Actually, the basic design of the 1500s violin, and even the 1700s design, has changed significantly. There are very few few un-modernized Stradivarius violins in existense.
Actually, the basic design of the 1500s violin, and even the 1700s design, has changed significantly. There are very few few un-modernized Stradivarius violins in existense.
Fiddles have only changed a little...That was mainly due to string technology I think. Stronger strings needed a higher break angle, thus higher bridges and neck projection changes were retrofitted to the old boxes. The graduations, f holes, sound posts, kerfing, tuning pegs, end block and neck block system, the weighted scroll all remain.
2007 Weber Custom Elite "old wood"
2017 Ratliff R5 Custom #1148
Several nice old Fiddles
2007 Martin 000-15S 12 fret Auditorium-slot head
Deering Classic Open Back
Too many microphones
BridgerCreekBoys.com
Nah. Still see too many folks that don't play bluegrass play an F style. Still popular in old time, Scandinavian (especially Finnish), etc.
And it's still the design many folks use to judge the skill of a builder.
While there are more options in guitar design out there, most electrics are still variations of Tele/Strat/Les Paul/SG. And most acoustics are D/OOO/J-xx style.
Brentrup Model 23, Boeh A5 #37, Gibson A Jr., Flatiron 1N, Coombe Classical flattop, Strad-O-Lin
https://www.facebook.com/LauluAika/
https://www.lauluaika.com/
https://www.facebook.com/Longtine-Am...14404553312723
All the folks who can successfully predict the future are too busy spending their investment money to post here.
Phil
“Sharps/Flats” ≠ “Accidentals”
I should have been a rap "artist." I can write bad poetry with no melody any old day.
Living’ in the Mitten
I'll admit to no background in rap, but I was in my car at a red light and someone was blaring what appeared to be rap from a nearby car and the rhythm, pulse, beat and complexity of the sound was mesmerizing. I was tempted to find the car the music was coming from and ask who the artist was but the light turned green and i just went on. Whoever the artist was was, definitely, an artist.
As for predictions, I'll say the bowlback will still not be the predominant form of mandolin in 20 years!
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1920 Lyon & Healy bowlback
1923 Gibson A-1 snakehead
1952 Strad-o-lin
1983 Giannini ABSM1 bandolim
2009 Giannini GBSM3 bandolim
2011 Eastman MD305
I just realized, and hate to bring it up, but in the big picture scheme of things every mandolin built since around 1920 has been and most probably will continue to be passe.
Now among the .00157 percent of the general populace, and the .00625 percent of the general populace who play instruments, there are a miniscule few who play mandolin, and of those it will be the people who will pay double who will determine the fate of the F style.
Silverangel A
Arches F style kit
1913 Gibson A-1
Guy Lombardo, maybe?
Jus' guessin'...
On the topic at hand: the carved/arched top, f-hole, scrolled body has become so much the stereotype of the "folk" or "bluegrass" mandolin, that audiences see other mandolin silhouettes as unusual. Why are Asian manufacturers churning out thousands of F-5 clones to be sold in various parts of the world, when there are so many other perfectly valid -- and less expensive to make -- body styles they could be using?
It's because that Gibson F-5 has been publicized, not just by Monroe, but by all kinds of bluegrass mandolinists for 70+ years. Remember, Dave Apollon also played an F-5; wasn't just the 'grassers that featured them. If we still find bluegrass as the primary American recruitment medium for new mandolinists, we'll doubtless find continued popularity for the F-5 style.
Allen Hopkins
Gibsn: '54 F5 3pt F2 A-N Custm K1 m'cello
Natl Triolian Dobro mando
Victoria b-back Merrill alumnm b-back
H-O mandolinetto
Stradolin Vega banjolin
Sobell'dola Washburn b-back'dola
Eastmn: 615'dola 805 m'cello
Flatiron 3K OM
The Duffey Duck will be the rage!
Timothy F. Lewis
"If brains was lard, that boy couldn't grease a very big skillet" J.D. Clampett
I guess it begs the question.......when was the last time waiting at a red light that you heard bluegrass or irish folk music blaring from a nearby car? It seems certain fans of certain music feel very "comfortable" in sharing their great taste in music...........I admire your open-mindedness in hearing the artistry rather than just being annoyed like I find myself doing in similar situations.....
I used the term "music" although I'm still not sure rap is actually music -- I will go so far as to say it is poetry set to a beat and when done well it can be artistic, but still not for me, unfortunately.
Chris Cravens
Girouard A5
Montana Flatiron A-Jr.
Passernig Mandola
Leo Posch D-18
I'd love to see a world that progressed beyond F5 mandolins, dreadnoughts, Les Pauls, and strat / tele clones....but it ain't gonna happen!
I doubt the F5 will fade away in 20 years. I see too many clips of talented teenagers playing F5's. I think they are more indicative of the future of the instrument.
95 Pontiac Bonneville
2013 GE Percolator
No. 2 Pencil
Hans is no longer building, Rigel is making only custom instruments, Phoenix is also gone. The others are all higher end that appeal to certain tastes and aesthetics or provide unique tone. Monteleone is barely making mandolins and there are were a few copies of them but they also appeal to certain players.
OTOH there are probably thousands of F-5 copies out there at varying price points. This will not stop since this is the standard style for modern mandolins. Perhaps if interest in bluegrass music died altogether, but I highly doubt that will ever happen.
Yes, if the F-5 becomes passé then you can imagine that Strats, Teles, and dreadnaughts will also. Highly doubtful.
Last edited by Jim Garber; Apr-18-2019 at 9:36pm.
Jim
My Stream on Soundcloud
19th Century Tunes
Playing lately:
1924 Gibson A4 - 2018 Campanella A-5 - 2007 Brentrup A4C - 1915 Frank Merwin Ashley violin - Huss & Dalton DS - 1923 Gibson A2 black snakehead - '83 Flatiron A5-2 - 1939 Gibson L-00 - 1936 Epiphone Deluxe - 1928 Gibson L-5 - ca. 1890s Fairbanks Senator Banjo - ca. 1923 Vega Style M tenor banjo - ca. 1920 Weymann Style 25 Mandolin-Banjo - National RM-1
WWW.THEAMATEURMANDOLINIST.COM
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"Life is short. Play hard." - AlanN
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HEY! The Cafe has Social Groups, check 'em out. I'm in these groups:
Newbies Social Group | The Song-A-Week Social
The Woodshed Study Group | Blues Mando
- Advice For Mandolin Beginners
- YouTube Stuff
I suppose the dreadnaught guitar fad will be over as well.
WWW.THEAMATEURMANDOLINIST.COM
----------------------------------
"Life is short. Play hard." - AlanN
----------------------------------
HEY! The Cafe has Social Groups, check 'em out. I'm in these groups:
Newbies Social Group | The Song-A-Week Social
The Woodshed Study Group | Blues Mando
- Advice For Mandolin Beginners
- YouTube Stuff
This is all "food for thought," no?
John A. Karsemeyer
Yum!
OK, so the premise for this discussion is when the most popular style of mandolin made today, one that dates back to the 1920s will finally run its course. In the meantime, all the alternatives that have come up have their small groups of fans but none have come close to the Gibson patterns—and I will include the a models and those with oval holes. I do think that comparison with violins is valid and, yes, the original violins have been altered some but the general look of the instrument has pretty much appeared the same for hundreds of years with no real drip in popularity. So why would the Gibson style fall off the face of the earth?
Jim
My Stream on Soundcloud
19th Century Tunes
Playing lately:
1924 Gibson A4 - 2018 Campanella A-5 - 2007 Brentrup A4C - 1915 Frank Merwin Ashley violin - Huss & Dalton DS - 1923 Gibson A2 black snakehead - '83 Flatiron A5-2 - 1939 Gibson L-00 - 1936 Epiphone Deluxe - 1928 Gibson L-5 - ca. 1890s Fairbanks Senator Banjo - ca. 1923 Vega Style M tenor banjo - ca. 1920 Weymann Style 25 Mandolin-Banjo - National RM-1
Explanation here.
Jim
My Stream on Soundcloud
19th Century Tunes
Playing lately:
1924 Gibson A4 - 2018 Campanella A-5 - 2007 Brentrup A4C - 1915 Frank Merwin Ashley violin - Huss & Dalton DS - 1923 Gibson A2 black snakehead - '83 Flatiron A5-2 - 1939 Gibson L-00 - 1936 Epiphone Deluxe - 1928 Gibson L-5 - ca. 1890s Fairbanks Senator Banjo - ca. 1923 Vega Style M tenor banjo - ca. 1920 Weymann Style 25 Mandolin-Banjo - National RM-1
The violin still has that frilly scroll above the pegbox. It's totally non-functional, and all the larger violin family instruments have it too, even the double bass! The violin family is the closest relative of our fretted versions in mandolin land. So if those instruments can keep their frilly scrolls through all this time, I think there's a good chance mandolins can too.
It's going on 100 years now since the precursor designs from Orville Gibson introduced those curves, so that's a good start.
Consider that as the F5 becomes "passé " it's price will drop considerably, and all the closeted scroll strap hangers will snatch them up. I wonder, what is the natural attrition rate of F5 instruments? As in full fatalities. And if new F5 building ceases, how long will they be played into the future? There are quite a few of them in the wild I hear. Surely some of you want to do a Fermi calculation!?
2007 Weber Custom Elite "old wood"
2017 Ratliff R5 Custom #1148
Several nice old Fiddles
2007 Martin 000-15S 12 fret Auditorium-slot head
Deering Classic Open Back
Too many microphones
BridgerCreekBoys.com
The Les Paul, Telecaster, and Stratocaster are still the vast majority of body styles for the electric guitar and they've had staying power since the early days of rock and roll. Not saying there is a direct correlation, but something is to be said for tradition.
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