What do you do with an F-4 Gibson mandolin?

[Fred G]

Unless I missed it, nobody mentioned Mike Compton who sometimes plays an F-4 with the Nashville Bluegrass Band instead of his Gilchrist. Man did it sound good over labor day weekend at DelVal. Especially during the Bill Monroe tribute. Mike is considered to be one of "the guys" carrying the Bill Monroe style torch so that must mean it is ok. :-)

[mrmando]

Well, I did mention Mike. Is that a vintage Gibson F4 he's using, or one o' them Gilchrists?

[Marc Berman]

From the Mandolin Cafe Mike Compton interview -

"I almost forgot with all this talk of F5's that I also own #565, a sugar maple and red spruce Gilchrist F4. It has the same V neck shape as the F5's and basically the same woods as the F5's, but the oval hole. Scott Tichenor calls it "the hog." It's one of the few F4's I've played that can hold its own in a bluegrass ensemble. It does take some getting used to because the notes don't shoot out of an F4 like they do an F5; you sort of have to wait on 'em, but tonally, I think the F4 fills airspace better than any of the F5's I've had. The one-piece maple back on it comes from a tree that came off of Sigourney Weaver's property someplace."

[Gary Hedrick]

A good F5 is not louder than a good F4...
Believe it or not....

Record them back-to-back sometime, and you'll use just about the same settings on the mic pre...

However, the perception of volume--the sonic signature of each instrument--is obviously a different story....

Now you have it!! This is exactly what I've experienced over the years. There are plenty of F4's that can cut it.....what's in the head is what calls this shot

By the way to an earlier post about having never seen an F4 at a Festival.......well the first 4 years at Bean Blossom that was what I was playing....

Dave Harvey is also a closet F4 guy........that was his early instrument also...

[Fred G]

Well, I did mention Mike. Is that a vintage Gibson F4 he's using, or one o' them Gilchrists?

I am working so I was not sure without going back through the threads :-) So it is a Gilchrist F-4... It sounded really great.

[Gary Hedrick]

A Gilchrist F4 has a sound all its own......neither old Gibson F4 or like his F5's. A very intriguing sound out of the 2 I've played...

[EdSherry]

Eric Thompson plays an F-4. Lovely sound.

I generally play an early Flatiron F-5 when playing bluegrass, and reserve my F-4 for more "old-time" sounding stuff. But it's lovely for vocal accompaniment.

[Paul Kotapish]

Eric Thompson gets a great sound with his F-4 in the Bluegrass Intentions. They have a very traditional, one-mic approach, and play a lot of the classic repertoire.