Gibson F-5G and Eastman MD-304 on an Irish tune

[Leo37]

member Harper posted her arrangement of an old irish tune in this threat.

I am often unsure to decide which mandolin sounds best for some kind of music and so I record the tune and would be pleased to get some comments...

https://soundcloud.com/leo-dilemma/a...eastman-md-304

https://soundcloud.com/leo-dilemma/a...on-gibson-f-5g

Microphone is the AKG C414 B-ULS in cardioid mode for the mandolins and omni mode for the acoustic guitar. DAW software is the Studio One 3.2.

[Astro]

No comparison to me after listening for 4 seconds. The gibson sounded way better on this one. The first one sounded like a hurdy gurdy. Great playing by member Harper though.

[JonDoug]

Beautiful playing and a lovely tune! I, too, prefer the Gibson. I tend to see the the A5/F5 focused sound as making the most versatile and "the best"-sounding mandolins in a variety of settings, and point to players like Marshall and Thile as proof. However, that may be a cultural bias from within a mandolin tradition, and there are players/instruments that clearly challenge my assumptions--like Avi Avital. It would be interesting to get your hands on an oval hole instrument closer in luthiery skills to the Gibson for a third comparison--such as an old Gibson, a Collings, or Old Wave.

[Bill Snyder]

No comparison to me after listening for 4 seconds. The gibson sounded way better on this one. The first one sounded like a hurdy gurdy. Great playing by member Harper though.

A hurdy gurdy? They sound more like a violin as they are not plucked but use a wheel to "bow" the strings.

For what it is worth I prefered the Gibson. I don't really think it is because it is an f hole, I think it is probably just the instrument as a whole sounds better to my ears.

[jonny250]

Gibson for sure. good playing!

[Johnny60]

Lovely tune and great playing. I agree with others - to me, the F5 sounds a lot better. Nothing wrong with the Eastman, but the F5 has more depth and more authority.

[LillianBelle]

Isn't this a comparison of two instruments for which the cost is an order of magnitude apart? You can buy a new Eastman 304 for $450 from Mandolin Store. You can buy a used Gibson F5G for between $3,500 and $4,000 ($5,800 brand new with a varnish finish.)

[liestman]

I agree with the others and specifically LillianBelle. It's apples and oranges.

[texaspaul]

The Gibson! It has a fuller deepth of tone.
It confirms my experience with Eastman ovals. To me they sound tinny and thin. Some teens Gibsons have a ringing full sound. Eastmans are nicely finished quality instruments. I often wonder if played long enough and allowed to age if they will develope a richer sound, however I've not held on to 3 of them to find out.

[Leo37]

Eastmans are nicely finished quality instruments. I often wonder if played long enough and allowed to age if they will develope a richer sound...

Yes, the Eastman is made very well and of better wood than many old cheaper Gibsons. It has a fine grained top and I cannot find structural issus. The sound is loud, full and with a quick response but there is no sweetness. It had come with EJ74 and I replaced them first with FT74 and now with medium TI. I am not unhappy with this mandolin, its good to have an alternative sound sometimes. Well, I am relative new on mandolin (bid more than a year) and have seen only two Gibson mandolins in my live (one of them you have heard). I would be happy if there were possibilities here in Germany to try better build oval hole mandolins.
BTW the F-5G is very suitable for many styles. Next project will be a tune from Calace.

[lflngpicker]

member Harper posted her arrangement of an old irish tune in this threat.

I am often unsure to decide which mandolin sounds best for some kind of music and so I record the tune and would be pleased to get some comments...

https://soundcloud.com/leo-dilemma/a...eastman-md-304

https://soundcloud.com/leo-dilemma/a...on-gibson-f-5g

Microphone is the AKG C414 B-ULS in cardioid mode for the mandolins and omni mode for the acoustic guitar. DAW software is the Studio One 3.2.

I am late to the party, but I really like these recordings. I have the same two mandolins- F5G and MD304. You sound great!

[tmsweeney]

Got to go with the Gibson, the Eastman is not bad but it tends to be of "varying" wave length where as the Gibson is of more "consistent" wavelength.
so the Eastman comes across as somewhat distorted