F4 at Retrofret
It is featured on our home page, and I looked at it, and it does look nice, but...
It is described as having a "bookmatched" back. It does not look bookmatched to my eyes. Pretty far from it, actually. To me, it looks like the two halfs didn't even come from the same tree. What do the rest of you think? Shouldn't the two halfs of a back have figure that at least lines up somewhat to be considered bookmatched? I know the two halfs never line up perfectly, but this one...sheesh!
Don
2016 Weber Custom Bitterroot F
2011 Weber Bitterroot A
1974 Martin Style A
Re: F4 at Retrofret
It's not but it's still beautiful!
Re: F4 at Retrofret
Yes, I can see how some would consider it beautiful. But having looked at many examples of well bookmatched backs myself, and I'm sure others here as well, this obvious mismatch just hurts my eyes. It just looks to me like whover's job it was to put the back together just didn't give a rat's patootie. It is what it is, but at the very least the store should not describe it as "bookmatched". It is an inaccurate description.
On my 2 Webers, one back is bookmatched, the other not. But the one that is not at least had a similarity that makes it look like it came from the same piece of wood. Slip matched, probably. This one, no similarity whatsoever.
No need to argue about whether it's beautiful or not. Different strokes, as they say. But Would accurate terminology in instrument descriptions be too much to ask?
Last edited by multidon; Jun-01-2017 at 10:43am.
Don
2016 Weber Custom Bitterroot F
2011 Weber Bitterroot A
1974 Martin Style A
Re: F4 at Retrofret
Think of it as an "alternative fact".Originally Posted by multidon
Sometimes one slips by you in the editing room. Regarding the back in question; bad book match, great sunburst!!
Len B.
Clearwater, FL
Re: F4 at Retrofret
Terminology is the bane of collectors, especially instrument collectors.
Trying to get any group of people to agree what a term means and to use the term exactly that way all the time is almost impossible. This kind of discussion goes on in the banjo forum communities all the time.
The best bet is to get specific details instead of generalizations, which is essentially what "terms" in this context are.
-- Don
"Music: A minor auditory irritation occasionally characterized as pleasant."
"It is a lot more fun to make music than it is to argue about it."
2002 Gibson F-9
2016 MK LFSTB
1975 Suzuki taterbug (plus many other noisemakers)
[About how I tune my mandolins]
[Our recent arrival]
Re: F4 at Retrofret
Deleted, cheap shot.
Last edited by Austin Bob; Jun-01-2017 at 7:11pm.
A quarter tone flat and a half a beat behind.
Posting Permissions
Reply With Quote
Bookmarks