F5 Upgrade Guidance - Gibson, Collings, Northfield

[Aaron Pomerantz]

Where can I find his info? I played one at Gruhn that was incredible

Text me at 971-295-2171 and I’ll pass along the contact I have for Him.

Aaron

[jimmy powells]

Northfield Big Mon is very hard to beat, all things considered. Definitely the best F5 I have played/owned in the last 50 years.

[Drew Egerton]

I absolutely love my 4th gen Northfield. Total different beast from F5S or other models so anyone comparing those is apples and pomegranates.
You can probably beat it for 5 figures if you're lucky, but I've also played some big names mentioned in previous posts that I thought were very underwhelming.
I do think Northfield is very consistent these days.
I played a Red Diamond last year that was certainly louder and maybe more "in your face" but I wouldn't say the tone was better. Of course they are twice the price too.
If you're spending 5 figures, you should definitely play it first. If you're spending $7,500 I can't think of a more sure thing to buy without trying.

[withfoam]

Hey, I did this very thing! I upgraded from my KM-1050 to a Collings MF Deluxe.

Everyone's ear is different, so you may enjoy a certain sound more and that's where playing them comes in. I played a few Collings and Northfields when I was on the hunt and I even passed up a nicer Collings because I felt the MF Deluxe spoke to me more. One thing to consider though is that every single mandolin will hit you differently. When I finally decided on the MF Deluxe, they (to my luck) had 3 in the store and I tried each one. The moment I first strummed the one I have owned for a year now, I knew. It just has something my ears picked up on that the others didn't.

Either way, they're all going to be a wonderful upgrade, but if you can try them out first, do so!

[KEB]

I can't imagine much more fun than weekend spent in Nashville at Carter Vintage and Gruhn with a $7,500 budget and playing every single individual instrument knowing that I'm walking away with THE exact instrument I want. To me, it would definitely be worth the time and extra couple hundred bucks to fly to Nashville and stay somewhere cheap-- even if I had to take that out of the budget.

[Jebadave]

Having played all three, they are all such incredible instruments, but the Gibson Custom is the only one that was able to deliver the sound I'm looking for in a mandolin! You will not be disappointed by any of these mandolins, but if there's a specific sound that you are looking for, the only way is to try them first.

[gtani7]

Did you get enough advice? Another vote for going to shops/festivals/workshops whatever it takes to try a few necks etc out in person.

Also another shop suggestion tho they're understocked right now: Dusty strings in Seattle's Fremont area usually has 1-2 Collings F's and 1-2 Northfield's, which are all great sounding right out of the box. They'll have others, Webers, boutique builders, occasionally a Gibson.

https://store.dustystrings.com/c-231...aspx?pagenum=1

[Zeb Williams]

I have a Collings and a Gibson Custom. Both are great mandolins and both play exceptionally well but they both have distinct different sounds. The Gibson has that woodier tone, where the Collings has a much lighter, brighter tone. For my preference for bluegrass Gibson by far makes the best mandolins for other genre say jazz the Collings is probably the ideal choice. I have never played a Northfield, but I know allot of people are playing them now. They have really came a long way in popularity. It's always a choice of personal preference. Just remember if you get a brand new instrument it takes a while to get the sound you want out of it. You got to play it in. Good luck and whatever you buy in a few years you will be looking for something else. That's the problem with so many great instruments in the market.

[banjoboy]

I have owned and tried numerous mandos. I owned a Weber, Hester, Northfield, and Gibson. I've tried many others. At $7500, you have your choice of so many great mandos, both new and used. I'm not a fan of Collings. I don't find them to be as consistent as their great guitars. Best one I've played was an older A. If you can score a Northfield 4th Gen, I think you'll be happy. You'd also be happy with a used Kimble or Duff. My Hester was great. It's one that I wish I didn't let go. You pretty much never see her stuff come up for sale and she has a very long waiting list. I currently have a Gibson Fern that I love. I think it's true that the new Gibsons are really great and you'd be happy with one. Last I saw, there is a used Fern (2015?) on the Cafe that is in your budget. It might be worth spending a couple hundred dollars to jump on a plane and visit Nashville so that you can try all the mandos as the Mando Store, Carters, and Gruhns. Also, big shout out to the folks at the Mando Store. Their customer service is second to none. They bent over backwards to help me recently when I purchased my new mando.

[Bacfire]

Then there's that quasi-mystical quality of "cut", which is important to me because I have a hard time hearing myself in most BG jams. It's supposed to be about producing frequencies that are somewhat discrete from other instruments, but I don't know any way to evaluate it without a room full of banjos and guitars going. I've had mandolins that sounded great, but just got lost in the mix. 'Course, I've got artillery ears, so that might be a factor. In any case, that's not an issue with my NF.

[CES]

Of the three listed I’d most likely choose the Northfield as well. I owned a Collings MT that was a very good mandolin, but I ended up selling it because I preferred the tone of my Silverangel, which was a little bassier but also more in the “dry/trad” tone camp. But comparing a MT to a MF-5 isn’t fair given the different top woods and finishes. The Collings MF5s I’ve played (maybe 4 or 5?) were all exceptional instruments with exceptional build quality, and they were all far better than my particular MT. They all also had the “Collings tone,” which I’d put more in the modern camp. I’ve not played a next gen NF, but the Big Mons and F5Ss I’ve played held their own beside Collings and Pava (also a good consideration).

My current “baby” is my Skip Kelley A5. Skip makes a fine F5 as well. I feel like mine is more on the trad side of tone, but it’s very articulate and produces outstanding tone even way up the neck. Outstanding chop and “cut” as well. Mandomutt sells for him, but, if you’re interested contacting Skip and discussing what you want could be fun. You can find him here on the Cafe with regularity. Of course, that’d involve a wait, so there’s that.

Despite all of the debating and opinions, odds are you’d be happy with any of the three you’re considering, and all are a considerable upgrade from the Kentucky (no disrespect to the Kentucky). I’ll say also to give any mando you get a few days of playing before you judge it compared to the Kentucky. When I got my SA the neck profile and frets were so much different that my Kentucky that I thought I may have made a mistake. After a couple of days, though, I got used to the new neck, the tone really began to come out, and one day I realized it had been months since I’d played the Kentucky, lol…

[apache]

Howdy folks! Thank you again for the input - it's been over a year since these posts, but I finally made the leap and purchased a Gibson F5 Mandolin Store Custom. Special thanks to Zach and Dennis Vance at The Mandolin Store for all of their help and patience! I'm still getting acquainted with the Gibson, which just arrived last night, but it's noticeably much more resonant and alive than my Kentucky KM-1050 (also from The Mandolin Store in 2020), which has been a great mandolin. The Gibson vibrates from peghead to tail pin at the lightest touch. It sounds wonderful and the fit and finish is immaculate - I'm excited to see how it develops with some significant playing time.

Photos of the cousins attached - thanks again!

[cayuga red]

Great choice! Dave Harvey's newer Gibson models are among the company's best. Happy picking!

[urobouros]

Congrats on finding a winner! It's always nerve racking to buy online but glad to hear it was a happy ending

[Mando Esq]

Beautiful!

[Webfoot]

Northfield Big Mon is very hard to beat, all things considered. Definitely the best F5 I have played/owned in the last 50 years.

I just got a Northfield Big Mon in October and it's an amazing instrument. It's been hard to put down so that I can get anything else done - I just want to play it all the time! I went to the Northfield showroom in Marshall, Michigan and played about a half-dozen different models and the Big Mon was the winner for me in tone and presence. It makes me sound a lot better than I am.

[Webfoot]

It looks (and sounds) like you got a really beautiful instrument. Congratulations!!

[Sothoth]

I have to agree with the post above. I've owned or played at least half a dozen Collings mandolin. Amazingly consistent in their sound. If you like the Collings sound you can, or at least could, confidently buy one without playing it first and probably get what you expect.

It is, or was, NOT the classic Gibson F-5 sound that bluegrass folks hear in their head.

That said, I've played over a dozen contemporary Gibsons, and they had MUCH more variation in tone. Not all had that classic (Loar F-5) Gibson sound. So with Gibson, I was reluctant to buy without playing first. Exceptions at the very top of the line. I've never heard a modern Skaggs or DMM that didn't have that Loar F-5 family sound. I might like one more than another, but none sounded like a Collings. Same with actual Loar era F-5s in my experience.

I've never played a Northfield.

I agree with this completely. When I went shopping for a mandolin to replace my Eastman, I played a lot of Gibsons and Collings. They were the two available at my local shop. Seemed like Gibson had some amazing sounding mandolins but some that seemed lifeless. The Collings may or may not be to your liking but every one sounded like a Collings. I got an MF online in the color variant I loved sight unseen but was afraid to take that risk with a Gibson. Maybe I’m over paranoid and also the Collings sound is great to my ear so it worked out.

[jimmy powells]

Northfield Big Mon takes a lot of beating, all things considered. Obviously the money side of the matter. I think you have to play it to be sure when you are looking at expensive instruments.