Gibson F5G Questions

[mattonmando]

Hi all,

I have two questions regarding F5G's.

1. When did Gibson transition these mandolins to rosewood fingerboards? Mine has an ebony fingerboard so I was just curious.

2. The label inside is not signed by anyone. Will this hurt its long term value? Should I have Gibson make me a signed label?

Thanks,
Matthew

[Robert Mitchell]

Hi Matt.Do you have 2 labels or one? sounds like the approval/test label
is missing. As for the fretboard,,I have a 2015 F5G with an ebony board
so I would guess that rosewood would be post 2015.
Don't know if you can get such a label,,maybe others here can answer.

[mattonmando]

I only have one label with the type and serial number on it.

Is there any way to get Gibson to make me an approval label?

[William Smith]

I had an 01 F5-G and no one signed anything on the inside! Just the label with model and serial#, I highly doubt Gibson will give you a label signed by anyone if it didn't come with a signature label!

[almeriastrings]

That change to rosewood fingerboards occurred sometime in the first half of 2014 as far as I can tell. They have continued to make some custom order options still with ebony, however.

They also used Macassar ebony for the bridges at the same time.

[Chuck Leyda]

I had an early 2000's with no signature. As long as it has serial number I doubt it would hurt value much. It's a very nice mandolin. I miss it but I do like a wider nut.

[J.Albert]

I don't believe that F-5g's got "the second label" before the flood. Perhaps a very few did, but they would be the exceptions.

Aside from the "full" F-5 models (the Ferns, the artist-endorsed models such as the Steffey, the Lawson, the Bibey and the Taylor, along with the Goldrush and the Master Models), the only instruments I recall getting a second signed label were the early production models of the Jam Masters that David Harvey signed.

Hmmm... or was there only one label in those Jam Masters (still signed)?

[MikeEdgerton]

My 2005 F5G didn't have a signature label. Very few of the F5G's had signature labels.

[Robert Mitchell]

My 2015 has both labels,,the top one is signed by David W Harvey..MAY 27,2015
however, the serial label,says "THE GIBSON ARTIST MODEL" model F5G.,,so now
I'm curious as to what happened to the master model label??? My 2004 model
f5g said THE MASTER MODEL...ANYONE have info on this??

[Willie Poole]

Since Gibson also makes a mandolin called the "Master Model" then maybe they thought it would be less confusing if they were to stop using the words Master Model on the labels in all of their mandolins...Makes sense to me anyway...

[allenhopkins]

Gibson used to throw around the "Master Model" designation pretty indiscriminately, IMHO. My '20's tenor lute has a "Master Model" label, while my '54 F-5 doesn't. Neither does my '86 Carlson-signed A/N Custom, which is fancier than either of the others.

Willie mentions the Master Model (and Distressed Master Model), which have the "MM" words in their official titles. I guess "Master Model" used to refer to Gibson's best instruments; it was carried over to their "Mastertone" banjos. Did it show up in guitars? Not that I know of...

Here's a ten-year-old thread on the topic.

[MikeEdgerton]

All of the Gibson F models made (at least in the late 1900's/early 2000's) had the master model serial number label. As far as the signature label goes, this was discussed over the years here with someone from Gibson saying they weren't putting the signature label in the F5G's. It appears that has changed post flood.

Thanks Allen for finding that thread. Now I don't have to

[C2WAVE2]

I was just reading on another thread about the induction of the F5-L in the late 70’s and the
“L” was picked for Lore. I’m curious, is there reason or meaning for the “G” in F5-G? Maybe it just for Gibson,
Wonder about history of it, what was the first year of F5-G?
Thanks-Chuck

[Bill Kammerzell]

Have both labels in mine. 2010 F5G Custom. Dave Harvey signed. They refer to it as an Artist model. Fully bound, with a pick guard and without the Florida fretboard. Wide Nut. It also says, "Custom built for Tim Jackson." I guess it must be "That" Tim Jackson?

[MikeEdgerton]

I was just reading on another thread about the induction of the F5-L in the late 70’s and the
“L” was picked for Lore. I’m curious, is there reason or meaning for the “G” in F5-G? Maybe it just for Gibson,
Wonder about history of it, what was the first year of F5-G?
Thanks-Chuck

The L was Loar, the G was for, are you ready for this? Gibson. We actually got that same answer from Steve Carlson and Bruce Weber I believe. They were the ones that introduced the model. We have one member that generally jumps in to say the L was Lacquer but he's wrong. Roger Siminoff was there when that was decided. I'll see if I can find the Carlson thread.

This is the thread.

Everything about the beginning of the F5G and A5G is pretty much in that thread.

[Bill Kammerzell]

I'm catching up on both Mandolin History and Gibson history, reading this book I just got. It is Walter Carter's "The Mandolin in America." In looking at the two labels in the F5G Custom I have, it is dated March 25th, 2010. Signed by David Harvey. So if I have everything correct, that I have just read, that label would have been signed, shortly prior to the flood of May 1st/2nd 2010? Interesting to find that out, considering I've now owned the mandolin since last July/August. Plus the 10th anniversary of that flood would have just passed, I guess?

[William Smith]

An f5-g was my first real mandolin from 2001-i spent many miles on that mandolin, it sounded great as its basically the same as say the f5-l but with less bling? I swapped it off and last i heard it was in europe-i wish i would've kept her as it was my first gibson f-5 but hey one can't keep em all!