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Thread: Mystery F5? Any ideas who made it.

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    Default Mystery F5? Any ideas who made it.

    So I recently had my mandolin stolen, and a very nice gentleman sold me this at a great price and very happy with it. It has no name at the peghead, no label. The only clue I have is the end of the fingerboard seems unique to Heiden mandolins. I emailed Michael Heiden. He said it looks like one of his, but doesn't recall making one with a blank peghead. Those are also extremely expensive and highly doubt it is one of those. Any idea on who else it could been made by? I don't think it's a pac rim, but again I could be wrong. Link to pics here. <Link Removed by Moderator. The hosting site was pushing malware out as a pop under ad. The images have been extracted and are below>
    Last edited by MikeEdgerton; Aug-24-2018 at 3:52pm.

  2. #2
    Registered User William Smith's Avatar
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    Default Re: Mystery F5? Any ideas who made it.

    Sure looks like a nice one! Sorry to hear about the thievery! That's a bummer, I despise thief's!

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    Mandolin user MontanaMatt's Avatar
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    Default Re: Mystery F5? Any ideas who made it.

    Seems finely made. Enjoy!
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    Registered User Ivan Kelsall's Avatar
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    Default Re: Mystery F5? Any ideas who made it.

    It looks like a very nicely made mandolin - however !. The truss rod cover is decidedly NOT a typical Heiden style TRC. Off hand,i can't think of any builder that uses a 3 screw TRC fitting. It might very well be a Pac-rim mandolin,which does NOT prevent it from being a very fine mandolin. If it sounds good & plays easily,just enjoy it,the make doesn't matter one bit (IMHO),
    Ivan
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    Weber F-5 'Fern'.
    Lebeda F-5 "Special".
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  6. #5
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    Default Re: Mystery F5? Any ideas who made it.

    The end of the fret board is not unique. I have seen this type of “modern” extension on PAC Rim instruments notably Kentucky. The scoop is not factory though. The three screw truss rod cover is usually associated with Korean manufacture. It is obviously well made, with nice woods, a thin finish, and good workmanship. It is a mystery why there is no logo on the headstock. If it was a decal or overlay it could have been removed and the headstock refinished. A good repair person could do that and leave no trace. Ditto removing the label. Purpose? To obscure the origin of course. My best guess: a top of the line Japanese or Korean instrument, possibly Kentucky, from the 80’s or 90’s.
    Don

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  8. #6

    Default Re: Mystery F5? Any ideas who made it.

    Is there any signs of a label being in the instrument and it possibly was removed or came unglued? Funny the prior owner does not have any clue either? One thing to check if you can would be to take a dental mirror or similar and see if there is anything written under the top. Long shot and probably not anything there but some builders signed the underside of the top.

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    Registered User almeriastrings's Avatar
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    Default Re: Mystery F5? Any ideas who made it.

    Fittings (bright chrome plating, etc.), truss rod cover and the binding all suggest Japanese or Korean manufacture. So does the finish.
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    formerly Philphool Phil Goodson's Avatar
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    Default Re: Mystery F5? Any ideas who made it.

    What kind of top wood is that? Looks almost slabcut? Or is that just the shadows making it look that way?
    In any case, looks nicely built.
    How does it sound? Is it very responsive?
    Phil

    “Sharps/Flats” “Accidentals”

  11. #9

    Default Re: Mystery F5? Any ideas who made it.

    The two things that give away its origin are the cheap Chinese bridge and tailpiece. I'm guessing Afanti? Made in China, imported by Mando Shop in FL

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    Registered User Cary Fagan's Avatar
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    Default Re: Mystery F5? Any ideas who made it.

    Every once in a while I see on ebay an unlabelled shop-made mandolin from China. They often look good, and tempting. Don't know if this is one of them but it's possible.
    Cary Fagan

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    Moderator MikeEdgerton's Avatar
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    Default Re: Mystery F5? Any ideas who made it.

    The truss rod cover leads me to believe it was imported as well.
    "It's comparable to playing a cheese slicer."
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    "Bargain instruments are no bargains if you can't play them"
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    Fatally Flawed Bill Kammerzell's Avatar
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    Default Re: Mystery F5? Any ideas who made it.

    I have often associated the three screw truss rod cover with Korean builds though I don't think that is written in stone anywhere.
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    Confused... or?
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    Default Re: Mystery F5? Any ideas who made it.

    Quote Originally Posted by multidon View Post
    ... My best guess: a top of the line Japanese or Korean instrument, possibly Kentucky, from the 80’s or 90’s.
    Keep in mind that manufacturers looking to engage a US importer might build their best "spec" instrument to shop around & demo. There's no good reason to annoy, let's say, Kentucky putting "Fender" on the headstock, or vice versa. Or it was simply an in-house prototype.

    Often enough, such "orphan" instruments do make it out into the world. There was a recent thread about such a Weber/Sound-to-Earth mandolin.
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    Moderator MikeEdgerton's Avatar
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    Default Re: Mystery F5? Any ideas who made it.

    Quote Originally Posted by EdHanrahan View Post
    Keep in mind that manufacturers looking to engage a US importer might build their best "spec" instrument to shop around & demo...
    I have an F style mandola that appears to be just that but it came with a normal truss rod cover

    There is a guy in Houston that sells on eBay, Reverb, and Amazon that sells a very similar mandolin. They are all imported from Korea.
    "It's comparable to playing a cheese slicer."
    --M. Stillion

    "Bargain instruments are no bargains if you can't play them"
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  17. #15

    Default Re: Mystery F5? Any ideas who made it.

    Thank you all for the replies. Sorry for getting back late.

    I'd of course like to hope it would been something more unique, but at the end of the day I am more than extremely happy with it regardless what it is, especially with what I paid for it. The tone is very good,not great but by no means unhappy with it. But at the same time it is extremely loud in volume. It was refretted with larger frets and has super low action which is how I like it. It will serve me well until I save up for a an upgrade.

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    Registered User rockies's Avatar
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    Default Re: Mystery F5? Any ideas who made it.

    With my limited vision it does look like a well made mandolin. The fretboard end and the no name on headstock make me think of JKohn Sullivan's mandolins. The Sullivan I had did have a fretboard end like that and John never put his name on headstocks. If it happens to be one you are a very lucky person. LOL If Spruce is around he may speak out on it,
    Dave
    Heiden A, '52 Martin D-18, Taylor 510, Carlson Custom A with Electronics

  19. #17
    Moderator MikeEdgerton's Avatar
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    Default Re: Mystery F5? Any ideas who made it.

    I haven't found a single John Sullivan mandolin with a three screw truss rod cover. Have you got a picture of one?

    It's been a while since we've seen Bruce. I miss him.
    "It's comparable to playing a cheese slicer."
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    "Bargain instruments are no bargains if you can't play them"
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  20. #18
    Registered User rockies's Avatar
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    Default Re: Mystery F5? Any ideas who made it.

    Mike, I wasn't thinking truss rod cover. I looked up a photo of the Sullivan I had and no truss rod cover. I seem to remember John telling me it was a CF or metal bar in the neck. However the fretboard end is very similar in shape an d headstock as well. I think John put info on inside of the top so a mirror may show something... or not. Yes I haven't seen Bruce on here for a while either.
    Dave
    Heiden A, '52 Martin D-18, Taylor 510, Carlson Custom A with Electronics

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    Registered User Ivan Kelsall's Avatar
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    Default Re: Mystery F5? Any ideas who made it.

    I believe that Caleb Klauder plays a Sullivan mandolin. It sounds totally awesome to my ears, & it has no headstock logo,just an inlay,
    Ivan
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    Default Re: Mystery F5? Any ideas who made it.

    You could put a piece of electrical tape on the headstock - like you're covering up the name because you're mad at the maker...

    Kirk

  23. #21
    Moderator MikeEdgerton's Avatar
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    Default Re: Mystery F5? Any ideas who made it.

    I have a mandola with no inlay on the headstock that was made in Korea. It's a pretty dead ringer for a Gibson H5. I considered having a piece of blue inlay that looked like painter's tape inlaid like it was tape over the logo. I still might.
    "It's comparable to playing a cheese slicer."
    --M. Stillion

    "Bargain instruments are no bargains if you can't play them"
    --J. Garber

  24. #22
    Registered User Ivan Kelsall's Avatar
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    Default Re: Mystery F5? Any ideas who made it.

    From the OP - " The tone is very good,not great but....". Try a few different brands of strings in the gauge that you prefer, & a few different picks to go along with them. You might find a string / pick combo.that really suits your mandolin, & brings out the very best in it. I thought that my Weber & Lebeda mandolins were fine until i found the DR MD11 string / Dunlop 'Primetone' pick combo.,then it was a whole new ballgame,
    Ivan
    Weber F-5 'Fern'.
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    Stelling Bellflower BANJO
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    Ellis DeLuxe "A" style.

  25. #23
    Moderator MikeEdgerton's Avatar
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    Default Re: Mystery F5? Any ideas who made it.

    For posterity I have added the images here.
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    "It's comparable to playing a cheese slicer."
    --M. Stillion

    "Bargain instruments are no bargains if you can't play them"
    --J. Garber

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    Registered User f5loar's Avatar
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    Default Re: Mystery F5? Any ideas who made it.

    I see everything about this one being a PacRim high end model with no name. Good quality, good looking maple, but that darn 3 screw truss rod cover. This is the kind of mandolin you see in pawn shops that someone has put "Gibson" inlay at the top and those fake 70's Gibson labels with serial nos. that wind up fooling the "Chumlee's" of the pawn world.

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  29. #25
    Registered User William Smith's Avatar
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    Default Re: Mystery F5? Any ideas who made it.

    I agree nice Mandola Mike! Looks well built, and quality woods, Nice import.

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