My new Newson F5

[Jonathan James]

Here are some pics of my recently-acquired Newson F5. This was built in 2002. I got it from Paul Newson at a music festival up in Northern Michigan.

[Jonathan James]

Shot of the scroll

[Eric F.]

Love that flamey back. How does it sound and play?

[Jonathan James]

Sounds AMAZING! The bark is out of this world. Kinda puts my F5G to shame and they were built the same year...

[Jonathan James]

Last one...Paul's attention to detail + tone is pretty amazing. He's not making too many F5s any more so he can focus on violins. Our loss, I guess.

[Jim M.]

Congratulations, and welcome to the Newson club! Paul really does make some spectacular sounding and looking mandolins. I posted some pics of my new one a few months ago:

http://www.mandolincafe.net/cgi-bin....t=15823

It keeps getting better as I play it, too. We need to get Scott to post one in the Eye Candy section.

[Lee]

I have Paul's #18 A5 from his Messic Michigan shop from 1984. #The tone is AMAZING as you say, I have not found one to equal it in the 15 years I've owned it. #Even back then the attention to detail was extraordinary too. # The F-holes are bound. There is no truss, so it must be reinforced internally; a rare feature back in that era. #The fret work is wonderful with an arched fretboard. He went to such trouble to route away the back of the headstock in a perfect outline of the tuner's mounting plate so it sits in-set flush with the rear surface of the heastock.
In my youth I was a violin player and often desribed the tone of my Newson as sounding reminiscent of a violin. #Intriqued to learn more about this extraordinary mandolin I tracked down Paul on the telephone using long-distance directory assistance (pre-internet days). #He was glad to chat for quite awhile even though I called completely out of the blue. He told me that my violin comparison was especially interesting to him because he'd been making violins before making mandolins.
There might be a glut of mandolins on the market but there aren't a glut of Paul Newson mandolins. It would be a shame to loose such a fine builder. (Maybe I should take up violin again...)

[mandoJeremy]

Very nice looking.

If this baby sounds as good as it looks, then you have one good mandolin. Could you tell me what the name of those things are called that you put between the pairs of strings between the bridge and tailpiece and where I can buy some for my MF5 Collings. Thanks, kaneology7

[Charlie Ayers]

What is Paul asking for his F5's - does anyone know?

Thanks,
Charlie

[Scotti Adams]

..very tasty...I like it.

[Jonathan James]

Those thingys are buzz dampener rubber grommets. Steve on the Cafe sells them.

Paul said he isn't making many F5's these days to concentrate on his violins. But, he said when he does make new F5's, they are just over $5K.

[Yellowmandolin]

I have also heard that you can get them at Radio Shack, although I have not gone there to get some.

Oh yea, nice lookin axe. I really like the color choice for the top.