and after my most recent set up the sound is everything I could want.

I have no doubt that there are paddle head Gibson of the same era that sound amazing and I think so very much depends on the condition of the instrument and how it has fared the last 90+ years that, were I looking, I personally would seek out a great sounding instrument, regardless of the peghead shape, and I would hang to it with all my might. As I say, I really kind of lucked out, considering how much I did not know.

[JeffD]

I could go on and on about how the snakehead mandolin has enhanced my social life, but I really don't want to make anyone jealous.

Well the truth is that the purchase of the snakehead corresponded with some design changes in my life, so...

[Mandolin Cafe]

Some designs work better than others.

[Beanzy]

I like the functional look with no excess, but still with the bit of trim and decor.
To my eye they're more elegant than the slightly stumpy look of the paddle heads while avoiding the unnecessary convolutions of an F model.

[MikeEdgerton]

The Snakeheads were built by the same craftsmen that built the Loar signed F style mandolins. Loar didn't necessarily insert the magic into those mandolins but his presence defined that group of mandolins. The snakeheads were the siblings built by the same people using the same sourced materials. You might be surprised to find out that the rarest signed Loar, a one of a kind, is the Ms. Griffith Loar. It's an A style body with f holes. It's the only A5 from that era and it's a snakehead.


The Ms. Griffith Loar

[Johnny60]

OK, stupid question time. Why is the one and only Loar A5 known as the Griffiths Loar?

[William Smith]

OK, stupid question time. Why is the one and only Loar A5 known as the Griffiths Loar?

Because Mrs. Griffith wanted an A style that had all the goods of a F-5 of the time, ease of comfort for her while playing while sitting? thats my take maybe wrong?

[multidon]

It is a carryover from the violin world, where fine Golden Age instruments like Strads and some others are give "sobriquets", or nicknames. Some sobriquets are after an instrument's original owner or perhaps a notable owner, or both. it is a colloquial way of assigning provenance, which violin collectors are rather obsessive about.

I am not aware of any other Loar mandolins having such sobriquets, but it is not my area of expertise. Is usage of such nicknames ever used in conjunction with Loar F-5s? Such as for example, the "Monroe" or the "Thile"?

[fscotte]

Think about it, what's more cool to say, I got a paddlehead mandolin, or I gots me a SNAKEHEAD mandolin!

[FLATROCK HILL]

...I am not aware of any other Loar mandolins having such sobriquets, but it is not my area of expertise. Is usage of such nicknames ever used in conjunction with Loar F-5s? Such as for example, the "Monroe" or the "Thile"?

Although no one calls it the "Reischman", say "Reischman's Loar" and there's no mistaking which one you're talking about.

And then there's "Tiger".

[MikeEdgerton]

The story of Ms. Griffith told above is basically how it came to be called that. Her husband bought a matching F5 model. She didn't care for the points. You could simply call it the Lloyd Loar signed A5 and everyone would know what you were talking about as well. I prefer the Ms. Griffith Loar name.

[Loudloar]

I know the Gibson Snakehead is a generally coveted mandolin. I was wondering why.
Is their construction (other than the peg head) significantly different from Gibson Paddlehead mandolins?
Is there a certain year or year range for Gibson Snakeheads that is considered "better" or more desirable, consistent, etc?

You got a good answer from JeffD. I played one a couple days ago at Carter Vintage Guitars. It had an amazing sound for an A style. Nice, dry, responsive, loud. Not what you'd expect from an oval hole. They really are in a different league from other oval hole mandolins. To be fair oval hole Gibson mandolins can vary quite a bit in their sound. But I can see why people like Snakeheads. You're still dealing with the limitations of a short neck.

They were a low-end instrument in their day; no fancy finish or inlays. So, obviously Gibson didn't put special hand-work into the graduations or tap-tuning, etc. I can't help but think that the headstock with less mass plays a part in the sound. We could speculate about all the physics but no way to scientifically prove anything.

My 2 cents.

Steve

[mandroid]

Duplicate

[mandroid]

Did the Snakehead stay in production once the loar signed one was introduced ,

or did it lapse , to be revived in following years, becoming part of the now familiar A5?

[MikeEdgerton]

The snakeheads were produced during Loar's time at Gibson and went away after he left.

I just found this thread. I was looking for it earlier. Darryl Wolfe does an interesting analysis of the original A5 starting in post 7.

http://www.mandolincafe.com/forum/sh...r-A-5-drawings

[Ivan Kelsall]

I'll put the tone of either the 'paddlehead'/ 'snakehead' to one side for a moment. The 'paddlehead' styling never appealed ot me,just too much wood up there for no reason IMO. The 'snakehead' style just 'looks right' to me & maybe that's why our current luthiers do their own take on that style.
Soundwise - i've never played either style of Gibson,which is what we're talking about,but having heard the recordings of Robin Bullock,playing his own 'paddlehead' Gibson,i have to say that if it's a typical tone,then the 'paddleheads' sound terrific. Maybe they'd look out of place in a Bluegrass context,the 'Snakehead' "A" styles have that base covered,but for anything else,especially as used by Robin Bullock in his Celtic music,i can think of 'different' but not 'better',
Ivan

[Randi Gormley]

Certainly the early Gibsons have a distinct sound; if nothing else, a snakehead dates an instrument, and if you're interested in the earlier Gibsons, it's an indication that you've found one. I, too, have one of the really good-sounding ones so it's fun to hand it over to another mandolin player to try out and watch their face when they play it. I actually keep a small tuner on my headstock so few people actually see the snakehead until they get to hold it.

[Richard Singleton]

I can attest that Randi has one of the really good sounding old Gibsons. It awakened my dormant MAS!

[Mandolin Cafe]

I'd like to hear Mike Black's opinion on this. Mike lives near the Cafe headquarters, builds strictly early 20s Gibson repros under his own name, and most if not all snakeheads. And fine sounding mandolins they are. Oh, Mike?

[Mike Black]

Thanks Scott. All I can give is my opinion and possibly restate what's been said on this sight before. I do believe that the oval hole A style mandolins were the biggest benefactors of the design changes/improvements that happened for the creation of the Master Model F5's. Specifically the top and back graduations. Slimmer more comfortable neck with the addition of the trussrod. And the Adjustable Bridge. Then you add the Virzi (which in my opinion are the most suited for and really shine in the oval hole instruments).

I also think that with the Snakeheads, the string angle is more symmetrical beyond the nut on the headstock (like the F5) and doesn't V off at the nut like the paddleheads do. This possibly amounts to less energy loss and lets the energy flow the entire length of the instrument better.

And like JeffD said "they just look cool".

[maj34]

Gail Hester started a thread some time ago to discuss thickness and graduation differences between snakehead and paddle head Gibsons here: http://www.mandolincafe.com/forum/sh...rse-paddlehead

[Jim Garber]

I bought my blacktop 23 A2 snakehead about 35 years ago. I had just traded a newish banjo for a phenomenal vintage one at Fretted Instrument Workshop in Amherst, MA. I had a nice 1919 whiteface A3 that I loved. However, I paid for the banjo and walked into the next room where the snakehead was staring at me. I picked it up and played a chord and a few tunes and decided on the spot to give the banjo back and take the Gibson home. It just felt right and the tone was what I really wanted. I still play that as one of my main mandolins, an old friend. I echo the reasons from the prior posters.

[ollaimh]

they are among the best sounding mandolins ever made. i do like the old gibson sound. i found my first snakehead in spokane washington at the "sound hole" in 1988-89, 520 bucks with a light frett dressing. blacktop,i think an A 2, with a weird resonator back. (been debated a lot whether origional)it was then the best sounding mandolin i had ever heard so i bought it. rode pretty hard but louder than any other but still sweet. the second i got through the cafe recently , a refinished A 3 which is now my daily player. i got it when even thlough i forgot to bid on ebay eddie sheehy bid but backed out of the deal and told me about it. it had a major separation on the backs and a few other seems open. fixed up fine and great tone. just not origional. i call it the worlds best busking mandolin.

every snakehead i have ever played sounds among the best.

oddly, after buying the blacktop in spokane, i went a few blocks to a store called the guitar emporium or guitar gallery, that had several givens new mandolins for sale. they were unbeleivable and i almost bought one but an A6 was another $1500 plus tax and i balked. terrible mistake. later while busking with harp and bouzouki downtown a guy came up and chatted, he was r l givens in town for supplies!!! he invited me up and said he could make a zouk to make me cry. like a fool i never went up and i think that was my last trip through spokane. shoulda gone to visit. i had no idea who he was except he was a nice guy.