Gibson F9 2004

[Old Dog Dave]

Hello everyone! I just bought a 2004 Gibson F9 that our music store had on consignment and I have a question or two. I don't know who previously owned this F9, but they apparently gave it considerable love and care. It has a sweet sound and the neck is extremely playable, which is the source of my questions. First, the previous owner used Prazision Steel Core light strings; kind of pricey (around $55 a set), but there were two additional sets that came with the mando. Also, the frets are extremely low, so the action is fantastic. Oh, and I should mention, it is set up to be played thru an amp. My questions are these: 1. Do the low frets and type of strings suggest anything in particular that I should be aware of; e.g., will I always need to use the Prazision strings or will a less pricey but quality brand of strings work? 2. Because this F9 is set up to be played with an amp as well as acoustically, does that suggest the neck was tailored for the mando being played thru an amp? Thanks! ...Old Dog Dave

[MandoMan1]

You can play a different set of strings. Daddario EJ 74s will be a great choice. Nice mandolin! Congratulations!

[allenhopkins]

Not exactly sure what "set up to be played with an amp" means; I'm assuming that some sort of pickup was installed. As far as I know, Gibson doesn't install pickups on their mandolins, unless by special order, or on an after-market basis if an owner sends their mandolin back to have a pickup installed. The great majority of pickup installations on acoustic instruments, such as the Gibson F-9, are done either by their owners, or by a dealer or instrument repair shop.

My guess would be that, unless the neck's been modified after-market, you have the "standard" neck profile that Gibson provides. As to the strings you should use, feel free to experiment; remember that your F-9's action can be adjusted -- bridge height, neck relief -- so if you find another string brand that doesn't seem to work as well with the mandolin's current set-up, you can tweak the set-up as well as buying a different brand of string.

You sound like you're quite satisfied with the F-9 "as is," so the only suggestion I'd make, is to stick with light gauge strings when you run out of the "freebies." The irresponsible way that I do string replacement, I'd say you have a two-year supply already, but most serious pickers change their strings much more frequently than I do.

[Old Dog Dave]

Thanks, Allen! Yes, I meant it has a pickup installed. I haven't tried it out thru an amp as yet. The pickup is apparently inside toward the bottom, or end piece. The plug-in receptacle is also where the strap attaches. It seems a bit unusual, but maybe not. There are no control knobs on the mando itself. It's just a little different than the mandos I have seen with factory-installed pickups. But, it is low-profile and I like that. In any case, it sure is a sweet sounding mandolin. Thanks a bunch for your response! ..Old Dog Dave

Not exactly sure what "set up to be played with an amp" means; I'm assuming that some sort of pickup was installed. As far as I know, Gibson doesn't install pickups on their mandolins, unless by special order, or on an after-market basis if an owner sends their mandolin back to have a pickup installed. The great majority of pickup installations on acoustic instruments, such as the Gibson F-9, are done either by their owners, or by a dealer or instrument repair shop.

My guess would be that, unless the neck's been modified after-market, you have the "standard" neck profile that Gibson provides. As to the strings you should use, feel free to experiment; remember that your F-9's action can be adjusted -- bridge height, neck relief -- so if you find another string brand that doesn't seem to work as well with the mandolin's current set-up, you can tweak the set-up as well as buying a different brand of string.

You sound like you're quite satisfied with the F-9 "as is," so the only suggestion I'd make, is to stick with light gauge strings when you run out of the "freebies." The irresponsible way that I do string replacement, I'd say you have a two-year supply already, but most serious pickers change their strings much more frequently than I do.

[Old Dog Dave]

Thanks, MandoMan1. I will definitely keep the Daddario EJ 74s in mind. Fortunately, the previous owner left 3 sets of the Prazision strings (they are made in Vienna, Austria) and because they are steel core, I suspect I'll get a lot of play out of each set. I had been looking at a Weber and a Northfield F-style. But, our local music store had this Gibson on consignment and after giving it a try, I fell in love with it. It wasn't a lot more expensive than the Northfield I was looking at, and I just had to go with it. I'm glad I did. Thanks again for your response! ...Old Dog Dave

[pops1]

The pickup sounds like it is a transducer and will require a HiZ input in the PA, or a preamp to match impedance to sound it's best.

[Old Dog Dave]

Thanks, pops1. That's good information. Right now, I just have a little Vox 10-watt amp that I ran it thru yesterday. But, I really plan on mostly just playing it as an acoustic. I am still learning the mandolin and am probably somewhere slightly above a beginner, but not quite an intermediate level player. I am retiring in September and plan to devote a lot of my retirement time to the instrument. I don't expect to play in any sort of group, although I have played it a couple of times with a Rolling Stones cover band; I just mostly played chords on "Wild Horses" and a slight bit of accompaniment on "Dear Doctor". Beyond that, it will mostly be playing along with recordings at home. ...Old Dog Dave

[mbruno]

I have a 2015 F9 with a pickup installed too. It was my main mando for about 4 years and it was (and still is) great.

The main impact different strings could have is thicker strings (like 11's) tend to wear the frets more than lighter strings (like 9's). I prefer heavier strings (normally 11.5's) - but I find that I have to refret my instrument faster than when I used 9's or 10's.

Wild Horses and Dear Doctor are great tune! We used to play those in the before times a bunch. One note with the amplified mando if you're planning to play it live, I highly recommend getting at least a powered DI to boost the signal somewhat and a compressor to smooth out the sound. I also like adding a touch of reverb to give some warmth. These pedals definitely help - though acoustic I think pretty much always sounds better haha.

[dhergert]

1. Do the low frets and type of strings suggest anything in particular that I should be aware of; e.g., will I always need to use the Prazision strings or will a less pricey but quality brand of strings work?

As Allen and others here have suggested, you really can select any standard F or A style mandolin strings for the F-9, as you can for any of the Gibson F-style mandolins. If you have a string preference on other mandolins and like the feel and playability you get from them, you may want to try them on your F-9.

As an example, my personal preference is the D'A Flattop line of mandolin strings and I use them on both of my F-style mandolins. But your personal preference should be a good starting point. I tend to shy away from heavy gauge (or high tension) strings, staying in the medium or light gauge range, but again your F-9 should work well with your preference.

My fretwork had become seriously worn and needed to be changed after about 5 years of my playing my F-9 (I bought it 2nd hand). At that time I had Gold Evo frets installed and had some re-profiling done to the back of the neck to better suit my comfort requirements. These options are available from most good mandolin luthiers, should you ever decide you want them, but they are definitely not required for everyone. I'd say that the F-9 is a good sounding and respectable instrument, generally in line with the sound, sturdiness and setup capabilities that Gibson builds into their lower cost F-5 mandolins.

2. Because this F9 is set up to be played with an amp as well as acoustically, does that suggest the neck was tailored for the mando being played thru an amp? Thanks! ...Old Dog Dave

As Allen and others have also suggested, I really suspect the amp-capable features on your F-9 were provided by a 3rd party at some time in its history. I'm sure Gibson could do this custom work for someone, but it isn't something that is often heard about, except perhaps between a buyer and Gibson in regard to a custom build.

Congrats on your F-9, I hope you enjoy yours as much as I enjoy mine!

[Old Dog Dave]

dhergert:

One of my favorite quotes about music comes from Voltaire in "Candide". In there, he says: "Music nowadays is little more than the art of executing difficulties." I love that one!!

Old Dog Dave

[allenhopkins]

...One of my favorite quotes about music comes from Voltaire in "Candide". In there, he says: "Music nowadays is little more than the art of executing difficulties." I love that one!!

He must have prophesied bluegrass and tne "faster = better" approach.

[Old Dog Dave]

That's a great one, Allen!! Yep, faster is not always better; it may be faster, but what's the goal? I have often used the comparison of John Popper and Bob Dylan playing the harmonica. No doubt, Popper could play a gillion notes a minute; but, very often, Dylan's harmonica just sort of fit in well with his song. Not a lot of flash with Dylan playing the harp, but he sure can accentuate the voice with it. Of course, just my opinion; nothing against John Popper. Kind of like with jazz--I'm sure there are more technically proficient trumpet players than Miles Davis, but for gut-stirring, heart-pumping blue jazz, Miles is the one and only (imho). Now, back to bluegrass-Pretty Polly, with Ralph's incredible voice, is on right now; I'd better stop and listen. ...Old Dog Dave

[Jim Garber]

No one mentioned this, so I will. Those strings on your mandolin which are called Prazision are generally known as Thomastik or T-I strings around here and yes, they are expensive and yes, you don't have to use them but some people swear by them. So, if the decide to use other strings and those in the case are not too old you probably can sell them in the classifieds here. They generally will be much mellower than regular round wound strings but many players say they last much longer and sound in tune for longer on their mandolins. The packaging probably looks like the ones below.

[Old Dog Dave]

Thanks so much, Jim! Yep, those are the strings. So far, I like them quite a bit. They definitely have a mellow sound, and I have not had them going out of tune frequently, like a couple of the cheaper mandolins that I have. So far, so good!!

[Rob Roy]

Old Dog, congrats on finding your F-9! Those TI strings are pricey but they also last a long time. If you decide to change to a typical bronze string for a more traditional bluegrass tone, you can expect the tone to be brighter and your fingers more sore after being spoiled on the TI strings. Also bronze strings typically are good for a month or two, compared to a year for what you have. Enjoy that new mando!

[Old Dog Dave]

Thanks, Rob Roy!! In addition to the F-9, I have a Weber Gallatin A-style, a Bruhn two-point, and a cheap but not that bad Epiphone. I've been mostly playing on the F-9, but the other day I pulled out the Weber and did a little on it. You are definitely right--a brighter tone (although I prefer the mellowness of the F9) and a little bit more wear on the fingers. I'm debating on whether to sell the Weber; it's in almost pristine condition because I've not played it a bunch, but it's a nice backup to the F9. I'd consider selling the Bruhn, but don't know that there's much of a market there. It's a very nice mandolin, and I had some Grover tuning machines put on it. Hmmmm, too much for my head to take in right now! :-)

[Dave Hanson]

I've used J74s on my F9 since I bought it in 2015. No problems at all.

Dave H

[Rob Roy]

Thanks, Rob Roy!! In addition to the F-9, I have a Weber Gallatin A-style, a Bruhn two-point, and a cheap but not that bad Epiphone. I've been mostly playing on the F-9, but the other day I pulled out the Weber and did a little on it. You are definitely right--a brighter tone (although I prefer the mellowness of the F9) and a little bit more wear on the fingers. I'm debating on whether to sell the Weber; it's in almost pristine condition because I've not played it a bunch, but it's a nice backup to the F9. I'd consider selling the Bruhn, but don't know that there's much of a market there. It's a very nice mandolin, and I had some Grover tuning machines put on it. Hmmmm, too much for my head to take in right now! :-)

I'd hesitate to sell that Weber. I am a firm believer that everyone should have a decent backup mando. Unless of course you need to the cash to get another instrument…